word, I wheeled from the room to go on a manhunt—or a female-gargoyle hunt. Whatever. Danika was different from any human girl Zayne might occasionally “date.” Way different.
The soft sound of husky laughter floated out of the library I usually occupied during all my copious spare time. An irrational territorial urge surfaced. As I crossed the sparsely decorated sitting room that no one ever used, my hands balled into fists. Jealousy was a bitter acid sweeping through my veins as I stopped before the closed doors. I had no right to barge in on them, but I was no longer in control of myself.
Danika’s throaty laugh came again, followed by a deeper chuckle. I could picture her tossing her long black hair over her shoulder, smiling the way all girls smiled at Zayne, and I pushed open the door.
They stood so close their souls touched.
CHAPTER FOUR
Zayne leaned against the desk, dusty from disuse, his muscled arms folded across his chest. He had a slight smile on his face—a fond one. And Danika had one hand on his shoulder, her face so bright and happy I wanted to throw up on the both of them. They were the same height, both around the same age. Admittedly, they’d make a beautiful couple and have tons of beautiful babies that would shift and wouldn’t have any tainted blood in them.
I hated her.
Zayne looked up, stiffening as his eyes locked with mine.
“Layla? Is that you?” Danika pulled away from Zayne, smiling as her hand trailed down his chest. A soft, rosy flush covered her high cheekbones. “Your hair has gotten so long.”
My hair hadn’t grown that much since the last time I’d seen her, which was three months ago. “Hey.” I sounded like I’d swallowed a bed of nails.
She came across the library, stopping short of embracing me because we so weren’t on hugging terms. “How have you been? How’s school?”
The fact that Danika actually liked me made it all the more intolerable. “It’s great.”
Zayne pushed off the desk. “Did you need something, Layla-bug?”
I felt like the biggest kind of idiot. “I...just wanted to say hi.” I turned to Danika, my face burning. “Hi.”
Her smile faltered a bit as she glanced at Zayne. “We were just talking about you, actually. Zayne was telling me you were thinking of applying to Columbia?”
I thought about the half-completed college application. “It was a stupid idea.”
Zayne frowned. “I thought you said you were going to do it.”
I shrugged. “What’s the point? I already have a job.”
“Layla, there’s still a point. You don’t have—”
“It’s nothing we need to talk about. Sorry for interrupting.” I cut Zayne off. “I’ll see you guys later.”
I hurried away before I made an even bigger fool out of myself, blinking back hot, humiliating tears. My skin was starting to crawl by the time I made it to the fridge. I shouldn’t have gone looking for them, because I’d known what I’d find. But apparently I was into torturing myself.
Pulling out the carton of OJ, I also grabbed the roll of sugar-cookie dough. The first gulp of juice was the best. I loved the acidic burn. Sugar helped when the cravings to take a soul hit hard. It was a mortifying need, reminding me of drug addicts.
“Layla.”
Closing my eyes, I set the carton on the counter. “Zayne?”
“She’s only going to be here a couple of weeks. You could at least try to be nice to her.”
I twisted around, focusing on his shoulder. “I was being nice to her.”
He laughed. “You sounded like you wanted to bite her head off.”
Or take her soul. “Whatever.” I grabbed a chunk of dough and popped it in my mouth. “You shouldn’t keep her waiting.”
Zayne reached over, taking the dough from my hands. “She went to help Jasmine with the twins.”
“Oh.” I turned away, grabbing a glass out of the cupboard, filling it to the top.
“Layla-bug.” His breath stirred my hair. “Please don’t act like this.”
I sucked in air,
The soft sound of husky laughter floated out of the library I usually occupied during all my copious spare time. An irrational territorial urge surfaced. As I crossed the sparsely decorated sitting room that no one ever used, my hands balled into fists. Jealousy was a bitter acid sweeping through my veins as I stopped before the closed doors. I had no right to barge in on them, but I was no longer in control of myself.
Danika’s throaty laugh came again, followed by a deeper chuckle. I could picture her tossing her long black hair over her shoulder, smiling the way all girls smiled at Zayne, and I pushed open the door.
They stood so close their souls touched.
CHAPTER FOUR
Zayne leaned against the desk, dusty from disuse, his muscled arms folded across his chest. He had a slight smile on his face—a fond one. And Danika had one hand on his shoulder, her face so bright and happy I wanted to throw up on the both of them. They were the same height, both around the same age. Admittedly, they’d make a beautiful couple and have tons of beautiful babies that would shift and wouldn’t have any tainted blood in them.
I hated her.
Zayne looked up, stiffening as his eyes locked with mine.
“Layla? Is that you?” Danika pulled away from Zayne, smiling as her hand trailed down his chest. A soft, rosy flush covered her high cheekbones. “Your hair has gotten so long.”
My hair hadn’t grown that much since the last time I’d seen her, which was three months ago. “Hey.” I sounded like I’d swallowed a bed of nails.
She came across the library, stopping short of embracing me because we so weren’t on hugging terms. “How have you been? How’s school?”
The fact that Danika actually liked me made it all the more intolerable. “It’s great.”
Zayne pushed off the desk. “Did you need something, Layla-bug?”
I felt like the biggest kind of idiot. “I...just wanted to say hi.” I turned to Danika, my face burning. “Hi.”
Her smile faltered a bit as she glanced at Zayne. “We were just talking about you, actually. Zayne was telling me you were thinking of applying to Columbia?”
I thought about the half-completed college application. “It was a stupid idea.”
Zayne frowned. “I thought you said you were going to do it.”
I shrugged. “What’s the point? I already have a job.”
“Layla, there’s still a point. You don’t have—”
“It’s nothing we need to talk about. Sorry for interrupting.” I cut Zayne off. “I’ll see you guys later.”
I hurried away before I made an even bigger fool out of myself, blinking back hot, humiliating tears. My skin was starting to crawl by the time I made it to the fridge. I shouldn’t have gone looking for them, because I’d known what I’d find. But apparently I was into torturing myself.
Pulling out the carton of OJ, I also grabbed the roll of sugar-cookie dough. The first gulp of juice was the best. I loved the acidic burn. Sugar helped when the cravings to take a soul hit hard. It was a mortifying need, reminding me of drug addicts.
“Layla.”
Closing my eyes, I set the carton on the counter. “Zayne?”
“She’s only going to be here a couple of weeks. You could at least try to be nice to her.”
I twisted around, focusing on his shoulder. “I was being nice to her.”
He laughed. “You sounded like you wanted to bite her head off.”
Or take her soul. “Whatever.” I grabbed a chunk of dough and popped it in my mouth. “You shouldn’t keep her waiting.”
Zayne reached over, taking the dough from my hands. “She went to help Jasmine with the twins.”
“Oh.” I turned away, grabbing a glass out of the cupboard, filling it to the top.
“Layla-bug.” His breath stirred my hair. “Please don’t act like this.”
I sucked in air,
Similar Books
