He still doesn’t tell me what thatone thingis, his analytical stare flaying my nerves. Alex releases my wrist.
Even when standing utterly still, he is all movement. I see it crouching inside of him, a whirlwind storm of energy he’s holding back with everything he’s got; and if he were to release it, he doesn’t even know himself what he might do—kiss me, curse me, tell me he wishes me eternal suffering, pin me to a tree. It’s painful to not touch him where his pulse beats, sweat limning the bridge of his nose. His gaze searches mine with a near-frantic intensity, and when he speaks at last his voice is like cement. “We’d be a lot further ahead right now if you’d just been honest.”
I take a step away from him. “You knew the answer to number three and took forever to tell me what it was. You’re just as much at fault.”
His head tilts. Something almost sad hides in the way helooks at me, but his smile is all amusement. “Come on, then. Even though we lost, might as well finish what we started.”
By the time we return to Half Moon Mill, the rain’s let up to a sprinkle and the other hunters have collected their prizes and left. I approach Kristin, who’s surrounded by a gaggle of ladies in hot pink visors. Suitcases are strewn all over the grass.
“There you are!” she exclaims. “Those clues must’ve stumped you, huh? I thought for sure you’d be the first ones back here—remember all the board games the three of us used to play together? You two would go for the throat, every time.”
I see a brief flash of my hand against Alex’s throat, unmistakable desire darkening his eyes.
“Sorry for making you wait.” I school the wobble out of my voice. This is absurd. I am not allowed to find Alex attractive, and more importantly, I have forbidden myself from being attractedtohim. It would be too humiliating to survive. “Good night, bride-to-be,” I say. “Thanks for inviting me to play today. I had fun.”
“Oh, I’m so glad!” Kristin hugs me.
Kristin seems much more relaxed now. I remember when she worked two jobs to make ends meet, her house a shrine to her husband, who died in a car accident when Alex was six. Everywhere you looked, there was a picture of grinning, gregarious, practical-joke-lover Alex Senior: candids with Kristin—him with a bushy mustache, her with hair teased to heaven, laughing hard, trying to shield her face from the camera; wedding photos; family portraits with baby Alex and his cute right-cheek dimple, toddler Alex in scarlet and gray overalls and a matching BrutusBuckeye hat, nostalgically backlit with his chubby hands on his knees. The trio’s succession of photos stops abruptly after kindergarten-graduation-Alex. Their house used to be loud with laughter, the hub where aunts and uncles assembled to drink and play games. Alex Senior and Kristin had intended for Alex Junior to be the first of many.
There are knots in the heartstrings that connect Kristin and me, but I still love her dearly.
“Here’s Marcy,” she says. “Marcy, did you ever meet Romina? She used to go with Alex, but she goes with Trevor now.”
“Romina gets around,” Marcy says with a smoky chuckle.
My chin falls. “Uh.”
“Don’t listen to her, she’s joking.” Kristin waves a hand. “Marcy, I didn’t think you were going to make it! I can’t believe you brought so many friends with you.” I watch her attempts to be chill and stress-free for this wedding disintegrate before my eyes.
“We’re on our way to the Wild Turkey Festival,” one of the ladies pipes up, swaying. She’s sipping a margarita with four neon straws. “In McArthur.”
“Hope you still have room for us,” Marcy says brightly.
Kristin presses two fingertips against her lips. “Ah...”
“No worries, Mom.” I jump at the sound of Alex’s voice, landing directly on top of my head at close range. Just as I revolve to face him, he steps forward, bumping our bodies together. There is a zero percent chance it wasn’t on purpose. “You can give them my room.”
“Yours? But then where will you stay? There are no other hotels in town.”
Alex wraps an arm around my shoulders, his smile genial. A raindrop slides along his hairline, landing on the collar of hisshirt. “I’ll stay with my new stepbrother, Trevor. This would be a great chance for us to bond.”
Horror leaps up my throat when I realize what this means for me. “No way.”
“Oh, c’mon, it’ll be fun.”
I snarl at him.
Kristin bites her lip, but the drunk pink visor ladies are already wheeling their suitcases inside, so she grips my hand. “Thank you, honey. I appreciate this so much.”
“Can’t you just drive home?” I whine at Alex.
“Nah, I live all the way in Oreton. I want to stay close this week, so I can help Mom out. Get to know Daniel.” He’s putting it on. Oreton isn’t allthatfar. The meaner my scowl, the bigger his smile gets. “Arrangement works out for everyone. Fantastic.”
Chapter Thirteen
PASSIONFLOWER:
I am pledged to another.
