staring forward, twirling the stylus on his hand. I want to say something to him, but he’s not looking at me, and if he knows I’m trying to get his attention, he’s ignoring me. So I turn forward and see Mr. Kaiser erasing the white board. With the purple dry erase marker, he writes
Chapter 31
Sleep
Shayne waits for me after school. I think he’s left, but when I get to my locker at the end of the day, he’s there holding it open already.
“I don’t know if you helped Hannah or made things worse.” I’ve been going over it in my head since class let out. On the one hand, Hannah finally released her sorrow. On the other hand, she did it in front of the entire class.
“I think I helped.”
My mind’s been telling me the same thing, but I want to hear Shayne say it. “You’re always so sure of yourself,” I say.
Shayne gives a small shrug like he’s trying to not act cocky. “Not always.”
“Lots of the time.”
“Yeah, lots of the time,” he says.
“I can’t believe Hannah’s pregnant,” I say. “I had no clue.”
“Only she and Randy knew,” Shayne says. “Randy told me when he crossed.”
It’s just one more piece of his memory for Randy to leave behind in the River Lethe.
Shayne shuts my locker and takes my hand. “Can I walk you home?”
“Of course.” Chloe’s skipping, so I can’t take the shuttle with her. I have to wonder if she’s with Reese until I catch his scent in the air.
A wave of darkness covers Shayne’s face. “Why won’t he stay away from you?”
I lift my head and see Reese across the corridor. When our eyes meet, he winks at me.
Shayne’s hand tightens like a clamp on mine, and he takes a step in Reese’s direction.
Reese’s eyebrows arch like he’s surprised Shayne would challenge him. I wonder if Shayne will start a fight right here in the middle of school with so many people around. If so, Reese must be up for it because, in five quick strides, he stands directly in front of us.
Reese glances at Shayne and then reaches over and brushes my cheek, sending a flurry of goose bumps down my neck. I’d be lying if I said revulsion was the sole cause of those goose bumps because all I can focus on is his scent. I scoot backward to get out of his reach.
“Have you missed me, Piper?” Reese asks.
I open my mouth to tell him I’m not interested in him, but words won’t come out. Shayne’s hand feels like it will snap the bones in my fingers in half. I wince, and he lets go though he stays close.
“You need to leave, Reese,” Shayne says under his breath.
I glance around; we’ve gathered more than a couple stares. Distance forms between our bizarre triangle and the observers who must not want to get caught in the middle.
Reese ignores Shayne and keeps his eyes focused on me. “I’ve missed you, Piper.” He steps forward again—or maybe I do—because his hand moves to my lips, and involuntarily I shudder. “Are you busy tonight?” he asks.
Reese isn’t even looking at Shayne, but I glance at Shayne out of my peripheral vision. His face doesn’t move, but he’s turned so I can see his eyes and the red in them like fireworks.
“Yes, she has plans.” Shayne’s words catch me. I’ve started to drift. To succumb to Reese’s smell; it’s clouding every bit of judgment in my mind. “Now leave, Reese.”
Reese laughs. “Leave? Piper doesn’t want me to.”
My lips part even before I can stop them. I remember the kiss Reese and I shared; god, it was fantastic. The memories and his aroma pour through my whole body. I have to fight every urge to go to Reese; I force myself to take a step closer to Shayne and grab his arm, trying to root myself to him, away from Reese. Reese is screwing with my mind.
“Never. Touch. Piper. Again.” Each of Shayne’s words is staccato. Not to be misunderstood.
Reese turns to him and glares. “I don’t think you can stop me.” His thumb brushes across my lips, sending a chill through me.
In a flash, Shayne swats Reese’s hand away. It flies backward, making a sickening crunching sound like bone on bone. And then Shayne punches Reese right in the nose. The odor of blood is immediate and clears my head.
I hear the kids around us gasp which further helps erase the memories of Reese’s touch, and I force clarity into my mind.
Reese grimaces and lets his hand fall to his side. There’s blood running from his left nostril, but all he does is wipe it with the back of his hand. And then he reaches up and touches my lips again. I step back, out of his reach, and lean close to Shayne. For whatever bizarre reason my body is betraying me, I will fight it. “Can we go?”
“You know Piper wants me.” Reese’s voice is like nails trying to pierce Shayne’s armor. “Her body is aching for me. Just look at her. And it’s killing you.”
In one step, Shayne moves forward until he’s directly up in Reese’s face. “Know this, Reese. Come near her again, and I will kill you.”
Reese laughs. “You don’t have the power.” And then he spits on Shayne.
Shayne doesn’t flinch. “I dare you to test me.”
Reese takes a step back and smiles. “Sounds like a dare I plan to take.” And then he turns his back on us and walks away, shoving his way through the crowd, leaving only his haunting scent in his wake.
I’m afraid to move, unsure what Shayne will think. He watches as Reese leaves, and pretty soon, the smell evaporates too, leaving me somewhat in control there in the hallway next to Shayne. And after a few wayward glances, everyone starts to disperse. I don’t know what to say.
“I told you to stay away from him, Piper.” Shayne’s voice is filled with fury.
“I have.”
“Then why does he keep coming back?”
I spin on him and unleash my own fury. “Because he’s the god of war. You said it yourself. He’ll never give up. So stop blaming me.”
I kick the nearest locker and then storm toward the doors of the school.
Shayne catches up to me in seconds. “Wait.”
I stop. “What?”
“I’m sorry,” he says. “That’s not fair.”
I only nod in response. He’s right. It’s not fair.
“We never got along,” Shayne says. He’s clenching his teeth as he speaks. “Not since the first time we met.”
“That doesn’t surprise me,” I say. A friendship between Reese and Shayne seems as unlikely as my mom deciding to let me move out.
Shayne waits until we get outside. The heat hits me, but the misters take over quickly, spraying gel on me until I’ve cooled to a normal temperature as much as I can with the memory of Reese spinning in my head. I stop for a minute and let the gel and my thoughts collect.
“He’s always hated me. Been jealous of everything I’ve had. He’s trying to mislead you to get to me.”
I turn to Shayne. I’ve had secrets and lies and half-truths enough. “It’s not like you’re bubbling over trying to tell me the truth either.” It’s not like anyone is. Not my mom. Not my dad.
Shayne tries to take my hand, but I pull it back.
