Devil Incarnate (Boys of Preston Prep #4) - Angel Lawson Page 0,187

gravity, tipping forward in anticipation of the kiss. Despite everything, this is where we’ve always shined, and I can feel the heat of it now, thawing out my insides, suspended in dwindling breaths between us.

And then Sebastian bangs on the window.

We both jump, Heston whirling around to glare murderously at him. “What the fuck!”

Bass scowls into the window, yelling, “Pop your hood, asshole!”

“Why?!”

Bass bangs the glass again. “Just fucking do it!”

Heston watches as his brother rounds the front of the car, waiting. “Goddamn it,” he growls, hunching down to look for the hood’s release.

I take the opportunity to finally step out of the car, suddenly needing the crisp air. It’s not running if I walk, and that’s exactly what I tell myself as I amble toward the girls, legs protesting against the movement.

Vandy doesn’t wait for me to reach her, limping over the distance to grab me in a big, suffocating hug. “You scared the crap out of me!”

Laughing weakly, I hug her back. “Imagine how I felt.”

I’m startled to feel another pair of arms wrap around me, engulfing the both of us.

Caroline squeezes. “No more boats.”

Vandy and I agree, “No more boats!”

Pulling back, Vandy takes a deep breath, stilling me with a look. “Heston.”

I look away, already knowing what she’s going to say. “I said you wouldn’t approve.”

“You deserve better,” Vandy says, sounding sad. “I stand by that. Even if he saved your life and looked pretty convincingly worried about you while he was doing it.”

I arch an eyebrow. “I thought I deserve to be happy, too.”

Vandy looks over my shoulder, brow puckering dubiously. “Can Heston really make you happy?”

I follow her gaze. He’s still in the driver’s seat, but he has his door open, leg kicked out. His hand is covering his eyes, like he’s just praying for the strength to endure. Sebastian is beneath the hood of his car, tinkering around with something.

“It’s…complicated,” I answer, rolling my eyes. “I don’t blame you for not getting it. Sometimes, even I still—”

“Get the fuck away from that!” I hear Heston snap.

Sebastian barks back, “Or what?! You’ll hit me again? You punch like a fucking girl, by the way. Worse than a girl, actually. Elena actually bruises me.”

“Oh, Jesus,” I groan, turning to find them squaring off again.

Caroline sighs. “I’ll get Em and Ben.”

“Don’t bother.” I walk back to the car, feeling weary down to my bones, and shove myself between them. “What the hell, you guys?”

Heston’s got this muscle in the back of his jaw that always sort of fascinates me. It always balls up tight when he comes. Right now, it’s twitching. “He’s fucking with my car!”

“I’m fixing your piece of shit car! It sounds like a pterodactyl eating a box of rusty bolts.”

I put my hand on Heston’s chest, looking up into his eyes. “Just let him fix it.” To Sebastian, I say, “And you, stop being such a dick about it.”

“Fuck that.” Heston’s chest tenses under my palm. “I don’t need his help. He’ll probably just cut my brake line or something.”

Bass’ eyes bug out. “The brake line is under the car, you smooth-brained moron! I’m looking at the engine!”

“I don’t want you looking at my engine!”

Sebastian fists the wrench in his hand, shoulders snapping back as he takes a step forward. Instantly, Heston grabs my arm and pushes me behind him, body coiled tight. Bass doesn’t miss it, eyes zeroing in on the motion in an offended snap of his head. “I wouldn’t hurt her, she’s one of my best friends. I love her!”

Through gritted teeth, Heston says, “Well, so do I, so let’s not test it.”

Sebastian’s eyebrows lurch up his forehead. “You love her?” He gives a sharp, skeptical laugh. “You don’t know how to love anything.”

“Stop!” I jump between them again, heart hammering in my throat. “No one is hurting me, and everything is fine. Just fix the car, Bass.” When he’s stormed back to his cursing and banging beneath the hood, I turn to Heston. “What’s the big deal?”

He’s still fuming, jaw clenched tight. “I don’t want anything from him. Especially not at the risk my only fucking possession.”

“He’s really good at this stuff,” I insist. “He’d cut off his own hand before he hurt a car.”

His eyes flash angrily. “That’s exactly what he’s going to get if he—”

His words cut off sharply when I strain up to press my mouth to his. Heston’s lips go pliant in an instant, hands coming up to frame my face. The kiss is mostly chaste,