Lainey has been trying to follow the conversation, but her eyes can’t seem to focus. “I’m bored,” she whines. “And thirsty.”
Rafe snaps at a group of teens nearby.
One is Brady Keller, who staggers toward us.
“Lainey wants to swim,” Rafe tells him.
“No, she doesn’t,” I shoot back.
“Oh, but she does,” Rafe insists. “Don’t you Lainey?”
Lainey looks up at him like a drunken puppy eager to please. “You think I should?”
“Absolutely. I think you should show everyone how it’s done. Let them see what legends are made of.”
Lainey has begun bobbing her head enthusiastically. “Yeah,” she says, “I wanna do it.” She starts removing her shirt like she’s going to jump in right here, right now.
Rafe stops her with a grin and sends her away with Brady. I’m about to object, to go after them—Lainey Sikes is nowhere near sober enough to swim in the quarry. But Rafe takes my elbow. “Where are you off to, sweetheart?”
Jude takes an aggressive step forward. “Get your hands off her.”
“Oh, but she wants my hands on her. Don’t you, Selah? I make your blood boil, which is justanother way of saying I make you hot. The beginning of a different sort of love story. Enemies to lovers, perhaps?”
Jude’s hand curls into a fist, but I grab his arm and step between them. “Don’t,” I say, gathering his attention. Getting him to look at me, not his awful cousin. And when he finally does, he looks every bit as dangerous as Rafe ever has. “Please. Let’s just go and stop Lainey.”
Some of the tension in his shoulders lets go.
I give his arm an encouraging tug.
With a terse exhale, he agrees and comes with me.
“You should let her do it,” Rafe says behind us. “If she makes it across, she wins. If she doesn’t … well, I guess that makes me the winner.”
I whirl on him.
Two quick steps, andI’min his face. I want to claw out his eyes. Scratch off his skin. Because what an awful, rotten thing to say. Instead, I play his game. Blood might be pounding in my ears, but I act calm. Unbothered. My head tilted, mouth curled in a smirk. “What’s up with the ruby necklace, Rafe?”
His blue eyes flash.
Finally, I’ve hit a nerve.
“Aw, is play time over? It’s not fun, anymore?” I draw my lips into a pout. “What were you hiding in the well? It sure made you grumpy.”
His nostrils flare. For a second, he looks terrifying. Like the young man from my dream, rightbefore he turned into a werewolf. But I refuse to back down. I square my shoulders, lift my chin, and stare him in the face.
Jude takes my hand.
Noticing, Rafe gives his eyebrows a smug lift—one that reminds me of our Midnight Garden conversation. I don’t know if I’ll ever forget the feeling of his teeth on my earlobe.
“I’d be careful if I were you, Selah. You don’t want your boyfriend here paying the price for your rash words. I’d have a fun time tormenting him, too. Just like my father had fun, and my grandfather, and my great grandfather.” He leans in. “You just poked the bear, sweetheart. I’d really think twice before doing it again.”
With that, he turns and saunters away.
24
HOT AND COLD
Jude drives us home in silence.
