“Oh yeah?” I pause at the door and glance back. “Well, you look like Barbie threw up on you.”
Her cheeks flush. Or maybe it’s just her too-bright, caked-on shimmery blush.
“I do not! Take that back!”
“Girls, please. It’s too early for this.”
A stress line creases the center of Mom’s otherwise smooth forehead, and I feel a flicker of guilt. She’s way too young for wrinkles.
Mom had us in her early twenties. She’s petite like Amber, and just as blonde and beautiful. Men are constantly stopping her on the street to ask her out, but she always shuts them down with the same polite, uninterested smile. As far as I know, she hasn’t dated anyone since my father left.
“Sorry, Mom,” I say.
I glance over at Amber, considering a truce. Sure, she’s an asshole, but maybe it wouldn’t kill me to be a little more civil, at least for my mother’s sake. Perhaps I could?—
“Yeah, sorry, Mom.” Amber’svoice drips honey. “Have a great first day of school, Ally.” She smirks. “Oh, and good luck being a nobody all over again.”
All thoughts of civility go right out of my head. It takes all my restraint not to hurl my backpack straight at her perfectly curled head.
“Go to hell, Ambrosia!”
“Alysander!” Mom yells, horrified, but I don’t stick around for a lecture. I slam the front door behind me, blood boiling as I storm toward Hayes’s SUV.
“I swear to God, I’m going to commit a felony,” I say, climbing into the passenger seat and sinking into the buttery leather. My backpack hits the floor with a heavy thud.
Amusement sparkles in his blue eyes as he looks over and laughs. “Morning to you too, Alligator.”
“I’m serious,” I say as he whips out of the driveway, my voice climbing with irritation. “I hope you’re not afraid of prison, because that’s where you’ll be visiting me. I’m this-close to murdering Amber with my bare hands.”
“That right? What’d she do this time?”
I lean over and twist the dial on the stereo until it lands on “Supermassive Black Hole.” Muse floods the car. God, I love Matt Bellamy—his vocal range is unreal.
“Actually, scratch that.” I huff. “Why should I do time for her? I’ll hire a hitman. How much you think those run?” I shoot Hayes a look, batting my lashes. “Can you spot me a few thousand, bestie?”
He turns to me, one hand on the wheel, flashingthat sexy, slow-burn grin—the one that always looks like it’s hiding secrets… and probably a few sins. “Al, you know I’d do anything for you,” he says, “but offing your sister would seriously mess with my love life.”
“Ugh. Gross.” I groan, flopping my head against the seat. “Please tell me you two aren’t happening again.”
“Still undecided.” He shrugs. “But don’t worry, you’ll be the first to know.”
“Oh goodie.”
Well, shit.
I was really hoping this little break of theirs might actually stick this time, but it sounds like another reconciliation may already be on the horizon.
“Whatever,” I say, crossing my arms. “I don’t need your help anyway. I’ll just sic the dog on her.” I pause, then add, “Actually, I forgot to tell you. He kind of lost it the other night.”
Hayes stiffens—barely, but I catch it.
“Lost it how?”
“It was so weird. He went full Cujo on something in the woods behind your house during our walk Saturday.” The memory prickles under my skin. I still don’t totally understand what happened. “He was fine one minute, then he just… snapped. Like, hackles up, growling-at-the-dark kind of thing. I thought he was about to attack me, but it was something in the trees, I guess. Something I couldn’t see.”
Hayes lifts a brow, smirking. “What—like one of your mom’s little made-up Underworld monsters?”
“Ha ha. Very funny,” I say. “I’m serious. The whole thing was creepy as hell, whatever it was.”
