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“You. Kissing him.”

What?

“Oh, don’t be silly,” I scoffed. “He’s my uncle and my guardian. He bought me a laptop. It was a thank-you.” I set the laptop down on the desk and drew up the chair, ignoring Tristan.

He can’t be jealous, can he? The idea was absurd.

I opened the laptop and the lid slammed closed. “Hey!” I shouted, turning around and glowering at Tristan.

He took a step back, shocked, I think.

“Behave,” I admonished him.

Tristan’s shock turned to a dour glare. “I don’t like you kissing him.”

“Why? It’s not like I had my tongue down his throat.”

Tristan grimaced. “I just don’t like it.”

“You’re being ridiculous.”

“Am I?”

“Yes.”

“Then I’d better go and be ridiculous somewhere else!”

“Tristan!”

He disappeared.

“What? Tristan!” I stood up and called him. But he was gone. I knew because his scent had vanished.

“Hell!” I shouted into the ether as my anger surged.

Stupid, temperamental, jealous ghost boy!

Why did he overreact?

I sat back down and tried to rationalize what had just happened.

Dylan was my uncle and my guardian. What was the big deal? I sighed. Tristan was at best ambivalent about Dylan; at worst, he seemed to actively dislike him.

It’s what he’s fucking hiding I don’t like.

I didn’t know what Tristan was referring to. What could Dylan be hiding? He seemed pretty straightforward to me. Perhaps it was because Tristan liked me. I tested this theory, and his earlier words drifted to mind.

Do you have any idea how brightly you burn?

What did he mean by that?

I can’t stay away from you. You light up my world.

Wow. How sweet. My anger dissipated and I found myself smiling.

He likes me. Yes. I think he does and I like him.

I snorted ironically. So we had an unconventional friendship.