Page 116 of Zero Chance

“I know,” Keene cut in.“She doesn’t like broadcasting her abilities, so that’s why she wasn’t honest with you.And Faith likes to keep it under wraps too.So this is confidential information.”His gaze sought mine.“But you can keep a secret, right?”

I snorted and rolled my eyes.“Who am I going to tell?”

Keene made a dismissive gesture.“Well, there’s Xander for one.”

My eyes widened.“Oh my God, not evenXanderknows?”But Xander lived under the same roof as Oaklynn.Their rooms were right across the hall from each other.

With a snicker, Keene bumped his shoulder into mine.“Fine, I’m just joshing you.Xander knows.Alec spilled the beans and told her everything about a month after she moved in.”

Nodding, I let my attention fall to the vial in my hand, still trying to process what this meant.

But ghosts were real.

“You remind me of her, you know,” Keene murmured out of nowhere, jerking me back to the present.

I looked up at him in surprise, but he couldn’t seem to look back at me.

“My mom,” he said, lifting a helpless hand as he gazed around the stacks.“The mere fact that you work here, where she did.Then, there’s your hair.”He finally looked at me, and stark pain filled his eyes.He lifted his fingers to barely touch a piece of my hair, and I held my breath until my chest ached.“She wore her hair long and straight, just like this, and she liked to hide behind a curtain of it, the same way you do.”His lips twitched with amusement before he gently tugged on a lock of my bangs.“Ordidbefore you went and chopped it off, anyway.”

When I merely blinked at him, he shook his head and pointed at my nose.“And sometimes, you look at me the same way she did.Like you’re trying to climb into my head and understand why I do the shit I do.”

I shrugged because it was true; I did spend a lot of time trying to understand his brain and his motives.

His smile grew bigger as he watched my face.“You’re blunt and direct, like she was.Yet there’s this…tranquility about you, just as there was about her.”Then he fell somber as he admitted, “Sometimes, it hurts to be around you because it makes me miss her so much.”

My mouth fell open.“I—I’m sorry.”

He lifted one shoulder, dismissing that, then turned back to me again.“The first time I came in here and saw you standing behind the counter wheresheused to stand, looking so much like her, even moving like her, it was a punch in the gut.So yeah, you’re right.I never hit on you, I never flirted with you like I do with every other girl out there.It didn’t matter if I thought you were pretty—which I do; you’re fucking beautiful, Waverly—but you’re just—you’re so much like her.”

And finally, I got it.

“Oh,” I said softly.

What kind of messed-up Oedipus complex would he have if he wanted to hook up with someone who reminded him of hismom?

With a wince, he leaned close and asked, “Are you finally catching on now?Do you see why I always kept it purely platonic with you?”

I nodded, swallowing thickly.“I do, yeah,” I whispered.

And I did.I understood his motive, and I—well, it honestlydidmake me feel better.About myselfandhim.

Dammit, he’d been right.He fixed everything between us with a couple of words.

After swiping a hand over his hair, he motioned vaguely in my direction, still looking nervous because he obviously had no idea that he’d already made everything fine between us.“So what I’m trying to say here,” he went on, “is that I’m sorry for ever making you feelslightedor unattractive or undesirable in any way.I promise I never intended that.I was honestly attempting to do the opposite and show you a little more respect than I do other girls.”

With a self-derisive chuckle, he shook his head at himself in bewilderment.“Usually girls are relieved when I leave them alone; this is probably the first time I’ve offended one when Ididleave her alone.But wanting you in any way just felt…forbidden.”

“I…” I shook my head, gaping at him.“I’m sorry; I had no idea.”

“Howcouldyou?”he murmured as he touched my hair again and grew fascinated with running strands of it through his fingers.“I never told you.Just like you never told me you had a thing for me.”

Flushing hot, I muttered, “I never said I had athingfor you.”

But Keene with his healthy ego and intuitive brain lifted his eyebrows knowingly.“Then why did you pretend to be someone else just to hook up with me?”

“I didn’t—” Grinding my teeth, I glanced away and wished I could escape this extremely awkward, uncomfortable, and terrifying moment.

“I’m not mad,” Keene assured.I glanced up in surprise.And he shrugged.“Not anymore, anyway.I genuinely just want to know why.”

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