Reign (An Unfortunate Fairy Tale, #4)(9)

“That’s because nobody’s home.”

“Of course you’re home. I saw you walk by the window.”

“Maybe I didn’t want company, did you think of that?” she mumbled between clenched teeth.

“Why wouldn’t you want company? Now that’s just dumb. No one likes being alone.”

Mina sighed loudly in frustration. Nix still didn’t understand human etiquette. Since Nixies didn’t have doors on their underground caves, they were used to just letting themselves into each other’s dwellings. And since Nix only one of his friends and family that hadn’t disappeared or turned into an evil Sea Witch, being alone was a terrible thought.

“Well, I happen to like being alone,” she answered.

“Being alone isn’t good for the soul. It’s not healthy. I should know.”

“Nix, this isn’t really the time to be debating this,” Mina hissed under her breath as Brody just leaned against the wall and watched the whole exchange with a bemused expression.

“And you,” she turned on Brody. “Were you going to let him just walk into my house?”

Brody shrugged his shoulders and started to chuckle. His hair was slightly damp, and his shirt clung to his shoulders. He seemed wetter than he would have been from walking a few feet in the rain from the car to the house. They must have driven here straight from water polo practice. Over the last few weeks, Brody and Nix had bonded over their love of water sports. “When he gets his mind set on doing something there’s hardly a way to stop him,” he answered and motioned to Nix. “It’s way more fun to sit back and watch.”

Mina rolled her eyes and picked up the poker from the floor, stashing it in a corner of the room.

“Yay, the weapon of decapitation has been dispensed with. Now we move onto business,” Nix said happily.

Mina put her hands on her hips and tilted her head. “What are you talking about?”

Nix started toward the open doors that led into the library. When he saw all the books on the floor, he looked surprised and entered. He began to pick up random books and flip through them, ignoring her question.

Brody followed Nix into the library and looked at the mess. “Got something against reading?”

“No, I’m just alphabetizing,” Mina answered quickly, knocking a pile of books over. The pile fell sideways, and the top one slid across the floor into Brody’s foot.

They both reached for the book at the exact same time, and their hands touched. She inhaled deeply and held it as a whiff of his shampoo washed over her. He smelled so clean. Her heart pounded in her chest. She had almost forgotten what Brody smelled like.

“I’ll help you.” He pulled gently on the book, and she let him have it. He walked over to a semi-empty bookshelf and placed the book upright.

Nix flipped his book closed with a loud thud, looked between Brody and Mina, and announced loudly, “I’m hungry. Anyone want any food? No?” He answered for them before they could respond. “Good, ’cause I wasn’t going to make you anything anyway. So if you’ve got something to say Brody, you should say it now. Before I finish eating whatever sandwich I can make out of their leftovers.”

Brody’s cheeks flushed. Was Brody here to see her? Was this his idea? For some reason, she’d believed Nix was the one behind their sudden arrival on her doorstep.

Brody looked even more handsome when he blushed. Was that because of her? “Uh yeah, so about the real reason I asked him to come here with me.” Brody scratched the top of his blond head, messing up his sun-kissed locks.

“Why did you need Nix to come here with you?”

“To be the first through the door, if you decided to attack us when we broke in, of course.”

“Of course.”

“No, I only asked him because you two seem to have grown close. And he swore up and down that you two weren’t an item. When he heard my plan, he said he would come with me just in case you turned me down.”

“Your plan?”

“Yeah. There’s this thing at my parents’ country club.”

“I like things.” Mina rushed the words out, anticipating where the conversation was headed, then inwardly groaned at her childish answer.

Brody laughed. “I’m glad you like things. I like these things well enough, if someone I like is willing to go too.”

“And you think this person that you like would like going to this thing?” Mina asked coyly. She chuckled at their verbal game. Flirting with Brody Carmichael was thrilling.

“Yeah,” he breathed out softly, stepping closer. “That’s why I’m here. To ask this person that I like to go to this thing.”

“Oh, well, in that case, Nick is in the kitchen,” Mina teased, jumping back as Brody made a playful punch at her arm.

“That’s not funny,” Brody challenged.

“Yes, it was,” Mina laughed, “and you know it.”

Brody grinned and stepped closer. “Yeah, you’re right it was funny.”

When their laughter died down, she had a moment to contemplate. “But why?” Mina immediately hated herself for doubting his motives. It wasn’t that she didn’t believe him, but more that she wanted to make sure he wasn’t under any Fae influence.

It was the wrong thing to say. His face fell, and he looked irritated. “If you don’t want to go, you can just say so.” He turned and left the library without another word. She wondered where he went until she heard the screen door slam.