Reborn (Shadow Falls: After Dark #1)(91)

“I believe him,” Della said, “but that’s not the point.”

“The point is you’re still hurt, right?”

Della exhaled. “Maybe. I guess. Yeah. Shit, it hurts.”

Miranda nodded with empathy. They sat in comfortable silence for a moment, the way friends do, the witch twirling a strand of pink hair around her finger. Her eyes suddenly widened. “I have an idea, but you’re going to think I’m crazy.”

“Since I already think you’re crazy, you might as well tell me.”

“It worked for Perry when he got mad about me kissing Jacob.” Miranda paused as if for dramatic effect. “He kissed Mandy, we got in a big fight, then we both forgave each other.”

Della shook her head, not quite following Miranda. “Are you saying you want me to kiss Perry?”

“No. Not Perry. But you need to go kiss some other guy so you can get over being mad at Steve.”

Della rolled her eyes. “I know math isn’t your subject, but hasn’t anyone told you that two wrongs don’t make a right?”

“It does if it fixes things. You really like Steve. I know you do. And he likes you. So go kiss someone else. Hey, how about that Chase guy? Just walk up to him and plant one on him hard and heavy, and then the score’ll be even, and you’ll be able to move past this. You and Steve can get back together, your aura will lighten up, and everyone will be happy. I mean, it’s that or go bird watching, which would you prefer?”

Della couldn’t help but laugh. “Sorry, I know you’re just trying to help, but that is probably the worst piece of advice I’ve ever been given.”

“Bird watching?”

“No! Kissing Chase!”

Della ignored Chase all morning. Or she tried to. As she walked to lunch, Miranda, Kylie, and Jenny all chatting as they went, Chase stepped beside her and caught her by the arm. “Give me a minute, please.” He tugged her into the woods. “She’ll be right back,” he said to her friends.

Della might have yanked free, but all she could think about was how cold his touch felt. Did that mean she still had a fever? Damn, she hadn’t noticed the headache lately, and she’d just assumed the virus was improving. Well, minus her missing sense of smell.

It hit her then. Like a drop of mental bird crap. Chan had died after getting sick. What if…?

Oh, hell, what was she thinking? She had a cold, a tiny bug. Kevin had said Chan had gotten really sick. Della wasn’t really sick. And she wasn’t a dad-blasted hypochondriac.

Snapping out of that train of thought, she looked back at her group of friends, and Miranda shot her a big smile. Della shot a frown right back, knowing what the little witch was thinking. No friggin’ way was Della going to plaster a big smooch on the panty perv. Not happening!

He kept pulling her, and for reasons she didn’t quite understand she allowed him to. “What?” Della finally spouted out the moment they got in the mix of trees.

“Three things. One: What time are we meeting tonight?”

“I think Burnett said to meet at the office at eight. Next?”

He frowned. “Do you know why the big bad camp leader suddenly lost trust in me?”

“Next?” Della said, not wanting to talk about Burnett’s lack of confidence in Chase. Or her lack of distrust. She still hadn’t gotten her head around the fact that she’d practically defended him to Burnett.

“He had me meet him at his office last night and interrogated me for over an hour.”

“Well, get used to it. He does that to everyone,” she said.

“I don’t think so. Did he say anything to you about not trusting me?”

For one second she almost told him. Told him Burnett had figured out he’d lied about a few things. She opened her mouth, then thought better of it, and slammed it shut.

Chase’s bright eyes tightened. “So something is up?”

“You’ll have to ask Burnett. And you should.”

“Should what?” he asked.

“Talk to him. He’s not … I know he comes across like a hardass, but at least sixty percent of the time he’s fair.”

“So you confide in him about everything?” he asked, sounding almost suspicious.

Not about my uncle. “Almost.” Right then the sound of the falls echoed in her ears. “Do you hear that?” she asked.

“Hear what?”

Regretting asking him, she snapped: “Nothing.” She started tapping her foot against the cold dirt. “Is there something else? What else do you want?”

“Dangerous question,” he said, in a sexy voice full of tease.

She crossed her arms and glared at him. “My friends are waiting on me.”

He pulled out his phone. “What’s your number?” When she didn’t start spitting it out, he said, “So next time I have a question I can just call, and won’t have to interrupt your little Chase-doesn’t-exist game.”

“I wasn’t—”

“You’ve been ignoring me all day. You’ve worked hard at it.”

She stomped her foot a little firmer and felt childish for her game, or rather, she felt childish being caught at it. But what choice did she have? Since he’d expressed an interest in her, the last thing she wanted to do was encourage him.