disguised it as a middle-finger swipe across her bottom lip to clean up a smudge in her lipstick, but the pink stain was perfect. There was nothing to clean up. Just before she turned away, I saw a smug smile tug at her pouty lips.
Although I was thoroughly incensed by her audacity, there was nothing I could do. No one would believe that someone like Amity would deign to pay me that much attention, so ratting her out would be pointless. It would only serve to make me look crazy and paranoid. And probably a little desperate for attention.
With a sigh, I tried to just let it go, turning my eyes from Amity and giving as much of my attention as I could muster to Lacey where she still stood by my side. Luckily, she hadn’t seen Amity’s gesture. If she had, I’d have already been breaking up a cat fight.
“Oh and here comes Sheryl!” Lacey exclaimed excitedly, still looking toward the door. I followed her gaze and saw that she was watching a petite brunette weave her way through the crowd toward us. She swung rounded eyes in my direction. “Think she’ll tell me what happened with her and Tanner?”
I shrugged as I looked back toward the door, completely unconcerned with any of the normal gossip that everyone my age seemed to thrive on. I had much bigger worries at the moment, worries even bigger than that nasty Amity Ledger.
“I don’t know, but if she won’t you can always ask Tanner. He just walked in,” I informed, nodding for Lacey to look back toward the door.
I knew the instant she saw Tanner. Whether she meant to or not, she sighed the tiniest bit.
“Dude, if your brother wasn’t perfect and just about ready to fall madly in love with me, Tanner Sloan would be my next choice.”
Lacey made a smacking sound with her lips and I couldn’t help but giggle. She was so blunt! If a piranha could be blunt, that is.
Reaching over, I wiped at her bottom lip much as she’d done to mine the “night before.”
“Just wiping up some drool,” I teased, offering that by way of explanation when she tossed me a strange look.
“Not quite. Your brother is still the only one who makes me salivate. I practically need a bib to look at him.” She gave me a cheeky grin and I rolled my eyes. “I know he’s your brother, but you have to admit he’s smokin’ hot.”
“Lacey, ew!”
“Oh wait. I forgot. He doesn’t have hair the color of spun gold and eyes the color of warm honey,” she drawled dramatically, using her best Southern belle accent as she fluttered her eyelashes like an awestruck, doe-eyed girl.
I laughed, even though I silently wondered if that’s how I sounded when I talked about Trace. I’d have to be careful of that in the future. Now more than ever, I couldn’t let on that I had feelings for him. It could be the end of his relationship with my brother and the beginning of a world of troubles for me.
Sheryl’s arrival at Lacey’s side negated any need for a rebuttal on my part, so I turned my attention back to the room. I was glad that Lacey was immersed in conversation with the girl from our study hall period when Brady made his host’s round through the room. I felt the need to keep them as far away from one another as I possibly could. At least for a little while, something like, oh I don’t know, eternity.
As Brady circulated through the room, I remembered seeing him do the same thing the “night before,” but this time I noticed something I’d previously overlooked. Or was it that it hadn’t happened? I couldn’t be sure which, but I was definitely aware of it now.
Several times as Brady stopped to talk with different clusters of people, I saw his eyes flicker to Lacey and then dart quickly away. It was then that I began to sense a growing need in him. It was a thirst. For blood. One I’d seen portrayed in movies hundreds of times. I felt sure that, given free rein, it could be just as
Although I was thoroughly incensed by her audacity, there was nothing I could do. No one would believe that someone like Amity would deign to pay me that much attention, so ratting her out would be pointless. It would only serve to make me look crazy and paranoid. And probably a little desperate for attention.
With a sigh, I tried to just let it go, turning my eyes from Amity and giving as much of my attention as I could muster to Lacey where she still stood by my side. Luckily, she hadn’t seen Amity’s gesture. If she had, I’d have already been breaking up a cat fight.
“Oh and here comes Sheryl!” Lacey exclaimed excitedly, still looking toward the door. I followed her gaze and saw that she was watching a petite brunette weave her way through the crowd toward us. She swung rounded eyes in my direction. “Think she’ll tell me what happened with her and Tanner?”
I shrugged as I looked back toward the door, completely unconcerned with any of the normal gossip that everyone my age seemed to thrive on. I had much bigger worries at the moment, worries even bigger than that nasty Amity Ledger.
“I don’t know, but if she won’t you can always ask Tanner. He just walked in,” I informed, nodding for Lacey to look back toward the door.
I knew the instant she saw Tanner. Whether she meant to or not, she sighed the tiniest bit.
“Dude, if your brother wasn’t perfect and just about ready to fall madly in love with me, Tanner Sloan would be my next choice.”
Lacey made a smacking sound with her lips and I couldn’t help but giggle. She was so blunt! If a piranha could be blunt, that is.
Reaching over, I wiped at her bottom lip much as she’d done to mine the “night before.”
“Just wiping up some drool,” I teased, offering that by way of explanation when she tossed me a strange look.
“Not quite. Your brother is still the only one who makes me salivate. I practically need a bib to look at him.” She gave me a cheeky grin and I rolled my eyes. “I know he’s your brother, but you have to admit he’s smokin’ hot.”
“Lacey, ew!”
“Oh wait. I forgot. He doesn’t have hair the color of spun gold and eyes the color of warm honey,” she drawled dramatically, using her best Southern belle accent as she fluttered her eyelashes like an awestruck, doe-eyed girl.
I laughed, even though I silently wondered if that’s how I sounded when I talked about Trace. I’d have to be careful of that in the future. Now more than ever, I couldn’t let on that I had feelings for him. It could be the end of his relationship with my brother and the beginning of a world of troubles for me.
Sheryl’s arrival at Lacey’s side negated any need for a rebuttal on my part, so I turned my attention back to the room. I was glad that Lacey was immersed in conversation with the girl from our study hall period when Brady made his host’s round through the room. I felt the need to keep them as far away from one another as I possibly could. At least for a little while, something like, oh I don’t know, eternity.
As Brady circulated through the room, I remembered seeing him do the same thing the “night before,” but this time I noticed something I’d previously overlooked. Or was it that it hadn’t happened? I couldn’t be sure which, but I was definitely aware of it now.
Several times as Brady stopped to talk with different clusters of people, I saw his eyes flicker to Lacey and then dart quickly away. It was then that I began to sense a growing need in him. It was a thirst. For blood. One I’d seen portrayed in movies hundreds of times. I felt sure that, given free rein, it could be just as
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