highlighter decorated the side of his nose, and I had to resist the urge to rub it off for him. Too damn cute.
Cass leveled a curious look at Seph, then gave a vague grunt and buried his head in the fridge without offering an opinion on the matter.
"Why?" I asked my sister as she continued standing there growing more and more agitated by the second.
She scowled. "Why what?"
It took everything I had to keep my patience. "Why do you want to go back to school? Haven't you been doing the online learning courses that Lucas is enrolled in?"
She folded her arms tightly across her body. "I have," she bit back. Then her gaze ducked away. "Sort of. I find it really hard to focus online. Besides, I'm bored as hell already and want to socialize with my peers. You know, be a normal teenager. Isn't that what you always go on and on about? Normal girls don't hide out in their sister's boyfriend's fortress and attend online classes under the guise of some long-term illness."
I clicked my tongue, feeling Cass's heavy gaze on me as he popped out of the fridge with a raw steak in hand. "Guess you've got me there, Seph."
She knew I was mocking her, and it wasn't amusing her in the least. Her glare just darkened, and her lips pursed with anger.
"I'll think about it," I told her with absolutely no intention of doing anything of the sort.
Frustration flashed over her pretty, doll-like face. She drew a breath to argue, but Lucas beat her to it.
"Actually, come to think of it," he commented quietly, "I would really benefit from going back for at least a couple of my subjects. We're so close to exams now; it'd only really be a few weeks of classes. I could play bodyguard to Seph and make sure Chase doesn't snatch her again."
I swiveled my head to peer at him. "You could ask me for help with assignments."
He smiled. "I could. But I wouldn't actually be learning anything."
For a moment, I turned the idea over in my brain, then looked over at Cass to see what his thoughts were. He just gave me a miniscule shrug as he tossed his steak into a frying pan. Not amazingly useful, but also he was clearly not opposed to the idea.
"Fine," I acquiesced. "I'll set up a meeting with the school today and sort out their security. I'll have to move your schedules around to get you both in the same classes too."
Lucas smiled, leaning in to kiss my cheek. "Thanks, babe. You're the best."
Seph was just scowling even harder, though. "Oh, I see. So when I ask it's all I'll think about it, which we both know means flat-out no. Then Lucas asks and you're okay with it? You're such a selfish bitch, Dare." She stormed out of the kitchen in her bratty rage, and I rubbed at my temples in my endless search for sanity.
"Is it just me," Cass rumbled from where he prodded at his cooking steak, "or would Seph really benefit from Phillip D'Ath's camp?"
I choked on my coffee as a laugh took me by surprise. Cass peered over at me, all fucking innocent, and I swiped a hand over my mouth.
"If only it was still running," I chuckled, shaking my head. But I wasn't serious. Even if that camp had still been active, I wouldn't send Seph there. She was annoying as hell, but I wouldn't kill her spirit like that.
Zed entered the kitchen with a confused look on his face, glancing back the way he came. "Uh, anyone know why Seph just told me we were all ruining her life before bursting out crying and slamming her door?"
I couldn't help myself, I started laughing. It was that or cry when it came to my little sister.
36
Seph gave me the cold shoulder all weekend, even slamming her door in my face when I delivered her new Shadow Prep uniform on Sunday evening. But by the time she and Lucas got home on Monday after their first day back, all seemed forgiven.
She hugged me tight on getting back to the house, then sweetly asked if I wanted to have a Netflix date with her that night, just like we used to.
I missed my sister enough that I agreed and didn't call her on all the shitty attitude over the last few days. It earned me a few dark glares from Zed, but I just flipped him off behind her back.