And seeing someone else on the side on top of that, but I leave Demetri out of it for now. Although, Demetri can never fully be left out of the conversation seeing that he’s my father’s killer. Chloe may have told him to do it, but something in me knows he didn’t mind obeying orders one bit. He’s Chloe’s supervising spirit, in other words, her celestial bitch. I seriously hate them both. And, oddly, neither of them ever truly seem to get what’s coming to them. I don’t care if Chloe is relegated to the Transfer—something isn’t sitting well with me, but that’s a topic to take up with my other mother.
“It’s okay to hurt, Skyla.” She pulls me in tight. “And a part of the reason I wanted to come and talk to you this morning was just because of that. Hurting goes along with the territory. A part of you may never fully recover. God knows I didn’t.” She leans her head over mine. “The pain may not go away as fast as you’d like, so don’t wait for that magic moment to happen just yet. You may never get there, and you know what? Nobody will ever judge you for that. But I have a feeling Gage can help you heal, Skyla. That is, if you let him. There’s room in your heart to love more than one person—and it’s a beautiful thing.” She leans in and presses a kiss over my cheek. “Your dad was a gift to me. Just like Logan was to you.”
Something in my chest cinches. It’s as if those were the exact words I needed to hear. Logan and Gage are both gifts. And she’s right. I will never truly get over losing Logan. And, when he finally does come back to me, I’ll be grieving Gage. That is unless I can change things, and I hope to God I can. Grief is a horrible place to live. I want no part of that pain ever again.
“Thank you.” I offer up the strongest bear hug I’ve given in my life, until she groans under my weight. “You’re the best mom ever, you know that?”
“Thank you.” She touches the tip of my nose. “Another thing I wanted to say was”—her chest expands, and I can tell we’re about to enter a no-fly zone—“Demetri is going to be there today.”
“Really? I can’t imagine why the Olivers would extend the invitation to him.” For one, he’s evil incarnate.
“They didn’t. I asked Emma if it would be okay. He and Darla are sort of on the outs—he never could commit to a wedding date.” She averts her eyes, but a brief smile plays on her lips, and I catch it. Darla is my best friend’s mother, our next door neighbor, and the very woman who drove Mom to the brink of a jealous rage due to the aforementioned engagement. It was fake from the beginning. I think we all knew that. “Anyway, I thought it’d be good for him to get back into the fold.”
My blood boils just thinking about it. All of my pent up anger regarding her borderline affair with the enemy, a Fem no less, is ready and willing to spew right out of my mouth in the form of a verbal assault.
A loud knock vibrates over the door, and Brielle saunters in clutching an overnight bag.
“Morning, sunshine!” she sings, twice as chipper as my mother ever could. Her strawberry blonde hair is rumpled, her mascara is running down her cheeks, but she’s glowing, and that can only mean one thing, she slept with my stepbrother last night.
“And on that note.” Mom sails to the door. “Let’s everyone play nice today. I think we’re going to have a really good time at the Oliver’s.” She clicks the door shut behind her.
“Play nice?” I scoff, making room on the bed for Brielle. “I believe that’s code for ‘be nice to my boyfriend.’”
“Your mom has a boyfriend?” Bree bounces onto my mattress as if I’m about to dispense the latest island gossip.
“Never mind. How’s your boyfriend?”
“Moving on up.” She looks at me as if I should know what this means.
“God, if that’s some sexual innuendo, it’s really too early for me. Note, it will always be too early in the day for any kind of sexed-up news regarding Drake.”
“Gotcha, sis.” She gives me a light kick over the thigh. “Anyway, Drake is doing really well at the Gas Lab. Ever since that Chloe chick and Pierce have taken over, we’re finally seeing some profit.” She shakes her head. “Best damn donuts in town.”
That Chloe chick is what Brielle insists on calling Ezrina. And Pierce Kragger has been taken over by Nevermore, so there’s that. If anything got even mildly rectified during the faction war it was the fact the Kraggers got royally fucked in the processes. Holden, the asshole, is a bird, and Giselle has conveniently landed Emerson’s body. And Emerson, well, she’s trapped in an owl that I gifted to Mia. God only knows if she’s still alive. I haven’t been in Mia’s room all summer. The only one still intact is Big Daddy K. Speaking of Arson, he has his head tucked so far up his ass I bet he hasn’t even noticed his children have been relegated to other people and species. But, then, assholes rarely recognize things outside of themselves—case in point Chloe.
“Besides”—Brielle goes on—“Drake has got a hundred new business ideas. He’s not so hot on the fact he needs to split profits with Ethan or anyone else. He’s going it alone, but don’t tell anyone I told you. Drake has big dreams. He’s going to be a millionaire.”
“Millionaire, huh?” I hate to break it to Brielle, but it takes more than some pipe dream to fill a bank account.
“Or a billionaire.” She tosses her hands in the air as if it were no big deal. “My mom says a million bucks doesn’t take you far these days. Speaking of these days and sexual innuendos…”
I roll my eyes as she bounces up and dumps out the contents of her duffle bag.
“What’s all this?” I stare at the crap Brielle spilled onto my bed and carefully pick up a red, white, and blue bikini with stars set in precarious places.
“This”—she picks up an industrial sized tub of margarine and cradles it like an infant—“is what you’re going to need to seduce him.”
I give the bikini top a twirl. “I’m not sure the U.S. flag was ever intended to be a nipple shield. And the butter? What is this, my ‘cupcakes in bikinis’ moment?”
“Oh, hon, the only thing that will be cooking is Gage once he slathers this all over your body. All you have to do is show up wearing this little magic number.” Her eyes get all swirly as her mouth rounds out into the perfect O. “Hey I know—volunteer to wash his car!” She makes a circular motion with her chest, and suddenly I’m fearing for my lady parts. “Guys love that. And, since it’s technically still summer, you’ll want to get a tan.” She thrusts the margarine at me. “Just make sure he rubs you down in all the right places.” Her eyes drift between my thighs.
Good grief. Brielle can turn an innocent car wash into a pornographic experience.
“Okay.” I blow out a breath. “I think I’m ready.”
Brielle leans in and wraps her arms around me. “I heard that last bit with your mom, you’ve still got Logan hanging over your heart—and, I’ve seen the way Dudley looks at you.” She shakes her head as she hops off the bed. “This is your time to shine, Skyla, just you and Gage.” Brielle sticks a finger in my chest. “So you’d better straighten out that parade of boys you’ve got roaming around in that heart of yours. You get one chance to get this right with him. Don’t fuck it up.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I say it weak as she strides out of the room.
God, I hate it when Brielle makes sense.
Don’t fuck it up.
I finger the bathing suit with its patriotic nipple shield.
Gage and I are going to happen, and I think things need to start happening today.
The air outside is thick and warm. The island is heated just enough to bring out the earthiness of the pines. The sweet scent of Paragon soil gives a sharp bite to my senses.
Brielle and I drive over to the party with Drake. He parks, and we head toward the back gate with him groping her boobs all the way up.
Cars are parked up and down the street with people milling back and forth. The raucous music of what sounds like a live band is coming from the rear of the property, but most likely Gage has hooked up his phone to his amp. I spot Marshall’
s nice ride parked across the street, and just behind that some demonic looking car that seems far too expensive to ever be on the island.
I smack Drake in the arm. “What kind of car is that?”
He turns, and his jaw roots to the driveway. “Holy shit—that’s a fucking Phantom!” He starts heading back down. “Rolls-Royce, baby!”
“Oh that?” Brielle reels him back in. “It’s Demetri’s new car. Mom says he needed it to help get over her. Something to do with compensation issues.”
“Little dick, big ride.” Drake shakes his head still mesmerized by the sight.
“Whatever. It’s just a car,” I say, pulling Bree up the driveway with me. The last thing I want to do is stand around discussing the size of Demetri’s package. Besides, he’s a dick both inside and out of his pants. It’s a wonder anyone cares to take a look under the hood. Mom blinks through my mind, and I chase her away.
“Just a car?” Drake pops up beside me. “That thing is like the Waldorf Astoria on wheels. That car has a fucking aristocratic linage—not to mention the often underappreciated suicide doors.”
“Suicide doors, huh? Sounds like the only redeemable quality.” Demetri sporting a luxury ride doesn’t surprise me. Personally, I’m rooting for the suicide.
We make our way to the backyard, straight into a sea of bodies, young and old alike. It’s a mish mosh of who’s who, with Charlie, Gage’s yellow lab, being the first to greet us.
“Hey, buddy.” I kneel down to give him some back scratching love, and, before I know it, Drake and Brielle have already claimed a spot at the pool. She whips out her own tub of margarine, and Drake doesn’t waste a moment before diving in and buttering Bree up.
Figures. The two of them are already on second base, and here I haven’t even found Gage yet.
I stand and inspect the place for the hottest Oliver around. I spot Dr. O busy tending to the barbeque, sweating up a storm. A dull laugh trembles through me. Maybe I’m more interested in the coolest Oliver. I stand on my tiptoes, but no such luck. Instead, I revert back to Barron who’s now being henpecked to death by Emma. You’d think there weren’t another person on the planet who can cook the way she’s harassing him at the grill.
I glance across the pool to find Ellis talking with Gage, and my stomach pinches tight because those piercing blue eyes have already set their sights on me. His dimples dig in, but he doesn’t break his stare. Ellis goes on and on, but Gage crosses his arms while dousing me with his full attention. It’s something deeper than simply looking, or staring. Gage is searing me with his intense gaze, touching me with it. My skin blisters under his watchful supervision. A trail of heat lingers over my body as his eyes ride up and down over me. He bites down on his lip as if he’s preparing to savor a meal he’s been waiting forever to have. And he is.
“Time to eat!” Emma screams it out like a battle cry.
“Oh, yes it is,” I whisper, indulging him with a private smile.
And Gage is plenty hungry.
“Skyla?”
I turn to find Dr. O’s smiling face along with Dr. Booth and another man about their age, each with matching dark-framed glasses. They make an adorable trio, and I can’t help but wonder if my own father were still alive if he’d fit into their circle with a matching pair of frames.
“Dr. Booth.” I give him a long, rocking hug. Dr. Booth is a Levatio like Gage. Tad had me locked up in a psych ward once, for basically no reason, and Dr. Booth was my psychiatrist for a time.
“Skyla, I’d like you to meet my new partner in psychological crime, Dr. Flanders.” He holds out a hand to the man on his left. “He and his family just moved to the island a few months ago.”
“Nice to meet you.” The salt and pepper-haired gentleman extends his hand. “My son, Cooper, and his girlfriend, Laken, attend Host. Dr. Oliver mentioned you and his son went there as well.”
“I know Coop.” My heart thumps because suddenly this backyard get together feels like old home week. “And I know Laken, too.”
“We were actually just talking about a boy named Wesley Paxton.” Dr. O narrows in on me. “Are you familiar with him, Skyla?”
My heart freezes in my chest. My muscles go rigid as if my body has turned to stone, ready to crumble into a million little pieces. It was one thing to meet up with Wes in the Tenebrous Woods, it’s another for him to start bubbling to the surface and existing in the real world. Even if he always has been a part of this planet, he’s never been a part of my world, and I know for a fact both Laken and I want to keep it that way.
“Yeah, I sort of know him.” My cheeks fill with heat.
Dr. Booth gives me a gentle pat on the back. “I’m always here for you. Know that.” He gives a soft wink as he and Coop’s father move into the crowd.
“I’m sorry, Skyla.” Barron dips his chin toward me. “Logan mentioned the other day that you knew Wesley but wouldn’t say how.”
“Logan mentioned the other day?” My heart stops once again, only this time I don’t mind. “That means he’s here.” I stand on my tiptoes and scan the crowd.
“No, I’m sorry, Skyla. He’s not here. I shouldn’t have said anything.”
Emma pops up with a batch of raw chicken legs that glisten pink in the sun.
“No time for loafing!” she snaps.
A warm kiss lands on my cheek from behind, and I spin into Gage. My entire person fills with peace at the sight of him.
“Logan is back. Your dad just said he talked to him the other day.”
“Is he here?” Gage takes a step toward his father, his face bleeding out all color. On some level, neither Gage nor I thought it would happen so soon, but we were hoping. We’d let Logan back into our lives with open arms, the sooner the better.
“No, he’s not here.” Dr. O looks remorseful for mentioning him at all. “He and Liam stopped by the mortuary a few days ago. That’s when I met with Wesley.”
“You met with Wes?” Gage looks downright pissed.
“He was there for Ezrina. They had business to conduct.” He glances over at Emma who’s talking to some brunette across the way before reverting back to Gage. “My God, he looks just like you.”
“I know.” Gage lets out a breath. “Let’s shelve all talk of Wes for now. Is Logan coming? Is that what this is about?”
“No.” Dr. O frowns as Emma fast approaches, ushering the brunette along. “I’m afraid this is what it’s about.” He nods over to the two of them.
“Gage”—Emma beams, ignoring me completely, but that’s nothing new—“this is Kresley Fisher.” She pulls the tall brunette from behind her. She’s beautiful in a cutthroat way. I can tell she’s an honorary member of the bitch squad with just one look. “Her father and I both attended the Ephemeral Academy back in the day. He and I were honor guards together and spent more time putting up and taking down the flag than I care to remember.” She gets a faraway look in her eyes as if maybe she would like to remember—right now. Emma gives a private smile before snapping back to reality. “And, now, his daughter has transferred to Host. I thought maybe you could show her around a bit.”
Show her around a bit? My mouth drops open. What the hell? Is she trying to get rid of me? Is she trying to pawn off this Kresley chick on her son while he still has his arm wrapped around my waist?
“Oh my, fuck.” Kresley takes a step in. Her features bleach out as her skin grows ashen. “Wes?”
She thinks he’s Wesley. Of course she does, she went to Ephemeral, the Count conservatory, so she probably knows the original bastard. No wonder she’s letting expletives fly in front of Emma. I guess I would too if I lost Gage and thought I found him again.
“My name is Gage.” He holds out his hand, but she doesn’t take it. She’s too busy panting into him as if he were a juicy side of beef, which he is, but that’s beside the point. “And this is my girlfriend, Skyla.”
“Girlfriend,” she says mesmerized—her eyes never leaving his. “Right.”
Laken and
Coop crop up just as Emma heads back to the barbeque to hound Barron into an early grave.
“God, Kres, leave him alone.” Laken waves her hand over the girl’s face. “You’ll have to excuse her. She dated Wes for awhile.” Laken shoots a quick look to Coop because she dated Wesley for a while, too. “He’s not, Wes.” She pulls Kresley back by the elbow. “Look, I see Grayson in the pool, cooling herself off with my history teacher. Why don’t you go see if she needs any help closing the deal?”
I glance over to find Marshall lounging in the hot tub with a bevy of beauties floating by his side. He nods in my direction, and a mean shiver runs through my body, starting at that tender spot between my legs before rippling through me.
Crap. He is so doing this on purpose.
Kresley backs away slowly, never taking her eyes off Gage. She bumps into Emma and almost knocks the bowl right out of her arms. She comes to and proceeds to help get the festivities under way. I have a feeling she’s going to be Emma’s new pet, and it has nothing to do with the bond her father shared with anyone at Ephemeral.
“Game’s coming up.” Coop gives Gage a light sock to the arm.
“You tell anybody the big news?” Gage and Coop seem to be having a private conversation.
“What big news?” Laken draws Coop in close.
“I went in for walk-ons and made it as an alternate. If one of these big baboons gets hurt, I might get to taste the field.”
“Sweet!” I give a little jump. “Too bad I’m not in cheer anymore, but I’ll be cheering from the stands.”
“And I’ll be right there with you.” Laken touches her hand to Coop’s chin. “Is this the big secret you’ve been teasing me with? I can’t believe you held back.” They share a sweet kiss. Coop and Laken are one of those sickeningly sweet couples that single people can’t stand to be around, but, since I’m very much taken myself, I can appreciate where they’re coming from.
“So”—Laken leans in, the smile dissipating from her face—“rumor has it Wes spent some time with your dad.” She glances at Gage. Poor Laken can hardly bring herself to look at him. “If Wes is up to something, we need to know.”