Coop darts a quick look my way before heading over.
“Skyla.” He pulls me in quickly. “I just want you to know that Wes is talking about something private. Something silly he’s hoping will embarrass me.” He shrugs to Laken. “You ready?”
“Cooper.” Her brows furrow. “What is it? Skyla is right. We shouldn’t have any secrets.”
I nod. “And Wesley’s right. Laken doesn’t care for them.” Neither do I, but Lord knows Laken packs a bigger punch with those two.
Coop’s expression sours. “Don’t worry. When the time is right, I’ll lay it all out there.” He glances to the stairwell.
I take a step in. “Does it affect Celestra?”
He looks my way, his eyes glowing in the bright light of the lab.
Coop swallows hard, and I think I have my answer.
“Don’t worry, Skyla,” he whispers. “I wouldn’t do anything to hurt our people.”
We say a quick goodbye, and he ushers Laken out of here like a man on a mission.
Coop says he wouldn’t do anything to hurt our people.
Where have I heard that before?
Logan and I have been sneaking off to Whitehorse whenever we can—to the butterfly room he built for me there. We watch the butterflies dance and flutter, hypnotizing us into believing that all will end well for us and for Celestra. He holds me and I did sneak in a kiss or two, but he can’t help but grimace. I can’t blame the poor guy. Chloe did lop his head off and cause him so much heartache and pain. Even Logan has his limits.
As for me, well, I’m in Chloe’s body. I don’t see her face, I feel every bit like the old me. And when I see Chloe’s face in the mirror, it simply feels as if I’m in the room with her. I don’t feel as if Iamher. And, of course, I hear her constant commentary on just about everything running on a ceaseless loop. It turns out, Chloe Bishop has an opinion on just about everything.
Damn right I do,she interjects.Now let’s get ready for Rory’s pretty pink panty party tonight. I want to look good. None of that cheap shit you put on your face. Head back to Brody’s. He’s worried about me.
I’m seated in the Landon family room, the sun just came up, and I’m already cradling a cup of coffee. I’ve spent the last few nights on the sofa, and no one has batted a lash. It’s a pleasure just seeing the boys when they wake up. I turn on the TV for them and get them breakfast. It all feels so strangely normal, sans the fact I can’t smother them with kisses. But I plan to. And it will be bliss.
I’ve been texting Brody nonstop,I’m quick to tell her.By the way, I think it’s adorable the way he cares for you.
Honestly, I think he’s the only one that cares for Chloe at all.
You’re right,she pipes up.And it doesn’t bother me one bit.
I shake my head.First, it has to bother you because you’re a person. And second, it bothers me.
Get over it,she snips.Unlike you, I’m truly focused on the Factions. Your mother might have used me as some sort of a decoy, but I’m still in it to win it. Celestra sits supreme, and maybe I don’t really care if you sit on the seat. But I’ll put you there. I just need Gage to suffer for what he did to me. It’s become my dual purpose in life. Celestra gets the gold, and Gage Oliver lives in misery.
I sigh just hearing it.You loved Gage as much as I did. And let’s get real. I’m not sure either one of us is truly over him. He’s still in there. He has to be. How does one morph into a monster out of the blue? It just doesn’t make sense. You knew his soul. You fell in love with it. I did, too. He could have been disfigured in an accident, but we would have loved him just the same. I’m not sure this spiritual disfigurement is any different. In the shadow of the day, if we are truly honest with ourselves, we can admit it. We’re just not over him.
Emily walks in with her hair every which way like a smashed and thrashed pompom, her jeans on, and a terrifying mask of a bloody werewolf in her in hand.
“You ready to do this, Bishop?”
“Yuppers.” I jump to my feet.
Emily grunts as she produces another equally terrifying mask from behind her back and tosses it my way—a bloody zombie with an eye that hangs to the middle of his cheek. And oddly enough, it reminds me of the day I kicked Gage Oliver’s resurrected ass.
She shakes her head. “Don’t you think it’s strange that Logan okayed this?”
I think on it a moment. Emily is smart. If I’m not careful, she might just figure out my true identity all on her own. Not that I’m entirely opposed to it, but I’m not taking my big reveal further than I already have.
“Yes,” I say. “It’s really weird. But then, Messenger has been a total bitch to him and the kids lately. Maybe Logan thinks a good scare will make her chill out a bit? Besides, it’s not like it was my idea. Laken came up with the dreamy scheme.”
That’s not entirely true. I came up with the dreamy scheme myself but asked Laken to play it off as if it were her brainstorm. Rory isn’t getting any big hints as to my identity either.
