Page 53 of Demon Kissed
Distracted, I totally biff my throw. I mean, embarrassing gutterball all the way down. I turn around and stomp back to Zolroth, who’s shaking with laughter.
“Cheater!” I give him a little shove. It’s small and somewhat playful because a, let’s be honest, I was gonna gutterball anyway, and b, I can see Janie’s and William’s eyes drifting our way, and I want it to seem like Zolroth and I are having the most fun ever.
“Demon, love,” he says by way of explanation. “The difference between demons and angels? They’re so tied up in rules, they have to shit in a straight line or they get in trouble.”
“Yeah? But are you obligated to cheat?” I poke him in the chest.
“Well, lying, cheating, and stealing are kind of perks of the job.”
I narrow my eyes. “What will it take to get you to stop cheating?”
He lifts a shoulder. “I dunno. Maybe if you sat on my lap between each frame—”
“We can keep him from cheating.” Raz is suddenly standing right next to me.
I peer up at his dark eyes. His jaw is tight, but otherwise, his expression is as closed and unreadable as always.
Is he trying to be helpful? Or is he trying to horn in on my date? Besides, he’ssupposedto be a teacher.
“Umm…”
The other guys are suddenly there, all their balls in their hands. Notthoseones, their bowling balls.
“Our lane got shut down,” Raz says loudly, so William and Janie can hear. “Thanks so much for offering to share yours.”
I glance over at their lane, where somehow, suspiciously, the pin machine is malfunctioning, rising up and down and up and down repeatedly.
“Don’t tell me you just broke that!” I hiss.
“Fine. We won’t tell you.” Van saunters past me to put his shiny silver ball in the return. “Get her a beer, she looks like she could use one.”
“I’m underage. And you’re supposed to be a school counselor.”
“Yes. And I’m advising you to calm down. Here,” Van grabs a beer from the pitcher Kastros just hauled back over. He hands me the golden, frothy liquid, and I cringe at the smell. Do I drink? Sometimes (read, almost never). At parties (which I typically avoid). Not in public (this is very public).
“Um…”
“William’s drinking.” Van raises an eyebrow in challenge.
I glance over at William and Janie, and they do indeed have two cups of beer and they’re openly drinking them. I quickly take a gulp and set down my cup.
“No. Isn’t it a rite of passage to chug it?” Van asks, taking the seat next to me and casually tossing his arm up over the empty seatback on his other side. Damn him and his raw, amazing sex appeal. His words slither through my bones and whisper across my senses, and it feels like he’s dared my clit. She, unlike me, has a wild streak. She once got involved with a pager she found in a junk drawer. (Don’t ask. Seriously. Don’t.)
I chug the beer and wipe my mouth as the demons all cheer around me. Well, except Kastros, who gives a fist pump of appreciation before he sits down to add the rest of their names to our game.
I glance over in William’s direction, and he raises an eyebrow at me, like he’s asking, “What’s going on?”
I give a lost little shrug in return, and he gives a “that sucks” face. I nod in agreement, giddy that I’m actually having a cogent conversation with him. Okay fine. A gestured one. But still. Ticks and tacos have not come up once. Plus, he’s being sympathetic. Isn’t that so cute?
Ugh. This moment is totally going in the mental shrine.
That is, until Van pinches my ass and makes me shriek and jump like a lunatic.
I whirl around on him, and he gives me the most infuriating innocent expression.
“What the hell!” I speak through gritted teeth.
“You won’t make him jealous if you pay attention to him. The whole mystique is lost. Watch me.” Van glances over at some girls from school who have just emerged from an escape room.
