Page 119 of Until We Burn
Hey, Di. I’m sorry to do this, but I can’t talk on the phone tonight. I have a big assignment I need to finish before Halloween weekend. I hope you understand. Have a goodnight.
His blunt text makes me shrink back in embarrassment. I’mdaydreaming and pondering about being with him when he couldn’t care less.
God, why did I think Kai would think about me as anything else besides someone to rail when he’s stressed?
I backspace my response one too many times. Each word feels bogged down with too much emotion and not enough nonchalance. I abandon the attempt and simply like his text.
“Hey…” Stella squeezes my arm. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing,” I swallow hard, mustering up a small smile. “Kai just canceled our phone call tonight. He has an important assignment to do.”
Stella gasps. “Oh, howdarehe?” She slams her glass down, making Rufus leap off the couch and scamper away. “He is pickingschooloveryou?”
“It’s not that big of a deal.”
Except I can’t ignore the possibility of Kai lying to me.
What if he’s off with someone else? What if she’s so much prettier, and so much bolder than me that she’s made him change his mind about being friends with benefits?
All throughout the night, Kai’s odd text lurks in the back of my mind. I try to forget about it, but every word I say brings me back to that text. It’s so blunt and straightforward. None of Kai’s warmth and playful humor comes through. Usually, his texts leave me daydreaming about the way his eyes crinkle when he laughs, or when he towers over me with that teasing smile on his face.
It’s a text, Diana. You’re simply overthinking this when there’s more important things for you to mull over.
“Put out one fire at a time,” I whisper. The first fire was Sophia and severing any ties she has to Gregory and Jonathan. That’s my priority right now.
NotKai.
But no matter how much I try to get my mind off it, I can’t ignore the feeling that something is very wrong.
CHAPTER 48
KAI
The air istense on Halloween night.
The boys and I watch for suspicious behavior while standing in line to get into Levels. Rowan, as Zeus, has his arms crossed over his celestial white tunic. The bronze cuffs around his wrists glint as bright as his crown of laurels and lightning bolts. Almost every girl glances his way, but he barely acknowledges them. Not when his attention is focused on another girl he’s waiting for.
Luke, on the other hand, smiles at every girl who looks at him. He effortlessly draws attention in his sea blue Poseidon costume. A crown of coral and seashells weave around his thick, blond hair. He leans up against the wall, his hands in his pockets, and his trident strapped across his back.
For once, no one glances over at me. As Hades, I look like I’m carved from the shadows in my dark cape, leather black chest plate, and pants. My skull face painting hides who I am and it won’t flake off under any hand or fist. The only telltale signs of my identity are my green eyes that glow from the black and white paint.
And my hands fidgeting at my sides.
“Kai, I can feel you twitching beside me,” Rowan whispers, “do youneed a second?”
Goddammit.
“No.” I clear my throat and straighten up. “I’m fine.”
Luke sighs and claps my back. “I know it’s stressful, man.” He perks up. “Just think of this like a game. You don’t know what’s gonna go down, but you can mentally prepare for it.”
“And you’re not gonna go through it alone,” Rowan reminds me.
The thought eases me up a little bit.
Until the anxiety sets in.
We’re not walking into a normal hockey game. There’s no rules keeping us in line tonight and we’re fumbling for strategies for a game we don’t know how to play.
