taking any of Jordan's hard-earned money. Sorry I yelled at you, by the way."
"Whatever."
"Jordan?" Sara frowned at her sister. "When was he here?"
"A few minutes ago. Being a pest."
I wagged a finger at Cara. "Hey, don't knock it, brat. He was worried about you guys, which is more than I can say for anyone who was actually here last night. Don't take your friends for granted."
Sara scoffed, glaring at me " You should talk, after the way you treated Zeph."
My mouth fell open. I closed it with an effort, then managed to choke out, "Excuse me?"
"Oh, come on, Jade! You've got this gorgeous, amazing guy--"
"With hypno-powers," Cara added.
"--who's been longing for you and comes to find you and tries to win you back, like something out of a fairy tale--"
"You're romanticizing it," I muttered. "A lot."
"Whatever! It's obvious he adores you. He threw himself at your feet, for hell's sake, and you beat him up! You could've really hurt him. If that's not taking your friends for granted, I don't know what is."
I spoke through clenched teeth. "Apparently something I said last night didn't sink in, so let me say it again. He is not my friend. He. Has. No . Emotions. Savvy?"
She shook her head. "You keep saying that, but I never saw it. He seemed to feel things just fine."
"Yeah, thanks to the three of us. He mirrors people, remember? He smiled at you because you're attracted to him, not vice versa. And he talked to you because you were curious, not because he gives one ripe shit what you do or don't know."
I'd managed to keep my voice steady throughout my tirade, but I felt a nagging doubt even as I berated him. Was that true anymore? Had it ever been? Zeph's tortured expression haunted my thoughts, chipping away at the wall of self-righteousness that had protected me all this time. Suddenly I wasn't sure of anything anymore.
Sara barked a laugh. "All right, then by your logic he loves you because you ..."
"Hey." I waved a warning finger in her face. "Finish that sentence and you're fired."
She folded her arms over her chest in a perfect gesture of so-there. "Besides, Zeph says he does have emotions."
"Oh, and you just automatically take his word over mine."
"Um, yeah. Because he wasn't the one acting like an escaped mental patient."
"That's right, he wasn't. You were." I tamped down my rising fury, drawing and releasing a deep breath before speaking again. "As I said before, you have no idea what you're talking about."
Cara frowned, clearly bemused by our argument. "You're right, we don't, because you didn't tell us the whole story. But you promised you would."
"I don't believe I ever used the word 'promise.' And now is hardly the time or place." I gestured to our very public surroundings.
"Fine, then let's go talk in the office. Val can run the register." As I opened my mouth to say 'no,' she added, "I never did get a chance to go back there and cool my shit like you told me to."
"You know, I think we've both been insubordinate today." Sara picked up her sister's line of reasoning, grinning slyly. "You really should give us a good talking to. Boss."
I looked back and forth between them, throwing up my hands. "Fine. Maybe then you'll believe me." Though from the looks of their triumphant smirks, I didn't hold out much hope.
Seven
We trooped into the office en masse, dismissing a perplexed Valeri, who agreed with a smile and a wink that the twins' attitudes were beyond unacceptable. When she picked up her chai tea and stepped out, I flopped down in the chair, letting it roll backward with my motion. The girls perched on opposite corners of the desk, facing me as a unit. I recalled Zeph in his similar pose the night before and shuddered. "You don't know everything, okay?" I blurted.
"Yeah. We established that already." Cara's words were a calm contrast to mine, for a change. "We're supposed to be fixing that right now, remember?"
"I know, I know." But I found myself reluctant to tell this part of my
"Whatever."
"Jordan?" Sara frowned at her sister. "When was he here?"
"A few minutes ago. Being a pest."
I wagged a finger at Cara. "Hey, don't knock it, brat. He was worried about you guys, which is more than I can say for anyone who was actually here last night. Don't take your friends for granted."
Sara scoffed, glaring at me " You should talk, after the way you treated Zeph."
My mouth fell open. I closed it with an effort, then managed to choke out, "Excuse me?"
"Oh, come on, Jade! You've got this gorgeous, amazing guy--"
"With hypno-powers," Cara added.
"--who's been longing for you and comes to find you and tries to win you back, like something out of a fairy tale--"
"You're romanticizing it," I muttered. "A lot."
"Whatever! It's obvious he adores you. He threw himself at your feet, for hell's sake, and you beat him up! You could've really hurt him. If that's not taking your friends for granted, I don't know what is."
I spoke through clenched teeth. "Apparently something I said last night didn't sink in, so let me say it again. He is not my friend. He. Has. No . Emotions. Savvy?"
She shook her head. "You keep saying that, but I never saw it. He seemed to feel things just fine."
"Yeah, thanks to the three of us. He mirrors people, remember? He smiled at you because you're attracted to him, not vice versa. And he talked to you because you were curious, not because he gives one ripe shit what you do or don't know."
I'd managed to keep my voice steady throughout my tirade, but I felt a nagging doubt even as I berated him. Was that true anymore? Had it ever been? Zeph's tortured expression haunted my thoughts, chipping away at the wall of self-righteousness that had protected me all this time. Suddenly I wasn't sure of anything anymore.
Sara barked a laugh. "All right, then by your logic he loves you because you ..."
"Hey." I waved a warning finger in her face. "Finish that sentence and you're fired."
She folded her arms over her chest in a perfect gesture of so-there. "Besides, Zeph says he does have emotions."
"Oh, and you just automatically take his word over mine."
"Um, yeah. Because he wasn't the one acting like an escaped mental patient."
"That's right, he wasn't. You were." I tamped down my rising fury, drawing and releasing a deep breath before speaking again. "As I said before, you have no idea what you're talking about."
Cara frowned, clearly bemused by our argument. "You're right, we don't, because you didn't tell us the whole story. But you promised you would."
"I don't believe I ever used the word 'promise.' And now is hardly the time or place." I gestured to our very public surroundings.
"Fine, then let's go talk in the office. Val can run the register." As I opened my mouth to say 'no,' she added, "I never did get a chance to go back there and cool my shit like you told me to."
"You know, I think we've both been insubordinate today." Sara picked up her sister's line of reasoning, grinning slyly. "You really should give us a good talking to. Boss."
I looked back and forth between them, throwing up my hands. "Fine. Maybe then you'll believe me." Though from the looks of their triumphant smirks, I didn't hold out much hope.
Seven
We trooped into the office en masse, dismissing a perplexed Valeri, who agreed with a smile and a wink that the twins' attitudes were beyond unacceptable. When she picked up her chai tea and stepped out, I flopped down in the chair, letting it roll backward with my motion. The girls perched on opposite corners of the desk, facing me as a unit. I recalled Zeph in his similar pose the night before and shuddered. "You don't know everything, okay?" I blurted.
"Yeah. We established that already." Cara's words were a calm contrast to mine, for a change. "We're supposed to be fixing that right now, remember?"
"I know, I know." But I found myself reluctant to tell this part of my
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