Burn Before Reading(106)

He looks up, grinning at my sarcasm.

“Alright. I can pretend to not feel things. I’m good at that.”

A knock at the door makes my stomach fall. It’s Wolf. I get up slowly, and brace myself before I pull the door open. Kristin stands there, blonde hair in a bun and her smile somehow apologetic.

“Hey, Bee.”

“Hi. I didn’t know if you’d show up –”

“I –” She frowns. “Just for a minute. I wanted to say something. To all of you. And then I’ll go.”

I wave her in, and she walks into the living room. Fitz points at her accusingly.

“You!”

“Me,” She mutters. Burn’s face goes flat, his eyes suddenly narrowing.

“What is she doing here, Bee?” Fitz asks. “She’s the one who texted us that Dad had kidnapped you – so we ran to Ciao Bella like she said –”

“You’re working with him,” Burn says to her. Mr. Blackthorn did say she grew to like him, didn’t he? And that’s what outed her as his spy to them.

“I’m not,” She says. “Not anymore. I just wanted to – apologize. For everything. You’ve blocked me everywhere else, so. This was the last place I could think of.”

“That’s why you accepted my party invite?” I frown. She nods, unable to meet my gaze. She can meet Burn’s just fine.

“I’m sorry,” She says with a wavering voice.

“You’ve said sorry.” Burn says. “You did what you came to do. Now leave.”

Kristin breathes in deep, then out. “Right. Okay.”

I follow her back to the door, and she turns with a watery smile.

“I’m really sorry for using your birthday party like this, Bee.”

“It’s okay. I know what it’s like, to want to apologize so badly you’d do anything. You’re welcome to stay.”

“No,” She shakes her head. “I’ve pushed my luck already. I have to be honest – I’m a little jealous.”

“Of what?”

“How much Burn likes you,” She laughs.

“He doesn’t, like like me –”

“No, I know. Just as a friend, he likes you a lot. I can tell. Take care of him, okay?”

“I will. Don’t worry.”

She walks down my steps, then turns, calling back up at me.

“We sort of learned our lesson together, huh?”

“To not trust image-obsessed pricks like Mr. Blackthorn?” I ask.

“To not go so hard after the things we want, if it hurts other people,” She corrects. I’m quiet, the gravity of her words pressing down on me.

“Yeah. Definitely learned that.”

She waves, and walks to her Prius. Just as she gets in, the roar of a motorcycle turns my insides upside down. Wolf pulls up to the curb, taking his helmet off. In the dim light of dusk, I can’t see his expression when he sees me. He carries something under the arm of his leather jacket.

I still my breathing, trying to calm myself down. But my heart won’t stop freaking out. He’s even handsomer than yesterday, somehow. And his words – I can’t shake his words from my brain. Everything piles on top of itself to reduce me to a trembling mess.

“Hi,” I say.

“Hey,” His jaw is tight, his fists against his sides. He’s nervous. Maybe even more nervous than I am. He offers the package under his arm, wrapped in silver paper. “Happy birthday.”

“Oh man, you didn’t have to –”

“I wanted to,” He asserts.

“Well, uh, thanks. It means a lot.”

“You don’t even know what it is,” He laughs softly.

“Well it’s probably not socks, so I think a thanks is in order.”

“Fair enough.”

There’s a stiff silence between us, and then Fitz comes barreling behind me.

“There you are!” He pulls Wolf inside, Wolf’s body narrowly missing brushing against mine. “Burn says I’m cheating and you have to come and beat him.”

“At what?” Wolf looks bewildered.

“Clue, duh. You’re the best at all those nerd-ass board games.”

Wolf rolls his eyes, but follows Fitz anyway, and I laugh and follow the both of them. Wolf gets wrapped up in the Clue game immediately, Fitz and Wolf tied to win by a long shot until Keri pulls the rug out from under him. Burn gets taken out, and he stands up and sits with me on the barstool.

“Is there any food?” He asks. I lead him to the kitchen, where it’s a little quieter. I pull out the chips, the roasted pigs-in-a-blanket, and all the dips Mom and I made. He picks at them.

“We’re moving,” Burn says around a mouthful.

“What?”

“I turn eighteen in three weeks. And when that happens, I’m filing for legal guardianship of Fitz and Wolf.”

“Seriously?”

“Dad’s looking to put Fitz in a rehab center,” He says. “And Wolf in a ‘reorientation’ facility.”

I feel sick all of a sudden. “Oh god, I should’ve told you – but I didn’t think –”

“He talked to you about it?”