“I won’t be drinking, either,” I said. “Ever.”
Nana: Aren’t you just a breath of fresh air?
Pops: He is. He is indeed.
I think I was as impressed with him as my grandparents were. Underneath the muscles, scars and tattoos (which my grandparents couldn’t see, since he wore a long-sleeved shirt) he was a really good guy. And because they were so impressed, they let us go with no more fuss!
We stopped for a coffee to help wake me up, and still made it to school with time to spare. After he parked in the same slot he’d occupied before—I guess no one wanted to fight him for it—he tossed his hat in the backseat, whipped off his long-sleeved shirt, revealing a short-sleeved shirt underneath, then helped me out of his Jeep.
My stitches felt too tight today, every movement causing the skin around them to itch. “I can’t believe we survived that.”
“Your grandparents love you unconditionally. I would have been worried if they hadn’t been so tough.”
His words slammed through me, and I tripped over the curb between the school building and the concrete outside. Love was something I had associated with them, of course, something they’d told me, but I hadn’t viewed theirs as unconditional. Deep down I’d still assumed they considered me too much like my dad. Maybe Cole was right, though. They’d done so much for me, and they had grilled him pretty hard.
“What?” he said. “You hadn’t realized?”
“No. I’m just so…different from them. I’m not soft like my sister was, or happy and able to see the silver lining like my mom. I’m like my dad, who they hated.”
“Take my word for it. They don’t hate you. And just so you know, you’re great just the way you are.”
There wasn’t time to react to his words—not that I’d known how to react. Conversations stopped with every group of kids we passed, all gazes locking on us.
They’d seen Cole and me dance at the party, so why—ah. I got it. This was confirmation that I was sleeping with him. With everything that had happened last night and this morning, I’d forgotten about the rumor mill and my all-slut status. Anger washed over me, a shimmer of stars.
“You still think Mackenzie’s innocent?” I demanded.
“Yes. I confronted her about the rumors. She denies saying anything to anyone about you.”
Could he be any more clueless? “Oh, well, then. That must be true.”
He snapped his teeth at me, reminding me of the first day of school, after the first vision. So now I knew beyond a doubt that it was a gesture of irritation. “I’ll find out who started this. Trust me. I just need time.” He threw his arm around me in a show of support. “Meanwhile, if anyone says anything to you, tell me. I’ll make them sorry they were ever born.”
That wouldn’t save me from ridicule. Because really, words weren’t always needed to get a point across. Expressions worked just as well.
As we rounded a corner, Frosty, Bronx and all of Cole’s other friends caught sight of us and bounded over. They had smiles and good-natured punching for Cole, but only frowns for me. Whatever.
I pulled from Cole’s hold and closed in on Mackenzie. “Let’s chat after school, okay?”
“That’s not necessary,” Cole called.
Still she replied, “That will be my pleasure,” and flashed me a grin that was nothing more than a baring of her pearly whites.
I opened my mouth to reply but noticed the silence behind me. The boys were listening to our conversation, I realized. This would have to wait. I walked away without another word. Cole didn’t try to stop me. There was no sign of Kat or the other girls anywhere, so I went to class. Justin wouldn’t look at me, but I sat by him anyway. He had two black eyes, a swollen nose and a scabbed-over bottom lip.
“Tell me about your after-school job,” was all I could think to say.
A pause before he reluctantly offered, “I’m sure Cole’s told you plenty.”
“I’d like to hear it from you.”
He tossed me a glare. “Once upon a time, I would have gladly told you. Now, you’ve made your bed with Cole and you can lie in it. I just wonder if you know that bed is covered with fleas.”
He’d used that phrasing on purpose, just to be cruel. “If by fleas you mean zombie carcasses,” I whispered so that only he could hear, “then yes. I don’t know if you’ve heard, but I love zombie carcasses.”
The pencil he held snapped in two. “Oh, I know it now. I suspected that was why he was paying attention to you.”
Because clearly, I could never get a guy on my own. Nice. How had I ever thought this boy was sweet? “What’s your endgame? What’s your purpose? Convince me you’re on the right side.”
He snorted. “I don’t have to convince you of anything. But you tell your boyfriend we don’t appreciate the way he sliced our suits. Yeah, my boss paid him a visit the morning after and relayed the message on his own, but I’m not sure Cole’s learned his lesson.”
That would be the morning Cole was to drive me home, the morning Frosty had hated all over me. Cole had mentioned reinforcing the Blood Line around my house, and I was certain he’d told the truth, but that was probably only part of the truth, which told me that he was as good at omission as I was. We’d have to chat about that. From now on, only full disclosure would do.
“What did your boss do to him?” I demanded.
“Why don’t you ask my twin sister, Jaclyn?” He grinned with relish. “Have you met her yet? She’s the one who took me home after the party. You know, where you abandoned me.”
“Now, hold on.” My retort died on my lips as realization struck. The brunette who’d shot me that I-wish-you-were-dead look while she’d tried to revive him, the one who liked to glare at me during every bus ride, had the same features as Justin. She had to be the twin.
“She’s never been a fan of Cole and she had the same gut feeling about you, that you were trouble. I ignored her.”
Not because he’d liked me, but because he’d wanted to know what I could do for—or against—the zombies. “Hate to break it to you, but all girls are fans of Cole. Anyone who says otherwise is lying.” Even when I was mad at him, I was attracted to him.
“After what he did to me, Jaclyn wants him pulverized.”
“So she knows what you do?”