Page 16 of Amethyst Flame
I stared at the message. Time ground to a halt. The fabric of reality started to give. Because…Swann hadalwaysknown who she was. She was my proof that people could get their lives together, leap into the abyss after their dreams, and learn to fly. And she’d done it all while looking spectacular too.
If she was losing her shit, then I had no chance whatsoever of getting out of my trap.
You still there?She texted.
Always for you,I answered.Wanna talk?
Can’t. Just boarded a flight. Coming home,she texted.
Wow. So it was bad-bad. Was she skipping out on her showcase? Because the Swann I knew would never, ever do that.What time do you get in? I’ll pick you up
No need. It’ll be too late. Sorry about Vegas
I still have you,I texted.And you have me.I threw in a bunch of heart emojis.
She sent me one back.See you tomorrow?
Yes. Earlier if you need me
I re-read our mini thread, and as I did, I packed up my sorry-for-myself feelings and put them away for another day.
I could always turn evil and rob an ATM. (Really, I had to start thinking bigger.) But only a few times in my life had I been called upon to be the strong friend. Jacob and Dane could suck their super secret agent sunglasses. My Swann needed me. And by god I was going to be there for her.
To prove my mettle to myself, I was efficient and professional during the rest of the workday. I had those awful teenagers clean the shop to a high, blinding shine. When Shirleen, the owner, dropped in unexpectedly, the place was spotless and business was brisk.
She watched us work with a slowly broadening smile, and in a lull between cars, pulled me aside to give me a hug. “I’m so proud of you. You had such a rough year, but you fought through it. I’m giving you a raise. It won’t be much, but”—she took another look around the Freeze—“you clearly deserve it.”
I gave her my bestaw, shuckshumble shrug. “Thank you so much for believing in me.”
Rique went a dry-juiced-celery hue of green.Heh.It’s the little things.
I’d started the workday considering a life of crime, but once again, Swann had turned me around. Together we could figure out anything.
Except, of course…Dane. And his new minion, Jackhole. They were at large in the area and bent on wreaking havoc in my life.
I got off at 7 p.m. Mom was on a date, so the house was empty and fabulously quiet after the constant grind of mixers at the Freeze. I’d been planning on logging on to Legendelirium and ignoring Jacob when and if he ever came back.
At 7:23 p.m., just as the microwave beeped that my Hot Pocket was ready, the front door opened.
Jacob came inside and walked through the front room and into the kitchen, looking around without acknowledging me. He had a phone to his ear. “Affirmative. Can confirm her mom is out.”
Ugh. One guess who was on the other end of that call.
I was just sitting down at the table when Dane strode in as if he owned the place. “How long will your mother be gone?”
“I don’t know.” But I did know. I just had no problem lying to Dane about it. Mom would be home by 11 p.m. In her scrambled mom brain, she had given herselfmyold curfew. It was cute to see her rush in at 11:21 p.m., clothes askew, babbling apologies about losing track of time.
And then I got to give the stern, “I hope you were making good choices, young lady” speech. (Looked to me like she was making excellent ones, but I had to play the part.)
I glared at Dane and Jacob as I gingerly toothed a piece of the crust open to let out pizza steam. Damn, it smelled good. My rumbling tummy agreed. My moths crackled in anticipation.
Jacob frowned. “Wait…didn’t your mom say this morning that she’d be home by eleven?”
And that was how I knew that Jacob had officially gone over to the Dane Side.
I blew on the cheesy goodness awaiting me. “Did she? I don’t recall.”
Dane dragged out the chair opposite me. “This isn’t going to work if you’re not cooperative.”
