“See? You should’ve been my date.”
He tucked a loose tendril behind her ear.
Blushing, she looked down, pressing her lips together to reign in her giant grin. He so easily lifted her spirits, and she loved him—absolutely and unconditionally.
Fin ran the back of his fingers down her cheek and under her jaw then lifted her chin and smiled sadly.
Hailey looked up at him.
“What is it?”
He shook his head, still gazing at her with sad adoration.
“Why did you say Asher would kill you for good tonight?” she asked softly.
Fin sighed and pressed his lips together. His eyes darted away briefly, and he set his jaw, like he was gathering his courage.
Uh-oh, Hailey thought.This must be pretty bad.
“He thinks I’ll hurt you,” he said with no trace of emotion.
“Why would he think that? Because of Cobon?”Because I’m crazy in love with you, and if you reject me, my heart will implode?
He answered in a flat voice. “No. Because of the way I am…with women… I guess I get bored easy.” The last bit came out sounding strained. “I don’t want to hurt you, Hailey,” he pleaded.
“Then don’t,” she said.
It felt like he was saying goodbye, and she opened her mouth to probe further, but now he was looking across the room, and his expression hardened.
“Aw, shit,” he said.
She turned her head but saw nothing. “What is it?” she asked as he released her.
“Nothing,” he said with an icy tone. “I’ll be right back.” He didn’t even look at her as he said it and left her standing on the dance floor looking after him.
After Fin disappeared into the shadows of the hall, Hailey moped back to the table and scanned the room again for Asher. Still nothing.
Giselle appeared, positively glowing.
Hailey looked her up and down. “I think you’ve turned the corner on the hag issue,” she told her. “You look like a movie star.”
Giselle smiled, and Hailey pointed at her mouth.
“Except for the pointy demon teeth,” she said.
“David just kissed me.” She could hardly contain herself.
“Did he survive?”
Hailey was still looking at her roommate’s razor-sharp snarl, and Giselle nodded toward the doors where David stood with a dumb grin plastered on his face, surrounded by no fewer than ten of their classmates.
“He’s bragging to his friends right now,” Giselle said, looking radiant.
As Hailey observed David swoon, something flashed in her periphery, and she snapped her head around in time to see Asher across the room, holding Fin by the throat with one hand and pressing his other hand against Fin’s forehead. She sprang out of her chair and raced over to them.
“…two months, and my patience wears thin, Pádraig. You forget your place, and your soul is still black as pitch with the hundreds of lives you’ve taken,” Asher was saying through clenched teeth as Hailey approached.
Hundreds of lives?Neither man noticed her drawing near.
