Page 97 of The Mourning Throne
Lex was still lost in the swirling, black vortex when that voice stopped in front of him, going a mile a minute.
“It’s been ages, man! I’m so pumped—what the hell are you doing here?”
And then it hit him. Like a goddamn train, and suddenly Lex couldn’t catch his breath.
Noah.
Hiscousin, Noah.
His,go-through-all-your shit-without-permission, oops-I-stole-your-toothbrush-now-it’s-mine,cousin.
Except there was a problem.
No matter how hard Lex concentrated on his voice, it didn’t match the guy standing there.
Last time Lex saw him, Noah had been a scrawny, brown-haired kid in an oversized tank-top. All excited energy. A happy puppy. Sunshine thrown in a blender and set skipping down the driveway.
Even the snippet from the murder case at Eastbridge High, Noah didn’t look—
When did he tan?
When did he start working out?
When did he bleach his hair blond?
Why the fuck does it feel like I’m looking in somemessed-up circus mirror?
“—and then I was like, no way. But way!” Noah was still talking, jabbering away like they were the best of friends, reunited at last.
Lex didn’t catch most of it.
Not when the blood roaring through his ears was too loud, heart jack-hammering against his ribs.
“You haven’t changed at all,” Noah said, his grin toowide, gray eyes too hyper. Toomanic. “Like,at all. Do you get carded everywhere you go? No way in hell I’d sell you alcohol.”
Lex opened his mouth, but nothing came out.
“You’re kinda scaring me, man,” Noah muttered, and that smile flattened a little. “Say something.”
“Why are you here?”
Why do you look like me?
“Vacation… ish.” Noah tilted his hand back and forth. “Kinda. Me and Max—did I introduce you to Max? Jesus, I didn’t. I’m losing it tonight.” He looked around, one way, then another, before he shook his head. “Shit. I was gonna grab Kyran and Benji too, but I can’t find them.”
Kyran and Benji.
As in Kyran Decker and Benji Hampton?
As in the fucking family of Jake Hampton?
The static was back, louder now, crackling behind Lex’s eyes like a broken TV screen. Hisskinwas buzzing, too cold then too hot.
“Man, I really wanted to introduce you to everyone. I think you’d hit it off with Kyran. Benji? Not so much. He’s got this, super serious thing going on. You’re gonnaloveMax.”
Still.
Fucking.
