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CHAPTER 24
Raiden
Ty threwhis cards to the table. A black straight, starting with a King. That definitely beat my three of a kind Ace's. I let out a fake groan and tossed my cards face up onto the smooth surface. He cheered and snaked his arm out to pull all the snacks in the pot to his chest.
"Your bluff sucks," he laughed.
"I wasn't bluffing, asshole," I grunted, as I watched him take a bite of an oatmeal pie I had been eyeing.
Carl had retired to the bunk a while ago, so it was just us two in the dim light of the station. I hadn't mentioned how I had epically crashed and burned with his sister the other day. She had avoided me every single time I had reached out to her. I shouldn't have left the house before talking it out with her. Now I've ruined even our friendship, that I had cherished more than anything. If I could take back that one reckless, blissful, life-changing kiss, I would. A snort left my nose with a puff of smoke as I lied to myself.
"So, when are you going to tell me why you've been sulking?" he asked through a mouthful of a second oatmeal pie. He was lucky he worked out so much because that was easily over athousand calories for the two of them. "Have anything to do with my sister?"
My brow twitched as I tried to keep my face smooth and expressionless. Talking about it with him wasn't something I was sure I could ever do.
"It is!" he yelled. He put way too much excitement into those two words for my misery.
"If it was, I'm not talking to you about it," I said stubbornly as I kicked my chair back to balance on two legs.
"Did you tell her about your other side?" He wiggled his eyebrows, as if my other half was some sexy beast she wouldn't be able to resist.
I swiped all the cards to me and started stacking them together so I could shuffle the next deal. I was sure he cheated.
"You can't stay silent on this forever. You know she will tell me everything," he said.
I highly doubted she was going to tell Ty that I assaulted her with my mouth after making sure she was slightly tipsy. Not that it had been as sinister as that, and I hadn't planned the kiss. I had just been in the moment. It felt right. Itfeltlike she wanted me to kiss her. The mental image of her breaking apart our lips and running from the room was enough to make my stomach drop and nausea roll through me.
I dealt five cards to each of us, still refusing to kiss and tell.
"Anyway," he paused as he perused his cards like he was an actual poker player. "Family dinner at my house on Wednesday. You're invited."
He pushed an oatmeal pie into the middle of the table, and I followed with a nutty buddy bar.
"What's for dinner?" I asked.
The question was innocent and not the one I would have asked if I could be honest. But I couldn't. Ty wouldn't take it well, even though he gave me permission to date her. I was surethat assault wasn't on the list. How could a single perfect kiss become so twisted inside my head? My fake smile flipped into a frown as I sightlessly focused on my cards. Did I even look at them?
Ty tossed two cards down on the speckled marble surface, and I passed him two replacement cards. He hid his grin behind his hand. Finally, really looking at the cards I gave myself, I traded out three. What a crappy hand. I had two pairs. Face stoic, I pushed four more nutty buddy bars into the center. A smirk spread across his face as he raised my bet. Then, before I even realized it, we were laying our hands down, and he won, again.
"You really suck tonight," he said matter-of-factly.
"I don't need the junk food anyway," I replied with a smirk of my own.
"There actually is something wrong with you. A dragon, willingly giving away his stash. Dude, you usually wipe the floor with me, and I have to bribe you for even a twinkie."
I pulled in a deep breath, ready to share my fuck up. I would have to tell him something. The fire alarm started blaring the moment I opened my mouth. Saved by the bell.
Wednesday arrived with no word from my obsession. Not that I hadn't tried to run into her or texted her an obsessive amount. I had even started begging and apologizing for my actions. Anything to get her to talk to me. My day moved as slow as syrup pouring over pancakes, and not the cheap thin stuff, but the real maple syrup. Only not as good.
I had been ready to go to Ty's for hours. My fingers tapped aimlessly on my thigh as I stared at the blank TV in front ofme. Even my palms were sweaty with the thought of seeing Samantha tonight. Actually, my whole body was in on my nervous energy. My skin was overly sensitive, and my muscles were all twitchy, almost as if I was ready to shift.
Swallowing, I stood up for what felt like the hundredth time and paced to my pile of jewels. I fingered one necklace that reminded me of Samantha's green eyes. I would give it to her, if she would take it. But she didn't even accept my text messages. She hadn't read one since Monday morning. Not that it stopped me from trying. Pleading, begging.Fuck, maybe I shouldn't go. Nausea tossed around in my stomach. I probably wouldn't even be able to eat a bite of the amazing food.
Shaking my hands out, I glanced at my watch. Ten minutes. It was finally time, and all I wanted to do was launch myself off the nearest bridge. Not that my dragon would allow that, he'd just shift mid-fall. There was only one way to get this over with and it was to go through it.
Before I knew it, I was raising my fist to knock on the perfect white door of their cape-cod-style house. The windows were bright and welcoming. You could tell by looking at the house that love lived a happy life inside. My fingers scraped along my scalp as I waited for them to open the door. Normally, I would just walk in. I had stayed here so much it was like a second home to me. Ty and Sam's mom would be so confused. Just as I reached for the doorknob to stop this stupidity, the door swung wide, and Samantha was standing in front of me.
Sam with her long, straight, perfectly white-blonde hair. Her pert little nose, below her furrowed brow, that I wanted to drop a kiss to, her lush lips that were currently turned down in a frown. She crossed her arms and leaned against the door.
