Oblivion (Lux 1.5)

“Can I ask you something?” Dee poked my knee with her fingers of death.

I arched a brow. “Do I really have a say in that?”

“No.” She flashed a quick grin. “Do you…do you like Katy?”

Every single part of me locked up. My sister waited while a hundred different responses ran through my head. Did I like her? What in the hell kind of question was that? I lowered my arms and sat up a little, throwing one leg off the bed.

“Daemon?”

I didn’t look at my sister as I stood. “No.”

“What?” she whispered.

“You heard me.” I rubbed my palm over my jaw, sighing as I walked over to the dresser and picked up the remote. “Look, I’m sure she’s a great girl and friend, and if she wasn’t…human, she’d be about three thousand times awesome, but no, I don’t like her.” Dee was quiet as I returned to the bed, and she didn’t look up when I sat back down. Her lips were pursed, and now I felt like shit. “Want to watch a movie?”

“Sure.” She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes, and I wished I hadn’t even looked at her. “Do you think she’ll be safe at least? With the trace?”

“Yeah. I’ve got this.” The pressure was back on my shoulders, and I flipped on the TV. “As long as she stays put for the next couple of days, she’ll be fine.”

Dee moved until she was sitting against the headboard, shoulder to shoulder with me. After a moment, she pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs. I started flipping through On Demand and she sighed morosely.

I opened my mouth and then closed it. Another moment passed and I lowered the remote. “I lied.”

She turned to me. “About what?”

“The first question you asked.” I didn’t look at her as I shook my head, staring at the list of movies on the screen. “I lied, just a little.”

Chapter 8

“I was beginning to wonder if you were becoming a recluse or something.” Andrew sat on the narrow railing surrounding the raised deck, his legs dangling into empty space. A near-empty bottle of beer was perched on the railing beside him, and if he’d been human, he would’ve been the poster child for the dangers of underage drinking. “Or if you just didn’t like us anymore.”

Sitting in a chair with my feet kicked up on the patio table, I smirked. “It would be the latter.”

Andrew snickered. “You’re a jackass.”

I didn’t disagree with that statement.

Across from me, Adam mirrored my same position, except he was staring out into the woods, a thoughtful expression on his face. Sometimes being around the brothers was hard, because it reminded me of how it used to be with Dawson.

Andrew and Adam were identical in physical appearance, both tall and strong, blue eyed and blond, but their personalities couldn’t be any more different. They really were like Dawson and I used to be. I was the hothead. Dawson was the calm one. Andrew was the asshole and Adam was the peacekeeper.

Not that I’d ever tell Dee, but I was glad it was Adam she appeared to be taking more seriously. I really didn’t know how much their relationship had progressed, and I tried not to think about it, but yeah, I was glad. Andrew was too much like me.

As I watched Andrew finish off his beer, my mind wandered. Coming over to their place Tuesday evening didn’t feel right, not when Kat had a trace on her, but Andrew had been right. I hadn’t seen the guys in a while and Dee had told me that Kat was staying home. She would be okay there, since it was doubtful an Arum would get that close to the colony, and as long as she wasn’t out running around publically with Dee, endangering her, I really shouldn’t care.

I didn’t care.

Dee’s question had been haunting me. Do you like her? I’d said no, and I had lied a little. What I felt for Kat was complicated and twisty. I liked her, but I didn’t. I also liked wolves, but I didn’t want one as a pet.

Picking up my bottle of water, I took a long swig of it as Adam glanced over at me. “Do you know when the girls are getting back?”

I raised one shoulder. “Don’t know.”

“Ash was pissed.” Andrew chuckled as he looked over his shoulder. “She said she was leaving as soon as Dee finished stuffing her face with food.”

“Gotta love a girl with an appetite,” Adam murmured, lips tipping up at one corner.

My eyes narrowed on him.

Adam’s grin faded. “Or not.”

“Sounds about right,” I commented, idly spinning the bottle of water.

Andrew leaned backward and flipped over, landing on his feet like a damn cat. He twisted around, picking up the empty bottle. “I need another drink.” He looked over in my direction. “You?”

“I’m good.”

“Pansy ass.”

I flipped him off.

He chuckled as he disappeared into the house, closing the door behind him. My gaze traveled behind the deck, to the heavy edge of the forest. From our vantage point, I could see the tips of Seneca Rocks. I liked it out here. Like where Matthew lived, there really weren’t any other houses nearby, and it was almost always quiet. The only noise came from the wildlife, and as night was steadily falling, the hum of crickets increased. I looked up. Darker storm clouds were starting to roll in.

“I know,” Adam announced.

Frowning, I looked over at him. “Know about what?”

He glanced at the door before he continued. “I know about the girl who moved in next door.”