Evanescent - By Addison Moore Page 0,70

Jen to thank her for the spontaneous performance.

“I’m going to nominate you for an Oscar,” I say, slipping beside her on the bed.

“What the hell was that about?” She sits up, looking genuinely concerned but far more pissed.

“Well…” I shrug. “I can’t.” My voice cracks. The damn is going to burst if I let it, so I just press my lips together.

“Oh, Laken.” She scoots in and hitches a loose hair behind my ear. “You’ve been seeing Cooper again behind Wesley’s back, haven’t you?”

Just hearing Jen verbalize it makes it sound a million times worse than I thought it was.

“I’m vile. I’m filth,” I whisper. It feels good to confess it. “I’m—garbage.”

“No, sweetie!” Jen pulls me in and encapsulates me with a heartfelt embrace. I heave into her chest as tears dislodge that feel like they were years in the making. “You’re human, that’s all. Well, as human as we can get. You’re confused. Cooper is nice, and good looking, and strong—and he’s got great abs’ for God’s sake.”

“You’ve seen his abs?” I pull back to examine her.

“Yes, he struts around the gym with his shirt off like he’s allergic to cotton. He’s kind of hard not to notice. And Wes”—she takes up my hand—“Wes is your stronghold. You’ve been secretly in love with him for as long as I can remember.”

I glance down at the eyelet comforter. I’ll be the last person to tell Jen that just about all her memories of me are fresh on the scene—a total work of fiction by some evil mastermind. Nor will I be informing her that I have another sister named Jen in some alternate reality even though, oddly, Dr. Flanders was able to prove that this one, right here, is genetically related to me.

“You have to follow your heart, Laken.” She gives my hand a squeeze.

“And what if my heart doesn’t know what it wants?”

“It will.” She assures. Just like my heart knows it wants Blaine.

I groan inwardly at her silent proclamation.

Sometimes we don’t know what’s good for us.

Which one is good for me—Wes or Coop?

My heart says both. And I have a feeling, just like Jen, my heart is about to lead me down a path of total destruction.

The next day, in the desperate hours of the evening while Wes and I try to entertain ourselves in the library, I get a text from Coop.

Wes points to my phone spinning on the marble counter.

I’m so freaking stupid I left it out in plain sight, after I took off my jacket.

I boldly hold it out in front of the two of us as if I have nothing to hide. Even though Coop and me went through an entire litany of things that we need to do in order to protect our plan, cell phones and their myriad of uses were never even an afterthought.

Results are in.

Shit.

I glance up at Wes. “I guess it’s time. We’ll know if Hattie is a human or a Fem in just a few minutes.”

I text him back. What is it?

Come over. I can pick you up.

Wes frowns as he peers at Coop’s prompt reply.

“Can we go?” Maybe if I include Wes, I can win back his trust.

He looks around at the dead zone we’re stuck in for the next few hours.

“I’ll get one of the guys from the back to cover our shift.” He pulls his cheek to the side and his dimple flexes. “Do you need to warn Coop that I’m coming?”

“Why would I need to warn him? Are you planning an assault?” I tease with more hostility than necessary. “I’ll call Flynn and have him meet us there. He’ll want to know this, too.”

“Flynn?” His dark brows pitch with surprise.

“Yes, you don’t think I’ve been running around alone with Coop this whole time do you? Flynn’s been in on this since the beginning. Why do you think he’s been so nice to her?”

Wes opens his mouth then closes it while looking over my shoulder.

I turn to find Hattie staring me down with her dead eyes, that soulless expression that says, I eat mortals for breakfast.

Wes gives my shoulder a gentle squeeze. “I’ll get someone, so we can take off.”

I wait until he moves to the back before texting Coop.

Got a ride. See you soon. I’d fill him in that I’m bringing company, but with my luck Wes will see my “warning.”

I step over to Hattie. The gloves are off—I’m through with the niceties.

“What do you want?” I snip.

“Where’s my friend?”

“Monsters like you have friends?”