arm through his leather jacket sleeve, trying to calm him down. He trembles for a second under my touch before bringing his eyes to meet mine.
“If you won’t let me dismember him, then we should leave,” he growls.
Around me, I hear a few gasps from girls at school.
I laugh uncomfortably. “Haha, good joke, sweetie. Why don’t you and Zolroth get the car while I go give William a verbal lashing for trying to woo girls who are spoken for?”
“I want to lash him,” Akor whines. “With a whip. Preferably one that’s on fire.” He grabs onto my hips and pulls me close, widening his eyes and jutting out that lower lip. “Pwetty pwease?”
Ugh. Why is he so crazy cute?
Zolroth steps in and puts a hand on Akor’s shoulder. “Let our Katrina stand up for herself.”
Akor blows a raspberry at him but drops his hands from my hips and steps back.
I shoot a grateful look at Zolroth, but when I turn away, I can feel my anxiety ramp up. I’m not great at confrontation. Unless it’s on the decathlon team and I’m spouting facts, it’s just not my cup of tea. Parentals aside, of course. That shit’s been building for years.
But William…
I glance over at him and notice that the hair drooping over his eyes looks greasy. His bright, wide smile is too bleached, perfect, and fake. Why didn’t I see that before? I rub my hands nervously over my jeans as I walk towards him and his stupid guitar.
I see Stacy watching me, mouthing “Whoa!” like she’s impressed with William’s obnoxious move. She’s still in my personal doghouse for trying to flirt with Akor, so I don’t acknowledge her.
A few people block my way, some junior girls tittering and giggling at me like they can’t believe I just got serenaded by William Washington.
“It’s so romantic, I could die,” says a dim-wit with a curly haired ponytail.
“Not when he’s trying to break up you and your boyfriends,” I retort under my breath.
But she hears. And gasps.
“Boyfriends?” she asks, her eyes flying up to Zolroth and Akor with undisguised awe, admiration, intrigue? I’m not sure, but I want to kick myself for saying anything as I shove past her. All of Lakeside Prep is going to know by tomorrow that I’m dating two guys. God, I can’t even imagine the stares I’m going to get Monday at school.
But I shove that dread aside. I need to deal with William. Otherwise, Akor will. And that won’t end well. There’s no way I want a zombie-dog-William at my house, and so that would just make him super-duper dead.
I wonder if William would go to Hell for trying to steal someone’s girlfriend? Do you actually have to cheat? What if you try and fail? I mean, I’m pretty sure what he’s doing right now is bad. Didn’t he see me walk in with the guys? Didn’t he see me dancing with them? He knows Zolroth and I were dating before. Does he think it’s open? Does he think I’m a slut?
Oh, that thought makes me a little ragey.
Best not to get ragey, or I’ll end up calling Akor over and this night will end in a literal bloodbath. I don’t really want to end up covered in William’s blood. Or any of his bodily fluids at this point. Days of wishing for that are long gone.
How could I even want him when I’ve got five hot demons ready to cuddle or tongue me at will? Five smoking hot demons. I lick my lips.
William’s right there. And I still haven’t figured out what I’m going to tell him. I see Stacy’s boyfriend, David, is next to him, leaning down and looking annoyed as he whispers something to William.
Good. At least someone else here didn’t like William’s little show-boat performance.
Shit.
I’m at that inarticulate stage of angry and anxious.
Finally, my feet arrive in front of William.
He gives his classic smile and brushes those honey locks aside, his brown eyes a bit smug.
My mouth opens…and does what it’s programmed itself to do in front of him.
Humiliate me.
“Did you know that Mozart once was playing a piano duet, stopped, and jumped around the room, climbing chairs and meowing like a cat?” I ask.
William’s surefire grin fades, and he looks a bit lost. “Okay?”
Great. Now I sound crazy.
Wait.
Idea.
I should make William think I’m crazy. Guys hate crazy, right?
“Yeah, sometimes I like to do it too.” Oh my god. I might just punch myself in the face. What is coming out of