Isthiswhy Colten was avoiding me? Because he was embarrassed at how dirty this power is?
I guess we never talk about this sort of thing, butwow. Colten is unable to look me in the eyes for the last week just because of a bit of horny glowing? I never took him for a prude, but I suppose you learn something new every day.
Did Colten really think he could keep this secret from me forever?
I fall asleep there, smiling while sleeping on top of the soft shirt. I’m glad I figured it out. I’ll talk to him, make sure he realizes how silly he’s been, and then we’ll laugh about it.
And Colten will have no reason to avoid me anymore.
Chapter 6
The Hagley house looks significantly less magical in the morning. At night it’s loud music, flashing lights, and people doing questionable things with glow sticks.
In the morning, it’s just slightly sticky-looking. There’s a guy asleep on the lawn while holding half a slice of pizza like it’s the last thing keeping him in this world.
I step over him carefully. “Stay strong, man,” I tell him.
He snores in reply and clutches the pizza closer to himself.
Inside, the house smells like spilled beer and regret.
The bag I’m carrying smells significantly better than the house does. But how could it not, being filled with greasy breakfast sandwiches and hash browns? The bag also contains a very large sports drink with two bottles of pills, because I am a very good friend.
I head upstairs and knock on the door of Julian’s room.
No answer. I knock again.
Still nothing, so I open the door.
Colten is exactly where I left him—curled on his side, hair everywhere, and clutching the pillow.
“Rise and shine!” I say brightly.
He groans. “Go away and die somewhere quietly.”
“Nope,” I cheerfully reply as I make my way past Julian’s stacks of books.
One eye cracks open. “Patrick?”
“Good morning, you look like crap,” I say with a smile.
He squints at me like he’s trying to determine if I’m a hallucination. “Why are you trying to get me to murder you?”
“Are you sure you want to murder me?” I ask, holding up the plastic bag with the food and drinks in it. “You got drunk on an empty stomach like a rookie, and I brought the ultimate hangover cure.”
I then pull out the paper bag holding the food, opening it to let the smell of greasy, hot food fill the room.
Colten holds a hand over his mouth before the sudden movement makes him groan in pain.
Well, not the reaction I was going for, but also not surprising. There were a lot of questionable things in that punch.
Putting the bag of food down on the nightstand, I grab the pill bottles and shake two from each bottle into my hand. The cup I left out last night is empty, so at least he drank some water last night.
“I also brought you the two hottest chicks—well, I guess dudes for you—anti-nausea and pain killers.” I set the Greatorade next to him and hold out the pills for him.
He stares at them, then at me, eyes narrowed. “Aren’t those from my room?”
“Which means they’re the ones you prefer,” I tell him, my grin growing. He’s the one who taught me how to pick locks. He should be thanking me since I’m using it for good.
