Wendy Higgins - Sweet Reckoning

Drool.

“It’s not fair, you know,” he said, sitting again and leaning in.

“What’s not fair?”

“That’s twice you’ve seen my arse. And zero times I’ve seen yours.”

I shook my head. My face was permanently on fire now.

“Come on,” he urged. “Just a quick peek.”

I laughed. “No!”

Now he laughed, too. “You know I’m taking the piss with you, luv.”

I shot him a fake glare and he kept chuckling, with those sexy, crinkly eyes. He hadn’t teased me this much in person, but I guess technology provided a safety net that made him more brazen.

I could maybe get used to it.

I needed to get used to it so I’d stop freaking blushing and wanting to hide.

My phone dinged, and I opened the text message. It was a single question mark from Marna.

“Who’s it from?” Kai asked, sounding tense.

“Marna. Hang on. I’m gonna call her real quick.” The girls had no idea what had happened on the island, that we’d been extremely close to being caught and captured. I shivered at the memory of how cold it’d been in the water under the dock as the Dukes walked above us with their prey. And how they’d killed Flynn and dragged his body out to sea . . .

My stomach churned as the vision hit me.

The twins had to know something was up since their father left for a lengthy summit and none of us Neph—Blake, Kaidan, Kopano, or me—had been available for days.

She answered immediately.

“Hey,” I said.

“Are you all right, then? What the bloody hell is going on?”

Even knowing the Dukes were meeting tonight, I still didn’t trust a phone conversation.

“It’s not good,” I told her. “One of our . . . pieces fell.”

It took her a second to figure it out, and then she gasped. “Oh, God . . .” I could tell she wanted to ask who, but she didn’t. Instead she said, “We’re in Miami, and we’ve got two days off. Can we come up?”

“Yes. Please.” I was relieved I’d get to tell them everything in person.

When we hung up and I gave my attention back to Kaidan, all humor was gone.

“Everything will be okay,” I said quietly. “The sooner we get rid of them, the better.”

His jaw worked from side to side. I wanted him to talk to me.

“What are you afraid of, Kai?”

“I’m only afraid of one thing.” His blue eyes hit mine. “Losing you.”

Pained fear showed on his face, and it wrung my heart. We both knew what we were up against.

“Swear you’ll be careful, Anna. No unnecessary heroics.”

“I promise. I’m not going to run out and make a martyr of myself. I want to survive this thing. I want to get rid of them, and keep living. With you.”

Judging by how the pain eased from his face, he seemed to like that idea.

My phone dinged with another text. “Jay,” I said.

U home yet?

Yes, I replied.

Come over plz?

My eyebrows pushed together in worry.

“What’s wrong?” Kaidan asked.

“I don’t know. He wants me to come over.”

“Right, then. I’ll be here all night. Ring me when you get back.”

I looked up at him with a grateful smile. “You’re a good boyfriend.”

He smirked. “Hurry home, luv. Oh, and give Jay a message for me. Ask him why DJs can’t play pool.”

“Okay. What’s the punch line?”

“Because they always scratch!” He raised his eyebrows, hopeful.

“Um, sure.” I put on a fake smile.

His eyebrows dropped. “Not funny?”

“No,” I said with a laugh. “But he’ll appreciate it.”

We were smiling when we logged off, and I hurried to Jay’s.

I let myself into Jay’s house and found him and Veronica sitting apart in his room—her in his computer chair, and him on the bed against his headboard. Both wore auras of navy blue sadness, with a fizzle of gray nervousness in Veronica’s. I knew from the distance between them and the tension in the air that they weren’t together anymore.

“Hey,” Veronica said.

I sat on the edge of the bed. “Hey.”

Jay raised his eyebrows at Veronica. “You wanna tell her?”

She bit her lip. “So, I got this really cool opportunity. I didn’t tell anyone ’cause I wasn’t sure at first if I’d take it, but I decided to do it. I’m going to Spain to study abroad this semester.”

“Spain!” I couldn’t help but smile. That was so awesome. I could totally picture Veronica there. And then I saw the lack of joy on Jay’s face, and my excitement waned. “Oh . . .”

Silence.

“I guess it’d be hard to keep a long-distance relationship, huh?” I asked.

“There’s the time difference,” Veronica explained. “With Jay working nights, and me probably busy with school stuff. . . .”

I knew it was more than just the time and distance issues. All signs had been pointing to breakup for months now. Neither of them seemed surprised or angry. Just sad.

“You guys are both okay, though?”

Jay picked at his jeans. “It’s a good opportunity, you know? She shouldn’t pass it up.”

I looked at Veronica and a stream of light-gray guilt swam around her before dispersing.

The breakup was mutual, but they both looked so sad. I patted the spot on the bed across from Jay and me, and Veronica came over on shaky legs to sit with us. We sat in a semicircle facing one another. Being closer lightened Jay’s aura.

“I love you guys,” I said quietly.

Veronica kept biting at her lip. “You’re not mad at me about school? I know we were going to room together. . . .”

“No, I’m not mad.” This was terrible timing, but I had to tell them now. “Actually, I kind of have some big news, too.”

They stared at me, waiting.

“I’m not going to Georgia Tech after all. My dad is moving to Washington, D.C., and we want to live closer, so he pulled some strings and got me into Virginia Tech. Patti and I are both moving.”

Their eyes bulged. Jay said, “What?” just as Veronica said, “Wow!”

“I know. It all happened so fast, but I think I need a change. My dad, too.”

“Dude, this is crazy.” Jay’s eyes glassed over for a second. “You’re both leaving me.”

At the same time Veronica and I leaned forward and hugged him. He wrapped his arms around us. Our last group hug.

When we pulled away, there was a strange shift between us—a change stemming from knowing we’d never get the old us back. We could either embrace the inevitable and work to stay friends through the changes, or we could let go, and allow time and miles to slide between us. Jay gripped my hand hard, and I knew he’d never leave me. Not in the ways that counted. Veronica, on the other hand . . . her eyes were already kind of far away. I could never hold it against her. She was excited for her future and ready to fly.

I wiped the corners of my eyes, and Veronica leaned over to poke my shoulder.

“So,” she said. “Are you and Kaidan really together? Like, really really?”