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I smiled and stared at his face, watching his two profiles-the glamour one, which fit snugly over his real one. He looked down and caught me staring.
"Evie?"
"You, my dear boyfriend, are kind o
f beautiful, you know that?"
"That's what all the old ladies tell me before pinching my cheek. "
"Which cheek?" I reached out and goosed him. He jumped and swatted my hand away, laughing.
"Okay, we're going to meet Arianna and my dad at the house; they made a big dinner and cake. Then a movie?"
I shrugged, happy. "Sounds good to me. " It wasn't huge or over-the-top, but that was never Lend's style. I was glad that this wasn't when I usually had my birthday. New Year's would remind me how I used to celebrate. Every year I was in the Center, I figured out a way to sneak a ladder into Central Processing, climb the side of Lish's tank, and cannonball in. It was my favorite tradition.
Maybe I could talk Arianna and Lend into a polar bear plunge as a memorial.
My phone buzzed with a text and I pulled it out. Carlee. I smiled as I read, "OMG BRATTT U DIDNT TELL ME ITS UR BDAY. Girls nite friday?"
I texted back a yes, touched she cared about my pretend birthday. "Did you tell Carlee it was my birthday?" I asked Lend as we wriggled into our coats, held hands, and braced ourselves against the bitter chill of twilight that slammed into us when we walked outside.
"Guilty. "
I smiled, then shivered. "It's dark so early these days. "
"Today's Winter Solstice-shortest day of the year. "
"Gee, thanks a lot. Way to pick the shortest day of the bleeping year for my birthday. "
He laughed and put his arms around me. "Ah, but the longest night. . . "
"Scandalous!"
He blinked innocently at me. "What? More time for movies, right?"
"Sure. . . "
We drove through the town and into the trees toward his house, finally turning onto the long, winding drive. Just before we passed the last curve of the driveway he stopped the car and turned it off. I smiled wickedly, remembering how many times we'd sneaked off into the forest for a little post-date making out. Alone was really the only time he could melt off his glamour and be himself with me. Even around his dad and Arianna it made him too self-conscious. I reached out to open my door, but he leaned over and pulled it shut.
"Too cold?" I asked.
"You have to wait here for a minute, okay?" His look was brimming with excitement and mischief and I wondered what he had for me. Maybe some sweet present, like my necklace. I fingered the iron heart pendent, warm from being against my chest.
I bounced impatiently in my seat, watching as he ran up the drive and around the curve. In the dark I pulled open the neck of my shirt and peered down at the skin over my heart, doing my nightly soul check. No visible difference, just that same faint glow with a spark or two. Not gonna die today. Another thing to add to the happy list.
A couple of minutes later I was surprised when the figure that came back was. . . not him. It was Arianna, holding something bulky draped over her arm.
She opened my door, and I got out. "Where's Lend? I'm supposed to wait for him. "
"Nope. " She smiled bigger than I'd ever seen her smile before, and suddenly I was a touch nervous. What if she was working with Nona and the faeries? "You were waiting for me. Now, strip. "
"I-What?"
"You heard me. Strip. Take off your coat, shirt, and pants. You can leave your bra, for all the good it does you. "
I noticed then that the bulky thing over her arm was a garment bag. Aha! "Ar, listen, I don't feel that way about you. You're not my type. "
"Oh, shut up, take your clothes off, and close your eyes. "
