Page 38 of The Art of Us

And you’re safe, he thought. He had done for her what he hadn’t been able to for Brell. He’d made her safe. Kal leaned against the counter next to her, close enough that their arms were touching. “So what are your plans for the day?” he asked.

“Oh, you know ... world domination. One hidden-objects game at a time.”

“Huh. Never knew hidden-objects games were so ruthless.”

Ireland shrugged, her shoulder sliding against his, her touch sending his pulse racing.

“Need a minion for the hostile takeover?” he asked.

She made a gagging sound and playfully shoved him away. “No. No minions. Sycophants are the worst. But ...” She eyed him as if sizing him up. “You might make a handy sidekick. What do you say? Wanna be my sidekick?”

“Maybe. What’s the dental plan like?” They were facing each other now, close enough for him to see the white nebula pattern in her blue eyes.

She leaned closer to him. “Free popcorn on the weekends. But don’t tell anyone else. It’s a secret perk for my favorite sidekicks.”

He leaned closer as well. “That’s not a dental plan, unless you’re an evil dentist.” How had they moved so close together? His gaze dropped to her mouth.

“I thought all dentists were evil,” she whispered.

“Only the ones who wear capes,” he whispered back.

“Can I kiss you?” she asked. The question was so soft he almost didn’t hear it over the thundering of the blood rushing past his ears.

Instead of responding, he moved his mouth slowly to hers,giving her time to pull away in case she hadn’t meant to ask for a kiss, in case he had heard wrong. She didn’t pull away.

Instead, her fingers curled into his shirt and pulled him closer to her until their lips touched lightly, like a gentle breeze. Kal wrapped his arms around her and she melted against him. He was kissing Ireland. Tender, a little awkward, but not uncomfortable awkward, not insecure awkward. Justnewawkward. She smelled like oranges and vanilla and warmth and sunshine. He was kissing Ireland Raine. When they broke away, they both let out a nervous laugh as if they weren’t quite sure what to do next. At leasthewasn’t sure.

“What are you guys laughing about?” Mara’s kid sister asked, making both Ireland and Kal jump a little farther apart.

“World domination plans,” Ireland said with a smirk.

“And top-secret sidekick perks,” he added.

“Are we still playing?” Jade asked.

“Sure,” Ireland said. “I was just getting us all some bread that I made this morning. Asiago sourdough.” Ireland picked up two plates and tossed Kal a sassy wink as she followed Jade out of the kitchen.

“I, for one,” Kal whispered to himself, “am legitnotplaying.”

He picked up his plate and followed them into the living room, where they spent the next few hours in the game, moving from room to room in the mystery mansion while solving puzzles and finding hidden objects. He didn’t play many video games—who had time? Between the band and school, he didn’t have a lot of leftover minutes to dedicate to a hobby. But when he did play, it was usually a game with zombies of one kind or another. The hidden object game was a fun kind of different.

Jade went to the kitchen to get herself a drink but said, “No slobbering,” before she left.

“What was that about?”

“I think she means no making out while she’s gone.”

Kal’s face flamed hot at Ireland’s being so casual in talking about kissing him. He refused to be the one to act awkward about it. If she could be bold, so could he. “Dang. That’s too bad.”

She laughed, a sound that he was quickly learning to love.

“You don’t really hate it here, right?” he asked.

“No. Not hate it. I made bread today. That was so seriously ...everything! Ten degrees of the best awesome. But Mara and the hag and harpy have treated me like I was trash since the first minute I walked into the school.”

“Hag and harpy?”

“Mara’s friends. I don’t know. I was doing fine on my own before. I don’t need this in my life. It causes me so much anxiety.”

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