Reborn (Shadow Falls: After Dark #1)(81)

“I think,” Kylie said. “I skipped Auras 101.”

“Well, I’ve been in a really dark, pissy mood. So it’s understandable.”

“But Miranda thinks a really dark aura can bring on more darkness, sort of like bad attracts bad. That’s why she wants you to … find your happy place.”

“My happy place is going to be finding a killer and getting Chan in his proper grave.”

Kylie dropped on the bed. “Is that what Burnett wanted with you just now?”

“Yeah,” Della said. “It’s going to be a week before they can do Chan’s autopsy, so they won’t be burying him until after that. And I start on the case in … less than an hour.”

“Less than an hour? Doing what?”

“Hanging out someplace that vampire gangs are known to be. Oh, and the real pisser is that I’ll be working with Chase.”

Kylie grimaced. “And you still don’t like him.”

“Do bears shit in the woods?”

Kylie made a face. “I don’t know, I’ve never seen one.”

Della shook her head. “I don’t like him. I don’t trust him.”

“He’s awfully cute,” Kylie said, her voice laced with humor. “Might that be why you don’t want to spend too much time with him?”

Della shook her head. “I don’t like him that way. He’s too … irritating.”

Kylie’s brow, now quirked with suspicion, didn’t go down. Della finally blurted out the truth. “Fine, I find him attractive. But that doesn’t mean anything. It’s not as if he’s…”

“Steve?” Kylie asked.

“Yeah,” Della admitted, but hated doing it.

They sat silently for a second, and then Kylie asked, “Why didn’t you tell us about Steve?”

Della shrugged. “It seems all I’ve been doing is whining about things. And it hurts to talk about it.”

“But we’re best friends. We just want to help.”

“I know,” Della said.

“Is it really over?” Kylie asked.

“I think so.” Della bit down on her lip and suddenly wanted to talk. “He kissed Jessie. Or I should say, she kissed him. And he was all guilt-ridden so I know he enjoyed it. It makes me furious, but … last weekend he wanted me to meet his parents, and I totally freaked. I don’t want to meet his parents. I don’t want whatever we have to become … official. So is it fair for me to let this ‘thing’ we have keep going, when I don’t know if I’ll let it go anywhere?”

“Has he called you since then?” Kylie asked.

“No. And it’s probably best.” But Della had been checking her phone constantly. She wasn’t sure if it was relief or disappointment she felt when she found he hadn’t tried to contact her.

Kylie dropped back on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. “Holiday once told me that women who have daddy issues usually find a way to have issues with guys. We project our problems with our daddies onto other guys. It sounded like a bunch of crap at first, but then was it a coincidence that I finally gave in to Lucas after I resolved the issues with my stepdad.”

Della reclined on the bed beside Kylie. “So, you’re saying I need to fix my relationship with my dad before I can ever have a boyfriend?” She slapped her forehead. “Damn, looks like I might be going lesbian, because I don’t think that will happen.”

Kylie chuckled. “Sorry, I’m taken.”

Socks, Kylie’s cat, jumped up on the bed and rubbed against Della’s side. She grinned. “Yeah, you and your hottie werewolf. You know, Socks here doesn’t approve of the dog at all. I think Sock’s is afraid Lucas will give him fleas.”

Kylie frowned as she petted her cat. “Lucas doesn’t have fleas. And besides, I approve of Lucas.” Her eyes widened with affection. “I love him so much. Even when he’s overbearing and a bit macho like he was at the funeral home. He makes me … feel complete. And I think you deserve to have that, too. Someone who just makes you feel so good inside. They touch you and you melt. They look at you all sexy like and you feel gooey inside. They hold you and whatever problems you’ve got going on, they just seem smaller.”

“Maybe I’m not meant to have that.” Della looked at Socks. “I’ll get old and get a bunch of cats. That seems to be what women do who don’t get married.” But Della couldn’t help but think about how Steve made her feel. And no cat would ever do that.

“I don’t believe that,” Kylie insisted. “And maybe all this crap happening right now is messing with your head. If none of this other stuff would have happened, you might not have panicked about meeting Steve’s parents.”

“What about him kissing Jessie and enjoying it?” Della asked.

“Did he tell you he enjoyed it?” Kylie asked. “Because I’ve seen the way he looks at you, and I find it hard to believe he enjoyed kissing anyone besides you.”

“He didn’t say it, but he’s a guy. Of course he enjoyed it.”

Kylie made a face. “Okay, I won’t argue with that, but it sounds to me like you’re looking for a reason to distance yourself from him. Maybe what’s really going on is that you know how much you like him and you’re just afraid?”