Page 88 of Ever Dark

Bones had offered to bring it to me at Harker Mansion, but I needed to get out of that house. I’ve been pacing the halls since I left Nox yesterday. There’s something about the smells and sights of Bones’s Garage that ground me.

“Thanks again. I’m off to go meet Lettie for a drink.”Hopefully, she doesn’t try to kill me for sleeping with her brother.

“Give her my love. I’ll see you later tonight.” He pulls me up from the ground and presses his lips to mine for a long kiss. “Mmm.” He licks his lips. “Sweet like candy.”

I feel my cheeks flush. I could kiss this man for hours if he’d let me. “Go, before you make me late,” I tease.

He flashes me a sloppy grin before charging upstairs.

I hop in my truck and head toward town, still giddy. Each of them knows how to distract me in their own way. Draven’s methods rile me up and make me want to break something in between ripping his clothes off.

Aries likes to wind me up like I’m his favorite toy, coaxing me to give in to my darkest kinks.

But Bones is just raw and pure. He’s a ferocious fighter one minute and a shameless flirt the next. Despite his past trauma and the ghosts that haunt him, I feel so much lighter in his presence. I hope I can convey that to Lettie in a way that doesn’t make her feel weird. I don’t have any siblings, but I can imagine you wouldn’t want your brand new friend dating one of them.

Lettie is already waiting for me outside of Duff’s when I pull up. I bounce out, happy to see her but also nervous to confess. She embraces me, and that warm sugary scent of vanilla surrounds us.How is this girl single?She’s gorgeous and sweet and always smells like freshly baked goods.

“Hey, girl. Thanks for meeting me. I have a lot to fill you in on,” I say on a shaky breath.

“I would never miss getting a chance to hang out with my new favorite girl in Ever Graves.” She winks as she holds the door open for me.

Happy hour at Duff’s is just as busy as late Friday nights are, apparently, but we find a table in the corner by the front window. We order two of the house specials, The Petite Poe, which is a flight of martinis made with Blackwell gin.

“Mmm,” I take a sip of the first one, a chocolate gin martini, and almost orgasm. Duff’s might not look like the kind of bar you’d find anything other than cheap beer in, but it’s a hidden gem full of premium cocktails.

“Right?” Villette nods. “I knew you’d like these. Wait till you get to the lavender one. It’s transcendant.”

I giggle, almost euphoric to finally have a close female friend whom I can do these types of things with.I hope she never goes back to Raven’s Gate.“I need to tell you what’s going on. And I’m trying to find the right words…”

She puts her hand to her mouth, feigning a gasp. “Let me guess,you’re falling in love with my brother and his friends. Story of my life.”

I feel my cheeks heat. “Lettie, I’m sorry. I should have told you sooner.”

She bursts out laughing. “Relax, it’s not the first time. My best friend, Maureen, is with my brother Felix. That one was a hard pill to swallow, but I got over it. As long as you and Bones are happy, I give you my blessing.”

I let out a sigh of relief, but I’m still uneasy. “Are you sure this doesn’t bother you at all?”

The one thing I’ve picked up about Villette is that she’s a people pleaser. She holds things back.No one can be that bubbly all the time.I worry that one day she’s going to explode from being so nice.

She squeezes my hand. “I promise, Mia. It doesn’t bother me. Bones has never had anyone except for Aries and Draven. If he’s letting you in, that means he really fucking likes you. And that makes me happy.”

“Okay, cool. I don’t want you to stop being my friend.”

“That will never happen. Now, what else is going on? I overheard Bones talking about the Wishing Tree. That place creeps me out.”

My stomach twists in knots as I gulp down the third martini, a sweet concoction of blood orange and honeysuckle. I might need three more flights of these to prepare me for tonight. “I’m bringing Nox here… Are you sure you still want to be friends with me?”

Her face slackens, and she downs another martini. “You mean your nightmare man? Bring him here, to our world?”

I nod and fidget with the stem of one of the glasses. I spend the next hour telling her the plan. I explain the oath I have to make, how I will be forbidden to enter the After, and the agreement that the guys made to stand by me. All in exchange for Nox’s freedom so we can be together. So I’m not tormented by my sleep anymore.

We finish our flights in silence. I can see the storm brewing in her eyes. Her expression is conflicted, her brow furrowed.

Finally, she shakes her head. “Fuck. I’m gonna need another round, chica.”

I jump up from the table to go order. “Yes, I’ll buy this time.”

Fuck. I can’t read her. She’s not angry, but the bubbliness is gone. Great. Maybe I’m going to be the one to make this girl finally unleash. I have that effect on people.

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