Smoked - Mari Mancusi Page 0,38
I’m not about to waste it. I’m here for you, Trinity. Whatever you need, I’m here for you.”
Trinity smiled back at him, feeling both ridiculously happy and incredibly sad all at the same time. She’d missed him so much. More than she’d even realized. “We’ve all made mistakes,” she assured him. “But the important thing is we’re together now. And we can be a team again.”
“I appreciate that,” Caleb said sincerely. Then his mouth twisted. “I just hope my brother is as excited about my rising from the dead as you are. After all, I imagine the two of you have gotten pretty cozy over the last months, what with none of my irresistible charm to get in the way.”
Trinity rolled her eyes. “Yeah, don’t you know? We’re totally married with kids at this point. Grandkids any day now.”
In truth, her and Connor’s so-called relationship had been strained at best after their argument over the Dracken’s continued involvement in Emmy’s life. Sure, they’d both officially apologized since then, but things had remained a bit awkward. Every time Trinity headed over to film one of Emmy’s broadcasts, she could feel the disapproval in Connor’s eyes. Which in turn made her defensive and quick to lash out.
Caleb sighed, shaking his head. “My brother, ladies and gentleman, the original pimp.”
“Besides,” Trinity scoffed, “from what I understand, you’ve been blasting that so-called irresistible charm of yours all over the Nether.” When Caleb raised an eyebrow, she gave him a pointed look. “The name Scarlet ring any bells?”
Caleb blushed, turning away, but not before she caught a sheepish grin cross his face. So there was something going on between him and Scarlet. She felt her teasing smile falter a little as something uncomfortable wormed through her stomach. All this time, she realized, she’d been holding out hope that this so-called romance between the two of them had all been a figment of Scarlet’s overactive imagination. Evidently not so much.
And why shouldn’t he, she scolded herself. You pushed him away. You told him nothing could happen between you. What did you expect—that he would just sit and pine over you for all eternity?
“Sorry,” she said, feeling stupid. “I shouldn’t have said that. It’s none of my business who you choose to date.”
Now it was Caleb’s turn to frown. “Date? Trin, you do realize I’ve been a flecking vegetable for the last nine months, right?”
Her face burned. God, how deep a hole was she trying to dig herself into anyway? “Right. I know. I mean… I’m just saying, like, it’s cool if you like her. Uh…not that you need my permission, of course. But I’m just…”
Seriously, close your mouth and stop talking, Trin!
She felt Caleb staring at her, his eyes so piercing they could probably burn through dragon scale, but she found she couldn’t look up—couldn’t bear to see what she feared she’d see on his face. Finally he spoke.
“Look,” he said in a calm voice. “I’m not going to lie. Scarlet and I—well, we got close when she came to me in the Nether. I was dealing with a lot. Feeling like crap. Pretty much ready to give up on it all. And then she walked in and…”
He trailed off, and Trinity finally dared take a peek at his face. She could practically see the emotional conflict raging inside of him. He likes her, she realized, a sinking feeling settling into her gut. He didn’t want to admit it to her, but he liked Scarlet a lot.
He caught her looking and masked his face. “Hell, what is it they say?” he asked brightly. Too brightly. “What happens in the Nether stays in the Nether?”
“I’m pretty sure that’s Vegas,” she muttered, trying to shove down the bile rising in her throat as her mind treated her to an all-too-detailed picture of Caleb making out with Scarlet in the Nether—his hands tangling in her hair, his mouth burning against Scarlet’s lips.
Just as it had once burned against hers.
I’ve never taken anyone to the Nether, he’d told her. No one but you.
And now Scarlet. But hey, who’s counting?
Frustration rose inside of her. At him for moving on. At herself for not wanting him to do so. The tears welled in her eyes, and she angrily swiped them away. Squaring her shoulders, she summoned up all the hardness she could muster. “Well, anyway, it’s good to have you back,” she said in a clipped tone. “I may need to call on you in a few days to help me with