Page 21 of Road To Runes

Laura gasped and plucked the necklace out, holding it up in front of her face. "Asher it'sgorgeous, you shouldn't have."

"Ah come on. You could probably make one better in your sleep." Asher took the necklace from her and she turned around in her seat so he could loop it around her neck.

I tapped the top of the box as Laura gave him a hug. It was all bluster. Asher spoiled her every chance he got and he wasn't about to stop now he had arealjob.

"Clear the table. It's breakfast!" Priya said, walking over with two plates and setting one down in front of Laura. "You're going to need a full stomach young lady if you're going to stay sober tonight."

"That isnotthe plan," Laura said, as I took her present off the table and sat down next to her. "I'm twenty-one, I want to gettrashed."

Asher rolled his eyes over the edge of his mug. "Young people." His voice echoed inside the cup.

"That's not even going to be the funniest part." Edward brought over a few of the tea cups. "It's watching these two get into a drunken fight or something."

"Edward." Laura whacked him on the arm as Hecate curled up in a loaf in the centre of the table and eyed her bacon. "That'snotgoing to happen. Right?"

For the briefest of moments, Asher and I looked at each other. Without a word, we shared an agreement. As much as I wanted to punch him in the face, that night was about Laura. Whatever problems we had would definitely stay out of sight. We could do that for one night. Couldn't we?

Chapter 11

My goal wasn't to make Asherjealous. Who was I kidding? Of course it was.

I smirked at myself in the floor-length mirror as I slipped my feathered dangly earrings into place.

I hadn't had many reasons to dress up lately, but wearing something striking and form fitting to remind Asher of what he was missing was one of the best. Twirling, I whipped the hem of my forest green dress out so far that the shorts I wore underneath showed. Coupled with some winged eyeliner and a pair of ankle boots, I intended to turn a few heads that night. Bonus points if one of them was my ex.

"Enjoying yourself?" Penny asked, leaning toward my vanity mirror to apply her mascara.

"Not as much as I will later. Are you trying to pull tonight?"

Penny had gone with a bright red strapless number which exposed the smattering of tattoos across her shoulders. A wand, a key, and a few stars from left to right, all inspired from her tarot cards. I still hadn't gotten my first tattoo, although with my standard biker girl aesthetic, it was about time.

"No sex with random strangers for me, thank you." Penny raised a judgemental eyebrow at me in the mirror as she holstered her mascara. "I just want to go and have some fun."

"Well, if you're going to be that way, I guess I won't go find some strangers of my own to make out with," I said, feigning a big sigh as I sat down on my bed.

Hecate looked up from her nap to glare at me before setting her head back down.

"Do you even want to or are you just trying to make Asher jealous?" Penny whipped out her lipstick.

"Obviouslyit's to make him jealous. I've sworn off men."

"Well, if you want a wing-woman, you know where I am."

I got up again and hugged her from behind, almost making her draw lipstick all over her face. "You're the best."

Someone knocked on the door and when I called for them to come in, Edward poked his head inside.

"Are you ready to-?" Edward abandoned his sentence when he caught sight of Penny, and she froze under his awed gaze. "Dios mio."

I frowned at Edward as he straightened up and stepped properly into the room, smoothing down his blue shirt. Since when did he speak Italian?

Penny's cheeks didn't flush visibly under the layer of foundation but her body temperature rose so suddenly I unwrapped myself from her.

"I don't believe we've met," Edward said, lowering into a bow. "I'm Edward and you must be Penny."

"I am." Penny giggled as Edward took her hand and kissed it as if he were a smitten viscount from yester years.

Rolling my eyes, I turned back to the mirror to make sure I hadn't missed any details in my outfit. There was a good chance my wing-woman was going to be preoccupied this evening.

---