I cleared my throat and pointed to the bandage peeking out from underneath the short sleeves of her shirt. “You were hurt last evening. I wanted to check if you’re all right now.”
Kenna narrowed her bright blue eyes at me. The newly dyed brown hair brought out the beautiful hue of her eyes more, but from the little I had seen, she was still lovely with blond hair.
What the fuck was I thinking?
“I’m clumsy. You didn’t know that?” She averted her eyes. “I fell and scratched my arm. It’s okay now.”
Was she seriously trying to feed me that bullshit? “What about your chest?”
She took a step back as if preparing to defend herself. Or run. “What about it?”
“There was a scratch on your jacket right across your chest,” I said. She opened her mouth, but no words came out. I took that as an opportunity and stepped inside her house. “What about your hair? I’m sure it was brown yesterday afternoon. Then suddenly it was blond during the festival.”
She retreated. “How do you know what my hair looked like yesterday? Are you spying on me?”
I closed the door behind me. “We’re neighbors. There’s a high chance I’ll see you whenever I step outside.” I stalked after her as she retreated toward the kitchen. “So? What happened to your hair?”
She shook her head and whispered, “You wouldn’t understand.”
In the kitchen, she rounded the island, putting it in between us. Was she afraid of me? I had no plans of attacking her, but I wouldn’t let her off the hook so easily.
“Try me,” I said.
“Why? It’s not like it matters to you.”
I frowned. What did I know about this girl? She and her mother had moved here out of nowhere—I was never able to find out where they had lived before. Their last name was Jones, but for some reason, I thought they were lying. Kenna would soon be nineteen and hadn’t finished high school yet. She didn’t even try applying for school and finishing it. She was going for the GED directly. Lia had found a job at the library, but her resume was a big blank. She had no prior working experience. They seemed to be hiding something, but at the same time, they allowed people to get close—like Carol, Sabrina, Kevin, and me.
Then, there were the glimpses I got each time I touched Kenna. Had those really happened or was I imagining things? I had to find a way of touching her again right now.
“What? Your grandmother is a mermaid and every time she gets wet, her hair changes color? And you got that from her?” I was being beyond ridiculous, but in a world that wasn’t supposed to exist, mermaids weren’t that far from demons and divine warriors.
She stared me, one eyebrow cocked up. “Have you been drinking?”
“I rarely drink.”
“Then what? Drugs? Because something must be wrong with your mind. Mermaids? Really?” Shaking her head, she opened the cabinet and grabbed a box of popcorn.
I frowned. “Hungry?”
“Not me.” She grabbed three sealed packets from the box. Then, she pointed to the backdoor. “But they are.”
I glanced at the door just as it opened.
“Hey,” Sabrina said as she walked in. Kevin followed her inside and waved at me. “Are we having a party?”
Kenna ripped the plastic from one of the packets and stuck it in the microwave. “Why do you think we’re having a party?”
Sabrina gestured to me. “Because he’s here.”
“Just ignore him,” Kenna muttered.
Kevin grabbed a bottle of juice from the fridge, while Sabrina opened a cabinet and grabbed a big round bowl.
“Are you two here all the time now?” I asked before I could measure my words. It was baffling to see the two siblings acting as if they lived here too.
“Pretty much,” Kevin said.
“Better than staying at the damn house,” Sabrina muttered.
“Hey!” Kenna pointed a wooden spoon at Sabrina. “What did I tell you? Mind your language.”
Sabrina rolled her eyes.
What the fuck was going on here? When she first took the siblings in, I was touched. Nobody had even been caring for them; it was kind of refreshing and heartwarming. But why was Kenna acting like their mother or an older sister? Did she really care about these strangers that much? What had they done to earn her affection?
“Oh, tell her about it.” Sabrina nudged Kevin’s arm.
Kenna grabbed the first packet of popcorn from the microwave. “Tell me what?”