“You weren’t being a douchebag. I just feel like you’re keeping a secret from me. I could be being paranoid—I’m naturally wary —but …” She wavers. “Lily told me that Eli is a bad guy.”
“He is.” I push a button on the key fob, and the lights of my car flash twice. “Lily’s never told anyone what happened between them, but I have theories, and if I ever get confirmation that those theories are correct, the guy’s going to get his ass beat.”
“Finn was hanging out with him that day I saw him disappear while he was in the library. Like straight-up vanished.” She stuffs her hands into the pockets of her jacket.
I press her with a look. “Not out here, okay?” I whisper.
Since I’m telling her the truth tonight, I might as well tell her that. It’s risky, but I trust Maddy enough that I doubt she’ll tell anyone.
I’m rewarded with a small smile. Then she strolls over to the passenger side of my car, eyeing it.
“You guys and your cars.” She bites on her bottom lip as I move up beside her. “It feels almost wrong that I’m getting in it.”
I pause. “What? Why?”
“Because it’s fancy, and I’m a grungy north-sider.” She shrugs, like what she said was no big deal.
It is.
“You’re not grungy. You’re beautiful.” The words slip out of my mouth on their own. I quickly clear my throat then reach for the door handle.
I expect a smartass remark from her, yet she strangely falls into silence. The squirm of her body lets me know she’s uncomfortable. Part of me wants to retract the statement, but it’s true. Maddy is so damn gorgeous it’s insane.
As I open the door for her, she moves out of the way, but our arms brush and warmth spreads through me in the weirdest fucking way. I find myself leaning closer and smelling her hair like a damn psycho.
She smells fucking wonderful, like sugar and vanilla.
When she tilts her head to look at me, I’m so close we nearly end up kissing.
She doesn’t immediately move back, making me question what the hell is going on in her head. Then she steps back and looks puzzled, her head angled to the side.
“You okay?” she asks worriedly.
“Yeah, I’m fine.”I was just smelling your hair. That’s all.
I’m unsure if she can tell what I was doing, but either way, she lets it go.
“So, gothic prince is a gentleman, huh?” she teases as she steps toward the open door.
“It’s a royal thing. Good manners are force-fed to us from the day we’re born.” I grip the top of the door, preparing to close it.
She smiles cheekily at me as she ducks her head and slides into the leather seat. “With a silver spoon, I’m guessing.”
I decide to play along with her, testing the waters of humor for a bit. “It was made of gold.”
She lets out this laugh that makes me smile.
“So, gothic prince can joke, too,” she teases as she swings her legs into the car.
“He can on occasion.”
“And apparently talk about himself in the third person.”
I shake my head but smile. Damn, this girl has made me smile more than anyone has in my entire life.
I shut the door and round the car, throwing a glance back at Eli. I expect him to be gone or engulfed in the conversation he’s having with his friends, but he’s staring right at us.
Worry stirs inside me that he is somehow aware I’m about to tell Maddy about the society targeting her. But how could he? The only person who knows about that besides me is Finn. And he wouldn’t tell him.
