“I didn’t say she was addicted to crack.”
“Wasn’t she?”
“Nah.”
“’Nah’ is evasive and doesn’t count as an answer,” he says. “She still alive?”
“Dunno.” That’s true, by the way. I haven’t seen or heard from her since the last time she left rehab, mid-program, and that was five years ago.
“’Dunno’ doesn’t either.”
“Ask a better question then.”
He pauses. Taking me in, trying to get another read on me. I show him no fear. “What’s with the obsession with books?”
“It’s not an obsession. I like reading. It’s normal.”
“Mm hmm, and what do you like reading?”
He looks so smug and self-assured and I’m so relieved that he’s moved on from my shitty childhood, I tell him the truth. “I read romance.”
He clamps his hand to his mouth to try to catch his giggle. He fails. It comes spraying out of him like a fountain. His eyes slam shut, and he throws his head back and roars with laughter. He rolls over onto his side, facing me. His face is contorted. His lips pulled back to expose his square, white teeth, as he shakes with helpless laughter. As much as I hate to admit it, and believe me I truly do hate it, this terrible, terrible boy is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.
“Oh, Asshole, you can’t bullshit a bullshitter,” he says when he stops laughing. “Fine, if you don’t like that question, here’s one you might actually answer truthfully; do you really have your gold star?”
“I hate to break it to you, Demon, but that’s not the type of information the police will find remotely helpful.” He gives me a solid nudge with his foot against my shin. “Okay, okay,” I say. “Yes. As a matter of fact, I do have my gold star.” He considers me carefully. I can’t tell if it’s with pity or if he’s impressed. “What about you? You been with a woman?”
“Of course.”
Something unfamiliar and unpleasant bubbles deep under my skin. “You ever been with Lacey?”
“Lacey? God no. Lacey can’t stand men, and my little voyage of self-discovery was over long before I met her.” The bubbles pop and evaporate when I hear that. “Although, you know, when I met Lacey, for a hot second I did actually wonder if I was attracted to her. I was at a party. I was in hot pursuit of a guy named Danny Midlane. He was adorable. The sweetest guy you could ever imagine. He had these big blue eyes and an ass that was perfectly thick.Perfectly. He was one of those guys who spent all his time helping others. Not just giving money to charity. Actually helping people. Everyone loved him.” The bubbles are back. They broil in my chest, making me feel short of breath. “Anyway,” he continues, “I had Danny in my sights. He was keen too. He was checking me out with those big ‘ole blue eyes, and I could tell he was starting to let himself think about what could happen between us. I went to refill my drink at the bar and while I was waiting, I noticed this girl standing next to me. She had long black hair and those weird, short bangs that fall mid-forehead and either make you look absolutely ridiculous or outrageously stunning. They made her look stunning. She was wearing a short black dress with heavy make-up and tights that looked like spider-webs. It was the start of her goth phase.” He looks up and sighs fondly. The bubbles inside me are flat out boiling now. “I could tell immediately that she was something. Someone. She wasn’t like other people. When she saw me looking at her, she said, ‘No’ and I said, ‘No what?’ and then she said, ‘No to that guy.’ And then she showed me a very deliberate thumbs down, as if she was a Roman Empress and Danny’s fate had been decided. I said, ‘What’s wrong with Danny?’ and she said, ‘He’s not nice.’” Damon bursts out laughing again. He laughs and laughs.
I don’t get the joke. “Guess you had to be there.”
“It was perfect. There was no way Danny could possibly have been nicer. The fact she didn’t like him told me everything I needed to know about her. It was like I knew her, and she knew me. We were the same. We both felt it instantly.”
“Hmm, so you’re attracted to people who remind you of you? If that’s not arrogance, I don’t know what is.”
“I wasn’t attracted to her, dumbass. As soon as I met her, I knew. I justknew. She did too. The second we met; we saw each other and knew we were tied for worst person at that whole party.” The soft glimmer of a fond memory fades. He looks at me accusingly, “Is she still pissed at me for leaving her at Slay?”
“No. I sent her a basket of those vegan muffins she loves fromVeg-A-Table, and a bunch of grovelling messages. Managed to crawl you back into her good graces.”
“How the fuck do you know about those muffins?”
“I’m good at what I d…”
“You know what, never mind. I don’t care. That isn’t my question.”
“Actually, I think I’m due a few questions. I’ve been keeping score. You’ve asked me a lot more than I’ve asked you.” That’s not strictly speaking true, but he lets it go.
“Fine,” he says sarcastically. “Go ahead. Ask away.”
“What’s the deal with your sisters?”
“My sisters? My six-year-old sisters? That’s where you want to go?”
“Yep.”
