Page 7 of Embers of Torment

Della nodded and reached for the last piece of the pizza. "Yeah, we do. When we don't feel like darts, we go to a cafe close by to play board games, or we go bowling. Other times, we stay at Adams and watch movies, usually thrillers or horror flicks." She took a decent-sized bite of the flatbread.

"Adam still likes those types of films, huh?"

Della swallowed and sipped her cocktail. "Yep, and I'm banned from watching them solo. I get too freaking scared."

I chuckled. With Della's unending enthusiasm and quirkiness, I could imagine how crazy she got when something freaked her out. She was likely an animated bundle of energy. Either that or she dove under a blanket to hide. I sensed there wasn't a middle ground with her, only an extreme one way or the other. My protective instincts rose as I pictured Della viewing one of those films, and I suddenly wanted to be her shield, keeping the imaginary monsters at bay.

Adam rejoined us, a waitperson coming up behind him.

"What can I get for you?" the man asked before picking up the platter.

Della noisily sipped the remnants of her drink through a straw while Adam ordered a Butterfly. Handing the employee her empty glass, Della asked for another White Tiger. Clueless as to what they were ordering, I grabbed the beverage menu to find out. A quick perusal identified Adam's drink as a rum-based orange blossom cocktail and Della's coconut-flavored. Intrigued, I decided on the Panda, which was bourbon-based and peach-flavored.

I was listening to Della razz Adam about his "pitiful showing" at darts when our server returned with our drinks. I was pleasantly surprised when I took a sip of mine.

"Ooh, I haven't tried the Panda yet. Let me have some." Della reached for my cocktail.

Never one to share my beverage, especially with a stranger, I gave her an "Are you crazy?" face and swatted at her hand. I found myself rewarded with an exaggerated pout.

"It's not like I have cooties or something."

Whether intended or not, Della's comment made me feel terrible, so I slid her my Panda. "Here. You can have a sip."

"Thank you." Della's face lit up. She passed me hers. "Try the coconut. It's super delicious."

Bypassing her straw, I sipped from the glass. The drink was as enjoyable as mine. "I'm not a coconut lover, but it's surprisingly tasty."

"Told you. Yours is yummy too, but I like the White Tiger better." Della swapped our glasses. Then her expression changed to something more somber. "By the way, I may not have cooties, but I do have this weird disease. You'll break out in hives in about thirty minutes."

I stared at Della, lost at how to interpret her comment. My face transformed into a scowl when she cackled with delight.

"Don't worry. You'll get used to her." Grinning, Adam gave me a sympathetic pat on the shoulder.

"Hey! None of that." Della swatted Adams's arm. "There's no reason to knock me because he doesn't understand how to take a joke."

"Oops, I guess I forgot. It isn't pick on Della night. We'll have to ask Jace about his date instead." Adam arched a brow at me, making me groan.

"Are you sure you want me to fill you in?"

Adam and Della both nodded.

I spent the next fifteen minutes giving them a rundown of my evening. They looked affronted when I told them about Charlene's condescending behavior.

Della's eyebrows squeezed together. "Wow, she sounds like a loser."

"I'm not surprised by Jace's reaction." Adam puffed his chest out, appearing proud. "Jace always played the protector in college, looking out for the underdog."

I shrugged. "Yeah, well. I hate it when I witness someone picking on another. It hits a nerve."

"I think I like you even better." Della reached over and patted my arm.

"Thanks." I grinned at her.

We spent the next hour and a half chatting about our jobs and things to do in the area while Adam told Della a story now and then about some of our escapades in college. The time seemed to slip away until Adam announced he and Della were calling it a night. With a partial drink in front of me, I told them I would stick around for a few minutes. Saying our goodbyes, I watched Della walk away, a single word buzzing through my head.

Unique.

She was different from the women I typically hung out with, and I couldn't explain the way she drew me in. On top of that, there was something I couldn't deny. Della intrigued me, and I was eager to get to know her better.

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