Page 51 of Soul So Dark
After a few seconds, Alex’s eyes shift, like he’s looking at something on my forehead. Instinctively, I reach up and rub my head.
“What?” I ask, eyeing him suspiciously.
He clenches his jaw and glances around, almost agitated. “How do you get your hair to smell so good?”
I crack a smile. “What?”
“Your hair,” he says, this time slightly louder, “why does it smell so good?”
Realization washes over me, followed by a comforting warmth. “It’s Marc Jacobs Daisy,” I reply, “if you spray perfume on your hair in layers, it smells better than shampoo. Evie did it all the time.”
“Chemical warfare, huh?”
“I’m not fighting anyone!” I retort. “But why did you…” my eyes fall to the marbled tile and I lower my voice, “why did you kiss me last night?”
I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it, but as soon as I say it, I wish I hadn’t. Maybe I don’t want to know the answer. Maybe it was just another dumb thing that Alex did to mess with me, just like the rest of them do.
“I wanted to see if you taste as good as you smell,” he shrugs, “should I not have?”
“No. I mean, yeah—it’s fine,” I stammer like an idiot.
“It’sfine?” Alex smiles with amusement.
God, I sound like a space case…
Sufficiently flustered, I shoot him an impatient look. “Well?”
“Well, what?”
“Do I?”
Alex doesn’t answer at first, only cocks his head with curiosity. Finally, he leans closer.
“Better,” he murmurs, “so good that maybe I’ll do it again.”
Then he steps past me before I can respond.
“Get to class, Dallas,” he calls over his shoulder as he saunters away.
???
“It’s just the Starliner,” I call into the living room as I pack my shorts pockets with as few items as possible.Cash, house key, phone, lip gloss…“We don’t even have homework anymore!”
“That’s the only place you’re going.” Judging by the tone of my mom’s voice, it’s not a question.
“If the band actually shows up, there’s nowayI’m leaving until they do. And if not, I’ll just come home.”
“And you’re riding with Austin.” Again, not a question. “And you’re not to leave his side.”
I mean geez, what a way to say don’t wander off…
Granted, my mom loves Shelby, but even she knows that Shelby isn’t exactly a deterrent for anything.
“Mom, we’ll all be together.”
I know why she’s asking these questions, but neither of us want to address that elephant in the room. Or, better yet, the entire African safari stuffed inside our house. Speaking of which, the lion himself is upstairs in his room, probably playingWitcher 3and planning to berate me about it later. Anyhow, I want to be gone before he finds out I’m going out and grills me like our mom is right now.
“Is your phone charged?”
