Kylie frowned at Della. For a girl who always kept secrets, she sure didn't give anyone else a break. Then Kylie looked at Miranda, who held her breath in anticipation of Kylie baring her soul.
"Sorry," she said. "Nothing happened."
"Ugh." Miranda dropped her arms on the table and sank into them.
Della stared, and Kylie knew the vamp was listening to her heartbeat and checking for lies again. Frankly, Kylie wasn't sure what Della would hear. It wasn't actually a lie. Nothing happened. Except ... She'd felt so safe when Lucas had held her, except that she'd turned into Wonder Woman when she'd heard the rogue hurting Lucas. What did that mean? Kylie wasn't sure. So how could she explain it?
Miranda lifted her head off the table. "See what I mean? You're Mother Teresa. Pure. Without lust."
"No," Kylie snapped, not wanting to be viewed as a saint. "I ... lust."
Della and Miranda shared a pensive stare. "Sorry," Della said. "When it walks like a saint, and quacks like saint-it's a quacking saint."
"He held me," Kylie said. "Held me close. And I fell asleep on his shoulder. It was nice. And kind of ... He was hot." Though she meant temperature hot, she didn't mind if they drew their own conclusions.
"Yes!" Miranda smiled extra big again. "Did he kiss you? Like the awesome kiss he gave you at the creek when you first got here?"
"No," Kylie said.
Her two friends met each other's gazes again. "Mother Teresa," they said in unison.
"But he kissed me when I got back here," Kylie blurted out, deciding she'd rather kiss and tell than be considered a saint. "And he almost kissed me when he followed me to the office earlier."
Miranda squealed and Della laughed. "So he planted one on you, huh?"
Kylie looked at the humor on her roommates' faces and didn't find any of this so funny. "I'm so confused." She dropped her head on the table. Socks, now back up on the table, stuck his nose against her head and sniffed her scalp as if he were concerned.
"Confused about what?" Miranda asked.
Kylie lifted her head and rested her chin in her palm. "Confused about what I feel for Lucas. Confused about what I feel for Derek-other than pissed off. I'm really angry at him right now." Socks bumped against her hand, seeking some TLC. Feeling as if she could use some herself, she offered the little guy some affection.
"And you should be pissed!" Della shot Miranda an odd look. "She needs to know."
"Know what?" Watching the two of them exchanging gazes, Kylie got a bad feeling.
They didn't get a chance to answer because she heard a cracking sound and the cabin's front door swung open. Burnett walked inside, and behind him stood Holiday. Behind Holiday stood Perry.
Did they have news about the Brightens? Kylie's heart jolted.
"I told you to knock," Holiday snapped at Burnett.
"I did." He looked back at Holiday.
"Well, usually after you knock, you wait until someone tells you to enter."
Burnett shot Holiday a tight smile. "Guess you need to be more specific next time." He glanced back at Kylie, and she could see concern in his eyes.
"What's going on?" Kylie's gaze went back to Perry, who looked almost guilty. But guilty about what? Oh crap! What had happened?
"I'm sorry." Perry's eyes turned deep green.
Kylie's chest tightened. "Sorry for what?"
Perry looked at Burnett and then at Holiday.
"What happened?" Kylie asked. "Are the Brightens okay? Answer me!"
Perry just stood there looking guilt-ridden.