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“You have visitors,” Dane grumbled.
I leaned to the side and peered around Zach to see Dane enter the bedroom. He settled just inside the doorway, with a thoroughly pissed-off Wayde in tow. I raised my hand to my temple and gave it a good rub to ease the deep throb. “Yes, I see that.”
Caley spun to face Wayde, arms folded, and spat, “Now piss off.”
Wayde glared and took a step toward her. His hard stomp against the hardwood floor echoed in the room. “Might I remind you this is my house?”
Zach closed in next to Caley with an edge to his blue eyes that promised death. “It’d be wise to back off, buddy.” Those two had a good stare down for a moment before Wayde jerked his head to me. “I gave you the night to recover, but my offer remains. Are you still in agreement over what we discussed?”
I continued to rub at my temple, which did seem to ease the ache some or maybe I became used to the pain since it dulled. A good thing, since I needed to think straight, considering Wayde acted weird. “Why are you talking so cryptically?”
He snorted, gesturing to Caley and Zach with a look that left something to be desired. “Do I need to answer that question?”
I looked between Caley, Zach, and Wayde, and immediately understood the problem. Heck, Wayde didn’t accept me, and I somewhat belonged. Zach and Caley weren’t only strangers to him, but they weren’t supernaturally gifted. “First, you should know that’s insanely prejudiced. But yes, I’m in agreement.”
At the sound of someone clearing their throat, I jerked my head toward the doorway and discovered Amelia. She glanced around at the old faces, plus the new ones, before she looked at Dane. “I heard yelling. Is everything all right?”
“Everything’s fine,” Dane bit off.
Amelia gave him a tight smile, then to me, she softened her expression and said, “When you’re ready, I’ve made breakfast.” She looked at Zach and Caley before her gaze returned to m
e. “Your friends can join us, if they’d like.”
My empty stomach clenched in excitement over the idea of food, especially since Amelia was a great cook and last night’s cucumber sandwiches had been delicious. “Thank you.”
Dane strode toward his wife and stopped at the doorway. He looked over his shoulder at Zach. “Keep your stay short.”
“Not a problem.” Zach’s eyes narrowed on the enemy. “So, you know, Tess is coming with me.”
“Actually,” I butted in before a fight erupted since worry creased Amelia’s face. I honestly hated to admit this. “I have to stay.” Zach looked at me as if I had seriously lost my mind—and maybe I had. “I need to be close to Alexander, in case he comes to find me.”
“Yes, you do,” Dane replied.
Clearly appeased, he left the bedroom, taking his wife with him.
“I’ll wait in the living room for you.” Wayde strode toward the doorway before he turned to me. “Come see me before you eat.” He looked at Zach with a frown, then flicked his hard stare onto me. “Alone.”
After the door slammed shut behind him, Zach scoffed. “Fucking pricks.”
I happened to agree with him, but my chance to say as much vanished as Caley stomped toward me. Her hands on her hips covered a very cute mauve silk blouse and jeans. “Enough about them—you've become a real bitch, do you know that?”
My mouth parted to respond her when her eyes lowered into slits. “You hang up on me when all I am is so fucking concerned for you? Then you turn off your phone so I can’t call back.” Her eyebrows rose. “Is that how best friends act?”
“Err…sorry,” I murmured, unsure what to say.
“You should be.” Her chin lifted, then she glared at Gretchen. “All this magical crap is grating on her. Don’t you see it?” She turned to me again, her voice rose to a near shriek. “Listen, I get you want Kipp back, but he wouldn’t want this for you. He wouldn’t want you to be this unhappy.”
“Caley.” Zach sighed and ran a hand through his stylish blond hair, his clear blue eyes displaying his frustration. “Stop.”
She sent a harsh scowl his way and her voice dropped to a wicked sneer. “Don’t tell me to stop.” She lifted an eyebrow. “Unless you’d like to join Kipp?”
He frowned, shifting on his feet. Caley might resemble a sweet Barbie doll, but her looks were deceiving. She had enough strength in that slender body, matched with a quick mouth and a smart head, to drop kick a man with a few sentences.
While Zach and Caley had been a couple for a bit now—something that continued to surprise me since Caley tended to drift—Zach still, and would always, have his hands full.
By the looks of it, Caley had been pushed too far. It actually astonished me this cutthroat moment hadn’t happened sooner. Zach had seemed to rein her in slightly and I’d noticed a subtle calmer edge to her, but clearly, Caley was now out in full force.
When Zach remained quiet—smart guy—Caley turned to me. “Do you remember what you used to be like? You used to laugh and smile, all the time, even with these annoying ghosts around you.” She waved her hands around the room as if ghosts were present, which none were. “We had fun and lived normal lives, regardless of how fucking crazy your life was. But now…” She threw her hands up in frustration. “You’re not even the same person anymore. What kind of friend would I be if I sat around, allowing this to continue?”
