Page 91 of Bonds of Magic
Cory let the knife fall loose in his lap. He glared at me too, and looked almost as murderous as the bird. “What the fuck?” he snapped. “What are you doing?”
“Checking in.” I was taken aback by his anger. I knew he was pissed at me, but this seemed a little much. “I wanted to make sure you were okay.”
“Well, other than the heart attack you just gave me, I’m fine.” He was still glaring. “Jesus, what hell is wrong with you?”
“What?” I blinked.
“Why can’t you actually leave me alone, if you’re going to leave me alone?”
This didn’t seem like a conversation to have with half my body out in the hall. I slipped inside his room and closed the door behind me. I was still confused.
“Come again?” I said.
“I get it, alright?” he said. “You don’t want me, fine. But you don’t need to come here and rub it in. ‘Checking’ on me right after hooking up with your boyfriend.”
“Mywhat?” I took a step towards him. Cat fluffed their wings ominously, warning me off.
“That guy,” Cory said. “In Pointe Claudette. The one you were with in the bathroom. The night we met.”
“Lew?”
“Great.” Cory’s voice was bitter. “Now I have a name to go with the mouth that was sucking you off. I feel so much better.”
“Cory, he’s not—” I broke off and laughed.Thiswas what Cory was mad about? “He’s not my boyfriend.”
“But you’re hooking up,” Cory protested.
“No, we’re not.”
“Don’t lie. I’m not a child you have to pacify. I can handle it.” He looked down at the knife in his lap, but he didn’t seem angry anymore. Just sad. “I know you went to Pointe Claudette tonight.”
“I’m not lying.” I took another step towards the bed, angry raven be damned. “Yes, Lew and I have hooked up in the past. But we’re not doing that anymore.”
“Yeah. Sure.”
“Cory, we’re not.” I sat down on the edge of the bed. Cat hopped closer to Cory, a barrier of wings and talons between us. I stared at Cory over the bird’s head. I wanted to get closer. To hold him.
“Why?” Cory said finally, looking up at me.
There was only one answer I could give.
“We haven’t hooked up since the night you and I met,” I told him. “Because God help me, Cory, I only want you.”
19
CORY
Istared at Noah. “Are you serious?”
His eyes held mine and never wavered. His hand reached towards me on the blanket, but I didn’t take it. I didn’t trust this. Didn’t trust him.
“I’m serious,” he said. “I actually—” He broke off and looked down.
”You actually what?”
“You don’t need to know.”
“Right. Can’t tell poor Cory anything. Have to keep him in the dark in case he does something stupid.”
