“Yeah, but they were on beaches and everyone was dressed for summer. It’s not summer.”
“So?”
I rolled my eyes as I turned back to the bed. Lesa had found a denim skirt I’d ordered online last year for summer, but it had ended up being way too short. Like barely-covering-the-butt short, and I’d been too lazy to return it. Spaced above the scrap of denim was a cropped black sweater I’d usually wear over a shirt or tank. It was long sleeved, so it would cover the scars on my wrists but barely anything else. On the floor was a pair of knee-high boots I’d gotten on sale last winter.
And that was all.
Yep, that was it.
“My butt and my boobs are going to be showing.”
Lesa scuffed. “Your boobs will be covered.”
“Not my entire stomach!”
“You have a nice stomach; show it off.” She picked up the skirt, holding it to her waist. “When you’re done with this, I so want to borrow it.”
“Sure.” And then I frowned. “Where are you going to wear it?”
“School.” She laughed at the look on my face. “I’ll put some tights on underneath it, you priss.”
An idea struck. “Tights!” I spun toward my dresser and started rummaging through my socks. I pulled out a pair of black opaque tights. “A-ha! I can wear these.” And a jacket…maybe a mask, too.
She snatched the tights from me, tossing them across the room. “You can’t wear tights.”
My face fell. “No?”
“No.” She peered over my shoulder and then grinned as she reached around me and pulled something else out. “But these you could wear.”
My mouth dropped open. A pair of ripped tights dangled from her fingers. “That was, like, a part of a Halloween costume.”
“Perfect.” She placed them on the bed.
Oh, dear Mary, mother of God… I sat cross-legged on the floor. “Well, I think Daemon will approve, at least.”
“Damn straight.” She flopped on the bed, her grin fading. “Can I ask you something and you answer it honestly?” Warning bells went off, but I nodded. She took a deep breath. “Seriously, how good of a kisser is Daemon? Because I imagine he just makes you—”
“Lesa!”
“What? A girl’s gotta know these kinds of things.”
I bit my lip, flushing.
“Come on, it’s sharing and caring time.”
“He…he kisses like he’s dying of thirst, and I’m water.” I smacked my hands over my hot face. “I can’t believe I just said that out loud.”
Lesa giggled. “Sounds like one of those romance books you read.”
“It does.” I started giggling. “But, oh Lordie Lord, it’s true. I’m like a puddle of mush when he kisses me. It’s embarrassing. I’m so, like, ‘Thank you, can I have another?’ Sad.”
We both broke into giggles. It was weird, because a lot of tension seeped out of my body. Giggling over boys was so amazingly normal.
“You love him, don’t you?” she asked when she took a breath.
“I do.” I stretched out my legs on a sigh. “I really do. What about Chad?”
She slipped off the bed and leaned against it. “I like him—a lot. But we’re going to different colleges. So I’m being realistic about it.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. Chad and I are having fun and seriously, what’s the point in anything if you ain’t having fun? That’s my motto in life.” She paused, pushing her springy curls off her face. “I think I need to teach Dee that motto. What the hell is up with her? She still hasn’t talked to me or Carissa.”
All my humor vanished and I tensed up. I can’t fix our friendship. I had tried—really tried—but the damages I inflicted on our friendship had been irreparable.
I sighed. “A lot of stuff has gone on with her—Adam and with Dawson coming home.”
Lesa jumped on that. “Isn’t that the strangest thing, though?”
“What do you mean?”
“Don’t you think it’s weird? You didn’t live here then, but Beth and Dawson were like the Romeo and Juliet of West Virginia. I can’t believe he hasn’t heard from her.”
Unease slid down my spine. “I don’t know. What do you think?”
Lesa looked away, chewing on her bottom lip. “It’s just weird. Like Dawson is way different now. He’s all sullen and broody.”
I struggled for something to say. “Well, he probably still cares for her and is upset about things not working out, and he misses Adam. You know, there’s a lot going on there.”
“I guess.” She looked at me sideways. “Some people have been talking.”
Instincts flared. “Talking about what?”
“Well, it’s mostly been the usual suspects—Kimmy and them. But so many strange things have happened around here.” She pushed to her feet and yanked her curls into a messy ponytail. “First, Beth and Dawson just drop off the face of the Earth. Then Sarah Butler dropped dead last summer.”
Ice coated my skin. Sarah Butler had been in the wrong place at the wrong time. The night I’d been attacked by the Arum, Daemon had showed up and chased him off. Out of anger, the Arum had killed the girl.
Lesa started to pace. “And then Simon Cutters disappeared. No one has heard from him. Adam dies in a freak car accident, and then Dawson pops up out of nowhere, minus the supposed love of his life.”