Insidious(65)

“Why? What happened?”

“It was the night I met Blaine,” I barely whispered, watching Reese’s shoulders go taut. “If Adam had stayed with me at the party, Blaine would’ve just been another charming host. Someone I never would have given a second thought to. Someone I wouldn’t have snuck off with.”

That last remark sent a cocked brow at me.

I jabbed Reese with my cue again. “Not like that. As it turned out, he hated soirées as much as I did. The moment we found an opening, we escaped. Together. Wound up spending the night barefoot at the beach.” The back of my eyes burned at the memory. He really had been a decent guy. “If Adam had stayed, I wouldn’t have gotten to know Blaine. We wouldn’t have started hanging out, and he wouldn’t have ditched his friends that night to come to the bonfire…to see me.”

I tried to keep the slight tremble in my hands at bay as I lined up my next shot.

“Here.” Reese moved behind me, adjusting my stance in front of the table. His hands settled on my hips, and I could feel my skin tingle…only, it came from my arm.

I looked down at my left side, seeing the tattooed ink on top of my hand glowing even beneath the fabric of the fingerless gloves. He then wrapped his arms around me.

“You’re losing control of the cue on your backswing. You need to slow down when drawing it to you.” Reese demonstrated, repositioning my hands on the stick. “Now, follow all the way through.”

I did as he instructed, watching the red ball labeled ‘three’ land effortlessly into the center pocket. “You were right.”

“When am I not?” he teased lightly, his breath stirring my hair as he remained behind me.

“I meant about my friends.” I turned to face him, and any amusement fell from his face. “You were right to say that they’re assholes.”

It clearly wasn’t what he expected me to say, because his eyebrow shot up yet again.

“I’ve heard some things about you, things they’ve said and done.”

His body stiffened.

“Is that why you didn’t want to be around me anymore? Because of them?”

He shook his head. “It’s more complicated than that.”

I drew up my glove, flashing him the glowing blue rune. “When isn’t it?”

Reese’s fingers brushed over the illuminated skin. Could he feel the vibration? “You ignited it.”

It almost sounded like a question as he looked the rest of me over. He, too, was clearly at a loss for what it meant, because nothing else was happening. As he had said, they were supposed to do something. Was I defective?

Of all things, he smiled.

“What?”

“It’s nothing.” He gave a casual shrug, but still didn’t let go of my hand, his thumb still gently drawing small circles over the tingling patch of glowing skin. The distance between us was rapidly closing, and I wasn’t sure if he was moving in or if it was me. Our faces were now flush to one another’s that I could see every shade of brown and gold woven into his bottomless eyes. They really were beautiful.

“Come on, man!” A clatter of loud voices suddenly boomed from the next table over, startling us both. We turned just in time as a girl laughingly stumbled into us.

“Sorry,” the leggy brunette cooed, patting me on the shoulder as she caught her footing. “My bad.”

“It’s fine.” I gave a polite smile, and she winked in return, a roguish grin teasing her lips. She was in head-to-toe leather, her feline brown eyes accentuated all the more by winged eyeliner and black eye shadow.

“I think she likes you,” whispered Reese, trying to hold back his amusement.

I still couldn’t take my eyes off the brunette as she headed down to a group of people who had just walked in. Something about her was uncannily familiar. Where had I seen her before?

She looked back over her shoulder, that feline grin still in place as she returned my gaze. Her eyes shifted over to the entrance, and her stare went cold. I turned around, catching a glimpse of a tall dark figure. That strange sensation stirring under my skin tugged at me, urging me to the open doorway.

“What’s wrong?”

I didn’t have time to answer. Making my way through the gaming hall, I headed back into the dining area, still feeling that pull as I surveyed the patrons. A fresh wave of warmth spread across my chest the closer I got to the parking lot. I stepped outside, feeling the breath catch in my throat at the sight of the hooded figure leaning contentedly against Reese’s truck. The lighting overhead only consisted of a singular bulb hanging above the front entrance, so the parking lot was shrouded in shadows. But his sleeves were pulled up to his elbows. That much I could see, because glowing blue runes emanated from his left forearm.