Page 108 of Positively Pricked
But stubbornly, Istilldidn't want to take his side. And besides, what was the point of complaining? It's not like we could hit a liquor store in mid-air.
I gave a dismissive shrug. "I'm not much of a drinker." In spite of my drink-cart fantasies, this was actually true.
The guy said, "Well, aren't you special?"
With his eyes still shut, Zane said, "Hey, Teddy."
"What?"
"Fuck off."
Teddy's jaw tightened. "What?"
"You heard me," Zane said.
As the guy replied with some profanity of his own, I felt my eyebrows furrow.Teddy?
I'd heard that name before. But where? And then it hit me. "Oh, my God," I said. "You're Teddy the—"Oh, crap.With a small gasp, I slammed my lips shut and looked away.
Like an idiot, I'd been about to say, "Teddy the Drunk."
My gaze landed on Zane, and I was surprised to see that his eyes were now open. Our gazes locked across the short distance, and I swear I saw a flash of amusement flicker in those green depths.
And then, it was gone, replaced by the bored indifference he seemed to favor when not being an outright prick.
In spite of this, I couldn’t seem to make myself look away. Odder still,hewasn't looking away either.Weird.
Next to me, the blond guy demanded, "Teddy the what?"
With a start, I turned to look at him. Earlier, he'd given his name as Theodore. No wonder I hadn't made the connection. But itdidmake sense. Theodore, Teddy – yup, theyhadto be the same guy.
I should've known. After all, he'd been giving Zane all kinds of attitude for most of the flight. And yet, he hadn't been tossed out like What's-Her-Name.
Did Teddy get a pass because he was family?
Next to me, Teddy was still waiting for an answer. "Well?" he said.
Desperately, I tried to think. I recalled snippets of what I'd overheard from inside the catering van, not just from Teddy, but from that Bob guy, too. Finally, I settled on, "Teddy the Cousin."
Teddy's mouth tightened. "Secondcousin."
This also made sense. On the Bennington side, Zane had those two uncles. Both had died childless, which meant that Zanehadno first cousins, at least not on his father's side. As far as his mother's side, I had no idea.
So where did Teddy fit into all of this? I studied his face. He and Zane looked nothing alike. Where Zane had bold, angular features, Teddy had a fine, delicate mouth, light blue eyes, and pale eyelashes. It's not that Teddy was unattractive. It's just that, compared to Zane, someone like Teddy would totally fade into the background.
Wasthatthe source of his animosity?
No, I decided. It had to be about the inheritance. Zane had gotten everything. And Teddy? What hadhegotten?
Kicked out of his house, that's what.
No wonder he was hostile.
Suddenly, I was seeing him in a much more sympathetic light.
On the night of the party, he'd been drunk and belligerent. Today, he was sober, but nearly as hostile. But could I really blame him?
I heard myself ask, "So, why are you going to New York?"
