Page 106 of A Sin So Pure

I twist, turning onto my stomach and propping my chin on my forearms.

“You think so?” I ask, genuinely curious.

Josie shrugs one shoulder. “Maybe not generally, but to me.”

“Hm,” I hum. “So, what am I thinking about right now?”

I narrow my eyes at her and think hard about cherries.

“That’s not how it works,” she laughs, tucking her short hair behind her ear.

“Lame.”

“You don’t want me rummaging around inside your head, searching for answers, trust me.”

“Is said rummaging any different from what you’ve done with me before?”

“Eh, you already had everything you wanted to show me front and center. There wasn’t much digging involved.” She tilts her head back and forth. “Nora says it’s a tickle in her brain when I search for something. Others don’t even notice. So, I think it depends.”

“Interesting.” I push up into a sitting position and lean forward to pour myself some wine. “Speaking of Nora…” I drawl as I top off the glass. “I was thinking.”

“You were? Wow, that’s great.”

“Oh, fuck off.” I smack her knee, but she snickers. “I was thinking about getting Nora a special gift for Solstice.”

“Yeah?”

“But I need your help to get it.”

“Okay…” Josie quirks one thin brow, as if to saygo on.

I take a gulp of my wine, and the refreshing notes of pear burst on my tongue. My smile is tight, knowing she isn’t going to be happy with what I’m about to ask.

“Because it’s on the other side of the Veil.” I wince.

“What? Why?”

“I know how much she likes her guns, and I want to get her a personalized one,” I say, tracing lazy circles around the lip of my glass. I smile when a crystal note emerges from the glass when I swipejustright. “There’s this shop, apparently, that will engrave them.”

Josie sets her glass down and plants both feet on the hardwood floor. She leans her forearms on her knees and levels me with narrowed eyes.

“How do you know about this?”

“Well,” I start. “You know how you keep sending Wes to watch the bar despite me not needing a bodyguard? I refuse to let him stand there like a statue, so we got to talking.”

“I’m going to murder that boy,” Josie murmurs on a sigh.

“No, you won’t.”

“Of course, I won’t,” she levels. “Doesn’t mean I won’t scold him for inviting a civilian across the Veil.”

“So, you will take me?” I say, excitement raising my voice a note. I push all the hope I can into my wide eyes and pouty, quivering lip.

“Mo, that’s not?—”

“Please, please, please, plea?—”

She huffs a sigh, relenting. “Fine.”

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