Page 55 of Severance

“Because no decent band wants to deal with someone like him.”

“We don’t sign anything.”

“It doesn’t matter. Word gets around.”

Their voices mesh into one and the tension rising at the table becomes uncomfortable.

“Can we talk about this tomorrow?” Luke cuts in.

“Yeah,” Blaze agrees. “Let’s sleep on it.”

Annoyance creeps over Mikah’s face and he doesn’t respond. He just takes a swig of his beer, stands up, and heads for the exit.

I watch him with my heart in my throat as he navigates his way through the crowded dining room, not bothering to look back.

“Dude needs an attitude adjustment,” one of Luke’s friends snorts out.

“Don’t talk shit about my brother,” Dakota says, his words floating across the table, heavy with threat.

There’s a pause. Everyone falls into short silence before the conversation is steered in a different direction.

“Do you want to go with me to Blaze’s Christmas party?” Dakota asks quietly, his mouth near my ear.

“When? On Christmas Day?” I ask in disbelief.

“Yeah. That’s why it’s called a Christmas party.” Dakota laughs against my cheek.

In my mind, Christmas has always been a religious holiday and Blaze doesn’t strike me as someone who goes to church or prays. If anything, he reminds me of Satan’s illegitimate son who’s been kicked out of hell for bad behavior. He’s got piercings and tats and he wears a whole lot of jewelry with skulls. Or “offensive imagery,” as my father would say.

“Likepartyparty?” I ask Dakota quietly.With drinks and games and people acting silly?

“Yeah, likepartyparty.” He presses his face into my hair and breathes me in slowly, a gesture so intimate—and in public. An insecure part of me still wonders why he’s with me when there’s an abundance of girls who can easily give him what most guys like Dakota—good-looking and spoiled—usually want.

“I have a thing with my parents on Christmas.”

“You can’t skip it?” Dakota laughs. It’s a quiet laugh for me only.

“No.”

I’m convinced he’s become just as addicted to me as I am to him, because he keeps trying to find ways to see me more often.

“You have some free days next week, don’t you?” Dakota says into my hair.

“I have to help my parents with some stuff, but yes, I do,” I whisper against his coat.

* * *

After dinner is over and everyone’s headed home, we go to Dakota’s car and sit in the parking lot with the heater running. He rubs his palms together to warm them up and turns to face me. His cheeks are a light shade of pink and his blue eyes are dead serious. “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.” My heart stills. I’m so used to his jokes and smiles and I’m wondering if I did something or if maybe he’s upset with Mikah. Mikah’s behavior earlier in the restaurant threw me off.

“Why did you have me pick you up from Jess’s place?”

The question hanging between us isn’t what I expected to hear.

Dakota’s gaze, intense and unsmiling, demands clarification.

I draw a deep breath through my teeth and bite the inside of my cheek. The hot, stuffy air coats my lungs. Lying to my parents about where I spend my weekends and lying to him about where I live probably earned me a spot in hell a long time ago.

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