Obsidian

I shook my head. “I promised Lesa I’d give out candy with her. She lives in a subdivision, so…” Hurt flickered across Dee’s face. What was I doing? Dissing a friend because of her jackass brother? That wasn’t me. “I can come over afterward, and we can watch movies if you want?”

“If you want?” she whispered.

Leaning over, I hugged her slim shoulders. “Of course I want. Just make sure you get tons of popcorn and candy. Those are a requirement.”

Dee returned the hug. “That I can do.”

I pulled back, smiling. “Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow night then?”

“Wait.” She grabbed my arm, her fingers cold. “What happened between you and Daemon?”

I willed my face blank. “Nothing happened, Dee.”

Her eyes narrowed. “I know better, Katy. You would’ve had to do major running around to burn off most of the trace in one afternoon.”

“Dee—”

“And Daemon has been acting grumpier than normal. Something happened between you two.” She brushed her hair out of her face, but the curls sprung right back. “I know you said you guys didn’t do anything that one time, but…”

“Seriously, nothing happened. I promise.” I climbed into my car, forcing a smile. “I’ll see you tomorrow night.”

She didn’t believe me. I didn’t believe myself, but what could I say? Admitting what went down between Daemon and me wasn’t something I wanted to share with his sister.

…

Every Halloween I missed being a kid, getting to dress up and eat tons of candy. The only thing I got to do now was…eat tons of candy. Not half bad.

Lesa laughed as I dug out another box of Nerds. “What?” I elbowed her. “I love these things.”

“And mini Hershey bars, Kit Kats, bubble gum, Starbursts—”

“Look who’s talking!” I gestured to the pile of wrappers on the steps beside her feet. “You’re a freaking candy monster.”

We stopped while a small child shuffled up the steps, dressed like a member of Kiss. Odd costume choice.

“Trick or Treat!” the little boy cried.

Lesa fawned all over him and gave him several pieces of candy. “You are so not here for the kids,” she said, watching the little boy run back to his parents.

I popped a piece of caramel in my mouth. “What gave you that idea?”

“Did you think that little boy was cute?” She moved the bowl away from me.

I shrugged. “Guess so. I mean, he kind of smelled like…I don’t know. Kid.”

Lesa busted out laughing. “Do you like kids?”

“Kids scare me.” A mummy and vampire approached us. Lesa cooed over them until they scampered away. “Especially the little ones,” I continued, scowling when I saw there weren’t any Nerds left. “They jabber and stuff, and I have no idea what they are saying, but your little brother is super cute.”

“My little brother craps himself.”

I laughed. “Well, maybe it’s because he’s, like, only one?”

“Whatever, it’s still gross.” She handed some candy over to a cowboy with an arrow through his head. Sweet. “So what’s your deal been?”

“My deal?” Like a ninja, my hand shot out and snatched a roll of Smarties. “I don’t have a deal.”

“You’re so full of it.” It was so dark out, I couldn’t make out her eyes. Her subdivision didn’t believe in street lamps. “You’ve been an angst-ridden teenage girl, like the kind in the books I read, all week.” I rolled my eyes. “Have not.”

She nudged me with her knee. “You haven’t been talking to anyone, especially not Dee. And that’s weird, because you guys are close.”

“We still are.” I sighed, squinting into the encroaching darkness. Shapes of parents and their kids walked along the side of the streets. “I’m not mad at her or anything. I’m going over to her house after I leave here.” Lesa cradled the bowl. “But?”

“But something happened with her brother,” I said, caving in to the need to talk to someone about what happened.

“I knew it!” she screamed. “Oh my God, you have to tell me everything! Did you guys kiss? Wait. Did you have sex?”

A parent of a fairy shot her a dirty look as she ushered her child off Lesa’s porch.

“Lesa, seriously, chill.”

“Whatever. You have to tell me. I will hate you forever if you did but don’t tell me. What does he smell like?”

“Smell like?” I scrunched up my face.

“You know, he looks like he’d smell good.”

“Oh.” I closed my eyes. “Yeah, he does smell good.”

Lesa sighed dreamily. “Details. Now.”

“It’s nothing big.” I picked up a fallen leaf, twirling it. My lips tingled, thinking about his kiss. “He came over last Sunday and we kissed.”

“That’s all?” She sounded so disappointed.

“I didn’t sleep with him. Jeez. But…it was pretty heavy.” I dropped the leaf and ran a hand through my hair, tugging it back. “We were arguing and the next thing I know — BAM. We’re going at it.”

“Geez, that’s…that’s hot.”

I sighed. “Yeah, it kind of was. But then he left abruptly.”

“Of course, because you guys have this fiery passion that explodes, and he couldn’t take the heat.”

I gave her a bland look. “We don’t have anything.”

Lesa ignored me. “I was wondering how long it would last with you two antagonizing each other.”

“I don’t antagonize him,” I muttered.

“What did you guys argue about?”

How could I explain? That we’d only goaded each other into doing something because I’d said I wasn’t attracted to him and he needed to kill my glow? Yeah, not happening.

“Katy?”

“I don’t think he meant to kiss me,” I said finally.

“What? Did he slip and fall on your mouth? Those things are known to happen.”

I giggled. “No. It’s just that he seemed pissed off about it afterward. No, he was pissed.”

“Did you like bite his tongue or something?” Lesa tucked her hair back, frowning. “There has to be a reason why he was mad afterward.”

Since it was getting late and the kiddos few and far between, I grabbed the bowl from her and starting fingering through the leftovers. “I don’t know. I mean we haven’t talked about it. He literally left afterward, and all he’s done since then is poke me with his pen.”

“Probably because he wants to poke you with something else,” she said dryly.

My eyes bugged. “I can’t believe you said that.”

“Whatever.” She waved her hand in the air. “He’s not back with Ash, right? I mean, those two are—”

“On and off — I know. I don’t think so. It doesn’t matter.” I popped a piece of candy in my mouth. At this rate, I was going to be rolling off Lesa’s porch. “It’s just that…”

“You like him,” she finished for me.

I shrugged, moving on to a Snickers bar. Did I like him? Maybe. Was I attracted to him? Obviously. I’d been seconds away from getting buck-naked with him. “It’s the most messed up thing, ever. No one on this planet pisses me off more than him, but…Ah, I don’t want to talk about this.” I snatched the bag of Skittles back. “Anyway, how are things with Chad?”

“You’re changing the subject. I am not fooled.”