Oblivion

Kat opened her mouth, but I turned around, stalking back toward the middle of the parking lot. Anger boiled inside me, but not at her. The first time I’m around her alone for a handful of minutes, I ended up healing a very minor injury like a freaking idiot.

Apparently I needed to work on my self-control.

Glancing over to the right, I laughed drily when I spotted Simon on the field. He was carrying his helmet as he jogged toward the center, where a group was huddled together.

My eyes narrowed as I lifted my finger on my right hand.

The helmet flew out of his hand, knocking into his shoulder pads. Caught off guard, he stumbled to the side and then went down on one leg, staring at the fallen helmet like it was a pit viper. The guys in the huddle laughed. My lips twisted into a wry grin.

Yeah, I really needed to work on my self-control.

Slapping the mayo on the piece of bread, I hummed under my breath, as loudly as I could to drown out the conversation from the kitchen. It wasn’t working.

“He’s going to think you’re the hottest chick there,” Dee said, her voice pitched obnoxiously loud.

I glanced up at the ceiling, exhaling loudly through my nose.

“Um, that’s good.” Kat cleared her throat. “I guess.”

Picking up the lid, I nearly broke the mayo jar as I screwed it back on.

“You guess?” Dee laughed. At this point, I’d swear she was yelling. “Girl, he’s not going to be able to keep his hands off you.”

I smushed the slice of bread down, my jaw grinding until there was a good chance I was going to crack my molars.

“I’m pretty sure the same thing can be said about Adam when he sees you in the dress you got,” Kat replied.

Dee giggled. “That’s what I’m hoping for.”

Oh for the love of everything in this world and the universe…

There was a pause. “You sure about the dress, though? It’s kind of low-cut.”

I closed my eyes, swallowing a groan.

“Oh, I’m sure,” Dee assured her. “I’m so sure.”

All but slamming the sandwich down on my plate, I was seconds from tossing myself out the kitchen window, but then I heard Kat saying she was heading back home and a few seconds later, the door shut.

I moved silently to the window by the table that overlooked the front yard. Kat appeared in the waning light, her backpack bumping off her lower back as she crossed the driveways. That ponytail of hers swayed with each step. As did her hips. My gaze dropped.

It was a couple of days after the day at her car and the tiny trace wasn’t at all visible. Thank God. But I still worried and I—

“What are you doing?” Dee asked.

So caught up in being…well, sort of creepily watching Kat, my sister had sneaked up on me. That never happened. I turned around slowly. “Nothing. What are you doing?”

The look on her face screamed she didn’t believe me. “Nothing.”

I arched a brow.

She mirrored the gesture. “My ‘nothing’ means I’m not checking someone out from the kitchen window.”

My eyes narrowed.

“You know,” she continued, walking over to the counter. “You could’ve come into the living room and stared at her in person. You didn’t have to hide in your bedroom and then in the kitchen.”

“I wasn’t hiding.”

“Uh-huh.” She spotted my turkey sandwich. “Did I tell you—”

“That’s my sandwich. Don’t…” Too late. I sighed as I watched her take a huge bite. “Help yourself.”

“Thank you,” she said as she chewed. “You make awesome sandwiches.”

“I know,” I grumbled.

Dee gri

Pulling out the kitchen chair, I dropped down in it and stretched out my legs. “Why would you tell me about her dress?”

“I didn’t, but I’m sure you heard us talking about it.”

“People in the next state heard you talking about it, Dee.”

She ignored that. “It’s stu

My jaw was starting to ache again.

“Like she’s going to look so hot at the dance, so hot.” Dee paused, taking another huge bite of my sandwich. “Oh, and did I tell you Simon is taking her out?”

I counted to ten before answering. “Yes, Dee, you told me, and I think you’re a crappy friend for allowing her to go with him.”

“I am not a crappy friend!” She stomped her bare foot and rattled the chairs. “I know Kat isn’t in trouble with him. She’ll be fine. Anyway, did you know about the party after the dance?”

“Everyone knows about the party after the dance.”

She waved the sandwich like she was saluting me with it. “Well, since you know everything, smart-ass, then you know Simon invited Kat.”

I stilled. “She’s not going with him to that damn field party.”

“Oh. Yes.” Dee smiled broadly and downright evilly. “Yes, she is.”

No way. All anyone did at the party was get drunk and get laid, namely Simon. If he was taking her there…

My stomach churned.

“Don’t worry, Adam and I are going. She’ll be okay there.” She finished off the sandwich, not even saving me a tiny piece. Then again, I didn’t have much of an appetite right now. “Too bad you’re not going to see Kat in her dress since you’re too cool to go to homecoming.”

“I never said I wasn’t going.”

Dee plastered a blank look on her face. “You didn’t? Huh. I was pretty sure you said something like…” She deepened her voice. “‘I’d rather punch myself in the nuts then go to that stupid dance.’ Or something like that.”

My lips twitched. “That was last year.”

“When you were dating Ash.”

I said nothing.

“So you’re going to the dance?” she asked, flipping the long wavy black hair over her shoulder. When I said nothing, the blank look faded. “I bet you’re going to that damn field party, too.”

I smiled tightly. “What color is Kat’s dress?”

Dee struggled to keep her expression bland and failed. Her eyes glimmered. “You’re going to love it. That’s all I’m going to say. You’re just going to have to wait and see.”

Adjusting my tie, I stepped out of the SUV and grabbed my tux jacket off the backseat, slipping it on. Immediately, I wanted to strip the damn thing off.

Homecoming.

Practically the last place on earth I wanted to be. A night of watching sweaty, gawky human teenagers paw all over each other wasn’t my idea of a fun night. But I had little choice.

I glanced over at Ash. Standing beside her brother, dressed in a white gown, she really did look great. Too bad it was never, ever going to work between us. Our feelings for each other, even if she refused to admit it, had morphed into a more familial thing.

Andrew looked over at me as he messed with his cuff links. His brows inched up. “I don’t even know why you’re coming to this, man.”

His sister made an impatient noise in her throat. “I have to agree, but can we move this conversation inside?” She waved a slender hand at the school. “I have people I need to make jealous.”

I smiled. “Do tell?”

“My dress.” She twirled around, and I swore it was see-through for a second. I squinted. Yep. It was definitely see-through in certain areas.

I couldn’t help it. My smile spread, especially when Andrew looked away, his face paler than it was a few seconds before.

“My dress could feed a small village for a year, which means these…people haven’t ever seen the likes of such beauty and perfection,” Ash continued.

Shaking my head, I laughed. Ash…well, she was an acquired taste.

As the three of us headed in, I knew they’d never believe me if I told them why I really was here.

It had to do with one sweaty, gawky human teenager pawing all over one human in particular. The conversation I had with Kat a week ago, when we had been by her car, had replayed over and over in my head. Granted, the whole healing-her-hand thing had veered me off track, and even though we hadn’t talked about her homecoming date since then, I hadn’t forgotten about it. Definitely not after learning that Kat might’ve agreed to go to the damn party in the field afterward.