Sins of the Innocent - Jamie McGuire Page 0,15

neck.

“Don’t forget your ears.”

“And now, you’re mothering me.”

“Sorry.”

He handed back the sunscreen. “I have to be home around dark. You know how Mom gets at night when dad stay away this long.”

I waved him away, trying to be as casual as one could be when regarding depression. “Yeah. No problem. C’mon,” I said, pulling him toward an ice cream cart.

We sat on a bench in the shade of a maple tree, letting our laughter escalate into cackling without caring who might hear. We had been holding in our smiles for too long.

We joked about our upcoming adulthood to deny our terror, skirting the issue that either of us would have to return to real life when our day of walking along the river and eating ice cream was over. We could start over again the next day and the next, living out our summer break after senior year as it was intended, but we would always have to go home, back to reality and its horrors, and we hung on to the lie until the sun began to set.

The violets and fuchsias of the sky reflected off the water, but I still pretended we had all the time in the world. I crossed my legs, getting comfortable on the wooden bench. Morgan rested his arm behind me and then decided to make a fist and let his head rest on his hand.

“I hope we get to have more days like this,” he said.

“Melted ice cream and sticky fingers?” I asked.

“All of it.”

“What makes you think we won’t?”

He shrugged.

The standing hairs on the back of my neck alerted me to something approaching, something not human. It wasn’t until the pungent smell that was Levi hit my nose did I relax.

“Look who it is. My favorite couple,” Levi said, hopping over the bench—and Morgan’s head. Then he wedged his backside between Morgan and me.

Morgan instantly stood and took a few steps back, trying to look casual by shoving his hands into his pockets. I suspected Levi made him nervous—and with good reason.

Levi stretched his hand behind me and across the ledge of the bench, cupping my shoulder and pulling me close. “Hi, gorgeous. Have you missed me?”

“No,” I said without pause.

Levi feigned shock. “Did I interrupt?”

“No,” Morgan said, waving him away.

“Yes,” I snapped, frowning at our unwelcome guest.

Levi used his free hand to point all four fingers at Morgan. “Morgan says I can stay, and I respect him. He’s logical. I like that in a human.”

Morgan puffed out a laugh and pushed up his glasses, too easily flattered. “As opposed to what?”

“Me,” Levi answered matter-of-factly.

“Leave him alone,” I warned.

Levi settled into his seat, looking out onto the water and sniffing once. “As you wish.”

“Funny running into you here,” Morgan said. “Levi, right?”

I sat up straight. “Don’t talk to him, Morg.”

Morgan’s eyes danced between the half-demon and me. To Morgan, Levi was probably just uncomfortably confident, but I knew what he was capable of if Morgan let him get too close.

“That’s just,” Levi chuckled while he spoke, “rude!”

“You came here uninvited. Tell me more about being rude,” I said, standing up.

“Wow, that was easy,” Levi said, leaning back against the wooden slats of the bench. “I actually just wanted this bench to myself.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. I knew full well he was going to try to manipulate me by playing into my competitive nature, but we both knew who would win in a fight. At least, I was ninety-nine percent sure. “I know what you’re doing. It’s not funny. This isn’t a game.”

“Says who?” Levi said. He leaned forward with his elbows on his knees, his fingers intertwined.

“Me. I say. Go away.”

“Eden …” Morgan said, more than a little surprised at my demeanor. “Do you know this guy?”

I lowered my chin, trying to show Morgan with my eyes just how much I meant my next words. “Yes. He’s dangerous, Morgan. Stay away from him.”

A group of young men walked together along the fence line. Right away, something felt off. The one in front was wearing a red ball cap.

He noticed Morgan right away and nodded to his friends. “That’s him,” Red Hat said, too far away for Morgan to hear. “The kid from Lacie’s party.”

Not that I needed validation, but the admission was one more reason to form a plan. Red Hat was one of the guys at the graduation party who had tried to pick a fight with Morgan.

“Morgan, why don’t you come sit?” I asked with a smile, gesturing