My Soul to Keep
Page 3
I danced with Brant for two songs, glancing around for Nash the whole time. I was just starting to wonder if hed gotten sick when I spotted him across the room, standing with Sophie in an arched doorway leading to a dark hall. He brushed a strand of hair from her forehead, then leaned closer to be heard over the music.
My chest ached like I couldnt breathe.
When he saw me looking, he stepped away from Sophie and scowled at my partner, then waved me over. I thanked Brant for the dance, then made my way across the room, dread building inside me like heartburn. Nash had ditched me at a party, then showed up with Sophie. Deep down, Id known this day would come. Id figured hed eventually look elsewhere for what he hadnt had in the two and a half months wed been going out. But with Sophie? A flash of anger burned in my cheeks. He may as well have just spit in my face!
Please, please be imagining things, Kaylee.
I stopped five feet away, my heart bruising my chest with each labored beat. Yes, Sophie had a boyfriend, but that didnt mean she wouldnt try to take mine.
Nash took one look at my face, at my eyes, which were surely swirling with pain and anger I couldnt hide, then followed my gaze to Sophie. His eyes widened with comprehension. Then he smiled and grabbed my hand.
Sophie was just looking for Scott. Right? But then he tugged me down the dark hall before she could answer, leaving my cousin all alone in the crowd. We can talk in here, Nash whispered, pressing me into a closed door.
The full body contact was promising, but I couldnt banish doubt. Were you talking to her the whole time? I asked around the hitch in my breath as his cheek brushed mine.
I just went outside to cool off, and when I came back in, she cornered me. Thats it. He fumbled for the handle near my hip, and the door swung open, revealing Scotts dads posh office.
Swear?
Do I really need to? Nash stepped back so I could see his eyes in the dim light of the desk lamp, and I saw the truth swirling in them. He didnt want Sophie, no matter what she might do that I hadnt.
I felt myself flush. Sorry. I just thought
Nash closed the door and cut my apology off with a kiss. He tasted good. Like mint. We wound up on Mr. Carters burgundy leather couch, and I had just enough time to think that psychiatrists made waaaay too much money before Nashs mouth found mine again, and thinking became impossible.
You know Im not interested in Sophie, he whispered. I wouldnt do that to you or Scott. He leaned down and kissed me again. Theres only you, Kaylee.
My entire body tingled in wave after wave of warm, exhilarating shivers, and I let my lips trail over the rough stubble on hischin, delighting in the coarse texture.
Oh, blah, blah, blah, a jaded voice said, drenching our privacy with a cold dose of sarcasm. You love him, he loves you, and were all one big, happy, sloppy, dorky family.
Damn it, Tod! Nash stiffened. I closed my eyes and sighed. The couch creaked beneath us as we sat up to see Nashs undead brotherfully corporeal for oncesitting backward in Mr. Carters desk chair, arms crossed over the top as he watched us in boredom barely softened by the slight upturn of his cherubic lips. If you dont quit it with the Peeping Tom routine, Im going to tell your boss you get off watching other people make out.
He knows, Tod and I said in unison. I straightened my shirt, scowling at the intruder, though my irritation was already fading.
Unlike Nash, I had trouble staying mad at Tod lately because I considered his recent reappearance a good sign. We hadnt seen him for nearly a month after his ex-girlfriend died in Octoberwithout her soul. And when I say wed not seen him, I mean that literally. As a grim reaper, Tod could choose when and where he wanted to be seen, and by whom.
But now he was back, and up to his old tricks. Which seemed to consist entirely of preventing me and Nash from having any quality alone time. He was almost as bad as my dad.
Shouldnt you be at work? I ran one hand through my long brown hair to smooth it.
Tod shrugged. Im on my lunch break.
I lifted both brows. You dont eat.
He only shrugged again, and smiled.
Get out, Nash growled, tossing his head toward the door. Like Tod would actually have to use it. One of the other perks of being dead, technically speaking, was the ability to walk through things. Or simply disappear, then reappear somewhere else. Thats right. I got swirling eyes and the capacity to shatter windows with my bare voice. Tod got teleportation and invisibility.
The supernatural world is so far from fair.
Tod stood and kicked the chair aside, running one hand through short blond curls that not even the afterlife could tame. Im not here to watch you two, anyway.
Great. I scowled at the reaper, my eyes narrowed in true irritation now. I told you to stay away from her. Emma had met him once, briefly, and wed made the mistake of telling her what he really was. Hed been watching her covertly before, but after Addisons death and his obvious heartbreak, Id assumed that had stopped.
Tod mirrored his brother with his arms crossed over his chest. So you wont let me go near her, but youll let her get in the car with some drunk jock? That doesnt even kinda make sense.
My chest ached like I couldnt breathe.
When he saw me looking, he stepped away from Sophie and scowled at my partner, then waved me over. I thanked Brant for the dance, then made my way across the room, dread building inside me like heartburn. Nash had ditched me at a party, then showed up with Sophie. Deep down, Id known this day would come. Id figured hed eventually look elsewhere for what he hadnt had in the two and a half months wed been going out. But with Sophie? A flash of anger burned in my cheeks. He may as well have just spit in my face!
Please, please be imagining things, Kaylee.
I stopped five feet away, my heart bruising my chest with each labored beat. Yes, Sophie had a boyfriend, but that didnt mean she wouldnt try to take mine.
Nash took one look at my face, at my eyes, which were surely swirling with pain and anger I couldnt hide, then followed my gaze to Sophie. His eyes widened with comprehension. Then he smiled and grabbed my hand.
Sophie was just looking for Scott. Right? But then he tugged me down the dark hall before she could answer, leaving my cousin all alone in the crowd. We can talk in here, Nash whispered, pressing me into a closed door.
The full body contact was promising, but I couldnt banish doubt. Were you talking to her the whole time? I asked around the hitch in my breath as his cheek brushed mine.
I just went outside to cool off, and when I came back in, she cornered me. Thats it. He fumbled for the handle near my hip, and the door swung open, revealing Scotts dads posh office.
Swear?
Do I really need to? Nash stepped back so I could see his eyes in the dim light of the desk lamp, and I saw the truth swirling in them. He didnt want Sophie, no matter what she might do that I hadnt.
I felt myself flush. Sorry. I just thought
Nash closed the door and cut my apology off with a kiss. He tasted good. Like mint. We wound up on Mr. Carters burgundy leather couch, and I had just enough time to think that psychiatrists made waaaay too much money before Nashs mouth found mine again, and thinking became impossible.
You know Im not interested in Sophie, he whispered. I wouldnt do that to you or Scott. He leaned down and kissed me again. Theres only you, Kaylee.
My entire body tingled in wave after wave of warm, exhilarating shivers, and I let my lips trail over the rough stubble on hischin, delighting in the coarse texture.
Oh, blah, blah, blah, a jaded voice said, drenching our privacy with a cold dose of sarcasm. You love him, he loves you, and were all one big, happy, sloppy, dorky family.
Damn it, Tod! Nash stiffened. I closed my eyes and sighed. The couch creaked beneath us as we sat up to see Nashs undead brotherfully corporeal for oncesitting backward in Mr. Carters desk chair, arms crossed over the top as he watched us in boredom barely softened by the slight upturn of his cherubic lips. If you dont quit it with the Peeping Tom routine, Im going to tell your boss you get off watching other people make out.
He knows, Tod and I said in unison. I straightened my shirt, scowling at the intruder, though my irritation was already fading.
Unlike Nash, I had trouble staying mad at Tod lately because I considered his recent reappearance a good sign. We hadnt seen him for nearly a month after his ex-girlfriend died in Octoberwithout her soul. And when I say wed not seen him, I mean that literally. As a grim reaper, Tod could choose when and where he wanted to be seen, and by whom.
But now he was back, and up to his old tricks. Which seemed to consist entirely of preventing me and Nash from having any quality alone time. He was almost as bad as my dad.
Shouldnt you be at work? I ran one hand through my long brown hair to smooth it.
Tod shrugged. Im on my lunch break.
I lifted both brows. You dont eat.
He only shrugged again, and smiled.
Get out, Nash growled, tossing his head toward the door. Like Tod would actually have to use it. One of the other perks of being dead, technically speaking, was the ability to walk through things. Or simply disappear, then reappear somewhere else. Thats right. I got swirling eyes and the capacity to shatter windows with my bare voice. Tod got teleportation and invisibility.
The supernatural world is so far from fair.
Tod stood and kicked the chair aside, running one hand through short blond curls that not even the afterlife could tame. Im not here to watch you two, anyway.
Great. I scowled at the reaper, my eyes narrowed in true irritation now. I told you to stay away from her. Emma had met him once, briefly, and wed made the mistake of telling her what he really was. Hed been watching her covertly before, but after Addisons death and his obvious heartbreak, Id assumed that had stopped.
Tod mirrored his brother with his arms crossed over his chest. So you wont let me go near her, but youll let her get in the car with some drunk jock? That doesnt even kinda make sense.
