My Soul to Steal
Page 4
Nash looked up in surprise. Sorry. He guided Sabine closer. Im guessing youve already met Emma? he said, and the new girlhis old girlnodded. And this is my Confusion flashed in Nashs swirling eyes, and he dropped his hand from Sabines waist. This is Kaylee Cavanaugh.
Sabine truly looked at me for the first time, and I caught my breath at the intensity of her scrutiny. Her eyes were pools of ink that seemed to see right through me, and in that moment, the certaintythe terrorthat Nash would want nothing to do with me now that shed arrived was enough to constrict my throat and make my stomach pitch.
Kaylee Sabine said my name like she was tasting it, trying to decide whether to swallow me whole or spit me back out, and in the end, I wasnt sure which shed chosen. Kaylee Cavanaugh. You must be the new ex.
Resisting the overwhelming urge to take a step back from Sabine, I shot Nash a questioning look, but he only shrugged. He hadnt told her. He hadnt even known she was there until she walked into the quad.
I But I didnt know how to finish that thought.
Sabine laughed and fresh chill bumps popped up on my arms, beneath my jacket. Dont worry bout it. Happens to the best of us. Then she turnedpointedly dismissing meand grabbed her forgotten tray in one hand and Nashs arm in the other. Lets eat. Im starving!
He glanced back at me then, and a flicker of uncertainty flashed in the swirling greens and browns of Nashs irises before he turned with her and headed for our table.
As they sat, I turned to find Tod watching them warily. How long ago did they break up? I asked, without bothering to whisper. Nash and Sabine no longer knew we existed.
Well Tod hesitated, and I frowned at him. Like Emma, he was usually blunt bordering on rude.
What? I demanded.
Tod exhaled heavily. Technically speaking, they never did.
2
SO, HOW SERIOUS were they? I handed change and a receipt to a balding man in his forties. He shoved them both into his front pocket, then took off toward the north wing of the theater with a greasy jumbo popcorn.
You sure you want to hear this? Tod sat on the snack counter in his usual jeans and snug white tee, invisible and inaudible to everyone but me and Em. Not that it mattered. Monday afternoons were dead at the Cinemark. But then, so was Tod.
Emma leaned over the counter next to him. Im sure I want to hear it. She was on a break from her shift in the ticket booth, but Tod and I were obviously much more entertaining than anything going on in the break room.
I didnt come to rub your face in it, the reaper insisted, watching me as he snatched a kernel from Emmas small bag of popcorn.
No, you came because yourebored, and my problems obviously amuse you.
Tod had just switched to the midnight-to-noon shift reaping souls at the local hospital, and since reapers didnt need sleep, he was now free every afternoon to bug his still-living friends. Which consisted of me, Em, and Nash.
Tod shrugged. Yeah, that, and for the free food.
Why are you eating, anyway? Emma pulled her paper bag out of his reach. Can you even metabolize this?
Tod raised one pale brow at her. I may be dead, but Im still perfectly functional. More functional than ever, in fact. Watch me function. He reached around her and grabbed another handful of popcorn while she laughed. And thats not all I can do
Can we save the live demo for later, please? Bean sidhe in angst, here. But the truth was that it felt good to laugh, after what wed all been through in the past few months. Seriously, tell me about Sabine.
Emma grinned. Does she have a last name, or is she a superstahh? Like Beyonc, or the pope?
I threw a jelly bean at her, from the open box I kept under the counter. You know thats not his name, right?
Em threw the jelly bean back.
Anyway Tod began. Vital statshere we go Her name is Sabine Campbell, and shes probably seventeen by now. She likes long walks down dark alleys, conspicuous piercings, and, if memory serves, chocolate milkshaken, not stirred. Tod paused dramatically, and the good humor shining in his eyes dulled a bit. And she and Nash were the real thing.
My grape jelly bean went sour on my tongue, and I had to force myself to chew. But hed said were. They were the real thing. As in, past tense. Because I was Nashs present tense. Right? We were taking a break so he could get clean, and I could come to terms with what had happened, but that didnt mean he was free for the taking!
Wait, the real thing, like hearts and candy and flowers? Em asked, wrinkling her nose over the cupid clich.
Tod started to laugh, but choked off the sound with one look at my face. More like obsession and codependence andsex, the reaper finished reluctantly.
I rolled my eyes and poked through my box of jelly beans for another grape. I know hes not a virgin.
Well, he was when he met Sabine.
Ohh, Emma breathed, and I dropped my jelly beans into the trash.
Okay, so what? I opened the door to the storage closet and grabbed the broom. So she was his first. That doesnt mean anything. I swept up crushed popcorn kernels and smooshed Milk Duds in short, vicious strokes. She didnt save lives with him. She didnt risk her soul to rescue him from the Netherworld. Whatever they had cant compete with that, right?
Sabine truly looked at me for the first time, and I caught my breath at the intensity of her scrutiny. Her eyes were pools of ink that seemed to see right through me, and in that moment, the certaintythe terrorthat Nash would want nothing to do with me now that shed arrived was enough to constrict my throat and make my stomach pitch.
Kaylee Sabine said my name like she was tasting it, trying to decide whether to swallow me whole or spit me back out, and in the end, I wasnt sure which shed chosen. Kaylee Cavanaugh. You must be the new ex.
Resisting the overwhelming urge to take a step back from Sabine, I shot Nash a questioning look, but he only shrugged. He hadnt told her. He hadnt even known she was there until she walked into the quad.
I But I didnt know how to finish that thought.
Sabine laughed and fresh chill bumps popped up on my arms, beneath my jacket. Dont worry bout it. Happens to the best of us. Then she turnedpointedly dismissing meand grabbed her forgotten tray in one hand and Nashs arm in the other. Lets eat. Im starving!
He glanced back at me then, and a flicker of uncertainty flashed in the swirling greens and browns of Nashs irises before he turned with her and headed for our table.
As they sat, I turned to find Tod watching them warily. How long ago did they break up? I asked, without bothering to whisper. Nash and Sabine no longer knew we existed.
Well Tod hesitated, and I frowned at him. Like Emma, he was usually blunt bordering on rude.
What? I demanded.
Tod exhaled heavily. Technically speaking, they never did.
2
SO, HOW SERIOUS were they? I handed change and a receipt to a balding man in his forties. He shoved them both into his front pocket, then took off toward the north wing of the theater with a greasy jumbo popcorn.
You sure you want to hear this? Tod sat on the snack counter in his usual jeans and snug white tee, invisible and inaudible to everyone but me and Em. Not that it mattered. Monday afternoons were dead at the Cinemark. But then, so was Tod.
Emma leaned over the counter next to him. Im sure I want to hear it. She was on a break from her shift in the ticket booth, but Tod and I were obviously much more entertaining than anything going on in the break room.
I didnt come to rub your face in it, the reaper insisted, watching me as he snatched a kernel from Emmas small bag of popcorn.
No, you came because yourebored, and my problems obviously amuse you.
Tod had just switched to the midnight-to-noon shift reaping souls at the local hospital, and since reapers didnt need sleep, he was now free every afternoon to bug his still-living friends. Which consisted of me, Em, and Nash.
Tod shrugged. Yeah, that, and for the free food.
Why are you eating, anyway? Emma pulled her paper bag out of his reach. Can you even metabolize this?
Tod raised one pale brow at her. I may be dead, but Im still perfectly functional. More functional than ever, in fact. Watch me function. He reached around her and grabbed another handful of popcorn while she laughed. And thats not all I can do
Can we save the live demo for later, please? Bean sidhe in angst, here. But the truth was that it felt good to laugh, after what wed all been through in the past few months. Seriously, tell me about Sabine.
Emma grinned. Does she have a last name, or is she a superstahh? Like Beyonc, or the pope?
I threw a jelly bean at her, from the open box I kept under the counter. You know thats not his name, right?
Em threw the jelly bean back.
Anyway Tod began. Vital statshere we go Her name is Sabine Campbell, and shes probably seventeen by now. She likes long walks down dark alleys, conspicuous piercings, and, if memory serves, chocolate milkshaken, not stirred. Tod paused dramatically, and the good humor shining in his eyes dulled a bit. And she and Nash were the real thing.
My grape jelly bean went sour on my tongue, and I had to force myself to chew. But hed said were. They were the real thing. As in, past tense. Because I was Nashs present tense. Right? We were taking a break so he could get clean, and I could come to terms with what had happened, but that didnt mean he was free for the taking!
Wait, the real thing, like hearts and candy and flowers? Em asked, wrinkling her nose over the cupid clich.
Tod started to laugh, but choked off the sound with one look at my face. More like obsession and codependence andsex, the reaper finished reluctantly.
I rolled my eyes and poked through my box of jelly beans for another grape. I know hes not a virgin.
Well, he was when he met Sabine.
Ohh, Emma breathed, and I dropped my jelly beans into the trash.
Okay, so what? I opened the door to the storage closet and grabbed the broom. So she was his first. That doesnt mean anything. I swept up crushed popcorn kernels and smooshed Milk Duds in short, vicious strokes. She didnt save lives with him. She didnt risk her soul to rescue him from the Netherworld. Whatever they had cant compete with that, right?
