“That’s cool. There’s this instrument store . . .”
Anna is here. Jay’s brought her. She’s come for me. I somehow know this is the moment of truth where she will finally show her true self. I have to be ready, because there’s a huge part of me that will be disappointed if she’s an enemy. I steel myself against it and prepare myself for the worst.
I quickly stand and drop my hands from the redheaded girl, backing away. Her eyes flash with shock. Bugger. I do not have time to deal with angry girls.
“Er, look, I’m sorry, but I need to work on these songs a few more times by myself. I’ll give you a ring to hang out later. All right, then?”
“Are you serious?”
“I’ll let you show yourselves out.” Her friend is staring at me, mouth dangling open to show the chewing gum inside.
Yep. I’m a prick. Don’t care. They need to go. Now.
Redhead lets out an angry growling sound and proceeds to gather her belongings and stomp off. Her friend glares at me before they finally leave.
I put my headphones back on and force myself to relax. This Neph will not beat me. If the Dukes think they can send a tiny, beautiful actress to throw me off my game, they are mistaken.
I release my crazed anxieties on the drums but keep her in my peripheral vision when she enters the basement. She gently closes the door and looks around the room in awe before her stare lands on me. As she watches, a cloud of lust practically glows in red around her, and it makes me play harder.
Call me moody, but if I’m expecting a shag and it falls through because a possible enemy decides to show, it puts me on edge. Especially when this possible enemy is hot for me and I refuse to touch her. I’ve never had such ambiguous feelings for someone. I’m a paranoid, confused mess, and that irks the bejesus out of me.
Enough of this. The game ends now. I slam the final beats and then stand, throwing down my headphones.
“Well, if it isn’t little orphan Annie,” I say.
A hurt look crosses her face, and navy sadness slices through her aura. I refuse to feel bad. I get myself a drink and decide to call her out. Take this to the next level.
I take out my knife. Open it. Twirl it. All the while watching her fear and confusion. I want her to speak, but she doesn’t. So, I move closer. Get right in her face. Cage her in against the wall.
Now she’s the one feeling ambiguous—torn between lust and fear. I keep my knife steady in my hand, out at my side where she can see it. I am primed and ready for a fight, expecting her to reveal secret ninja skills at any moment, but she doesn’t. She merely melts back against the wall.
“What do you want?” I ask.
“I just want to talk. You don’t have to try to scare me.”
Her voice shakes. The darkness of her fear is overridden by a puff of red as my hips graze against hers.
“There’s hardly any room for fear when you’re so bloody turned on.”
A blade of near blackness slices through her lust. I’m making her mad. Good on me. Perhaps if she’s angry enough she’ll finally blurt out what she wants.
“Ah, there’s anger now . . . and a bit of embarrassment.”
“I know what we are now,” she says in a shaking breath. The sound of her voice rakes against my cold heart. What we are . . . is it truly possible she didn’t know? Obviously she knew she was different, but could she have been ignorant about being the daughter of a demon? Possible, but not probable. It has to be a bloody lie.
“Congratulations.” I consider kissing her, just to see how she’ll react. Just to see how those pretty little lips feel.
At that thought I push away from the wall, berating myself, as I send my small dagger flying at the dartboard with a hard throw.
Bull’s-eye.
I make it smoothly to the couch and turn, not wanting my back to her for too long. I sit and wait for her to explain why she’s come, but she simply stands there at a loss. Heavy doubt clouds my mind. Did she come here to talk to me about what we