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“Wouldn’t miss it.” He watched as she walked away.
It was better this way. This was how it had to be.
* * * *
“I just…I thought he liked me.” Lou took the tissue Kenzieoffered her.
She’d been crying all day over that jerk face. At least inthe privacy of her own room, she could let it rip.
This was what she got for being full of herself. She’deagerly accepted Dennis’s invite to the prom because it meant TJ wouldn’t haveto step up and offer to be her date. That had been in the works, or so she’dheard. It had been a relief when Dennis had asked her. Everyone would know sheand TJ were going as friends. And everyone would know that wasn’t what shewanted.
She was pathetic. She wasn’t really crying over stupidDennis.
She was crying over TJ. Always, always TJ. Theo Taggart, Jr.She’d met him and suddenly understood why girls went crazy for boys. Thoughshe’d only ever truly wanted TJ. She’d thought if she spent time with Dennis, maybeher heart could change.
Kenzie settled in beside her. “Do you want Kala to killhim?”
“Already offered.” Kala sat on her other side.
Lou sniffled. She’d been positively energized this morningthinking about the fact that she had a date. Maybe this would prove to her thatshe wasn’t forever cursed to love a boy who couldn’t love her back.
And then Dennis had stopped her after trig and explainedthat he’d forgotten he’d promised to take someone else to prom and crap, he feltbad, but them’s the breaks. Or something like that.It had been fast and he’d practically run away from her, leaving her standingin the middle of the hall with tears in her eyes.
“I think he found someone he wanted to go with more thanme.” It was hard to be the youngest person in her class. She’d only legallybeen able to drive the second half of her senior year. Not that she hadn’tpracticed. TJ let her use his car so she could get some time behind the wheel. Hewould take her and his sister, Devi, out of the city and patiently teach them.
Her mom got too nervous. Her dad often fell asleep becausehe was the chillest human on earth.
TJ was a close second. She’d never told him how comfortableshe was with him, how the energy he gave off calmed her. TJ was solid. Like herdad.
TJ could calm her down when she got wound up. He brought herout of her head when she thought too much. She enjoyed who she was when she wasaround TJ.
But while TJ was perfect for her, she wasn’t the right onefor him.
“I could kill her, too,” Kala replied. “Just have to findout who she is and the hit will be in.”
“We’re not killing anyone,” Kenzie said, sitting upstraighter.
Lou blessed the day these two came into her life. She’d beentwelve when the older girls had taken her under their wings, and Lou hadfriends for the first time. Kala especially, but Kenzie had been there for her,too. When her mother had married Boomer Ward, she’d become a part of this bigfound family. Boomer worked with the twins’ parents at their companyMcKay-Taggart. It was more than a workplace. Suddenly Lou found herselfaccepted by some of the coolest kids she’d ever met.
They weren’t weirdos like everyone said. Sometimes shecaught people whispering about how Kala would be the person most likely to goto jail.
Kala would never go to jail. She would totally get away withall her crimes. And if she didn’t, Lou would break her out.
“But we do need to think about a new date for Lou,” Kenziemused and looked over at her sister. “Are you still boycotting?”
“I wish you all the best, sis. Have your magical night,”Kala said, letting her head fall back. “It’s a hard pass from me.”
Kenzie stared her sister’s way. “You’re going to let Coopergo with someone else?”
Her eyes closed. “I don’t own him. If he wants toparticipate in some dumb ritual, he’s free to.”
“It’s not a dumb ritual, and I’m participating with the manI’m going to marry,” Kenzie announced. “We’re making memories.”
That got Kala snorting. “Yeah. You’re going to end up withdumbass Dalton Bernard.”
Kenzie seemed to think about that for a moment. “Well, Ilike him for now. I only say it because I’m pretty sure Dad has a minor heartattack at the thought of me marrying someone named Dalton. It keeps his mindoff what I want to do after college.”
Join the CIA. That was what they wanted. And Kala hadpromised that one day there would be a place on that team for her.
