Page 2 of The Glittering Edge

Naomi elbows Penny. “Hey, I’m kidding.”

But to Penny, it’s not a joke. Not even a little.

Since she can’t say that out loud, she shrugs, trying to look casual. “Some people think the stories are real.”

“Just because they dress like those girls fromThe Craftdoesn’t mean they’re hypnotizing people and forcing them to jump off of balconies.”

Penny’s eyes are drawn to Alonso. It’s the worst timing, because for some reason Alonso is looking at Penny, too. His gray eyes are focused and bright.

Suddenly, the grass at Penny’s feet is fascinating.

When Alonso is around, it’s best to pretend you’re a single-celled organism, invisible to the human eye. Attracting his attention is always a bad idea, and not only because of the witchcraft rumors. It’s because Alonso is a buffet of anger and toxic masculinity. Last year, he broke Eric Lim’s arm in PE after his team lost a game of baseball. The year before that, when Mrs. Hollis failed him in an exam, Alonso set a bunch of frogs loose in her biology lab.

Penny doesn’t like to imagine what Alonso would do if he found out what she saw ten years ago, in these same woods.

“Do you want to get out of here before shit goes down?” Naomi asks.

There’s a shock of electricity in the air that was fading before Alonso’s arrival; it’s like the night has started over again. “I feel like everyone almost wants them to fight.”

“This is Idlewood, Penz. What else is there to do except watch overgrown babies get angry?” Naomi sighs. “I can’t wait to get out of this stupid town.”

That stings. Naomi must see the hurt in Penny’s face, because she quickly adds, “I didn’t mean it that way. You know Idlewood isn’t my place, and honestly, I don’t think it’s yours, either. I know you’re afraid of leaving your mom alone, but she’ll be fine.”

“I want to stay, Naomi,” Penny says. “It’s not just because of my mom. This is home.”

“You only think that because you’ve never left. You can’t tell me you really want to live in flyover country for the rest of your life.”

Penny gapes at her. “Right. I’m just a country girl, so far beneath you.”

“You’renot. I’m sorry, okay?”

“It’s fine,” Penny says, hoping Naomi can’t hear the tremor in her voice. “I’m going to get another drink.”

Penny tries not to run to the keg. She’s always known that Naomi will leave Idlewood, but why does she have to bring it upnow? They have a whole year left. Can’t they put off that conversation for as long as possible?

Penny takes her time refilling her cup, waiting for her anxiety to loosen its grip on her muscles. When she finally turns around, there’s someone standing in her path.

Alonso De Luca.

Alarms go off in Penny’s head. Nobody escapes Alonso’s general aura of rage, and that includes Penny. Sometimes he’ll walk by her lunch table just to glare at her. Or if they have a class together, he’ll raise his hand right after Penny speaks to argue with her. It’s like he’s aiming for maximum humiliation.

Which is why Penny immediately steps around him, avoiding his eyes. Maybe if she pretends she didn’t see him—

“Hey,” Alonso says. “I need to talk to you.”

Penny stops, her heart beating fast against her ribs. “Me?”

Alonso laughs under his breath. It’s a low, gravelly sound, and it sends a weird shiver over her skin. “Yeah,you.”

Penny’s fingers tighten around her cup, but she stands her ground. She can do this. It’s just a conversation. She’ll pretend she’s talking to anyone but him.

Alonso grabs the beer bottle out of the pocket of his silk robe-slash-jacket. His white skin is almost translucent, and his dangly earring glints in the string lights hanging from the low branches above them. Penny wants to see if Naomi has noticed so she can swoop in and save her, but Alonso is staring Penny in the eyes, and looking away feels like admitting she’s afraid of him.

Alonso opens his mouth, and Penny braces herself.

“How’s your summer going?”

Penny flinches. “What?”

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