Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 99700 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 499(@200wpm)___ 399(@250wpm)___ 332(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 99700 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 499(@200wpm)___ 399(@250wpm)___ 332(@300wpm)
“I’m going to head out,” Victor said as Lucy handed him his backpack.
“Oh. Ah, OK,” Pandora said, feeling a little rejected, even if she knew that wasn’t logical.
“Text me if something comes up. Otherwise, I’ll be here tomorrow night.”
With that, and not even another glance at Pandora, he left.
“What was that about?” Lucy asked, watching Victor out the window as he walked down the street.
Pandora rushed closer, leaning over the counter. When she spoke, her voice was airy, her words practically tripping over each other. “He kissed me!”
“What?” Lucy asked, mouth falling open. “You can’t drop news like that and not give me a byline, at least.”
“Well, it starts with us being followed.” Pandora moved behind the counter to wipe down the already spotless surface.
She’d always been a stress cleaner.
By the end of this marriage, she was pretty sure she would rub the sheen off the counters and floors at this rate.
“That weaselly, conniving, arrogant—”
“I would love to hear how that ends,” Pandora said. “But it wasn’t Elias.”
“Are you sure? He headed out not long after you two.”
“He probably went to feed,” Pandora said. “No, it was Bellatrix. She was moving too fast at first to make out.” She left out that Bellatrix had also likely just fed, which had made her so much quicker even than Pandora’s own vision. “But then I saw her hair. No one else has hair like her and can move that fast. Except maybe my aunt. But she’s probably too busy sitting around my house telling our family how perfect her daughter is.”
“Why would she be following you? What a creep.”
“I’m worried she picked up on things not being … real between Victor and me.”
“You said you thought the party went well. Aside from Mr. Tall, Dark and Annoying showing up.”
“I thought it had. I mean, my mum was suspicious, but I think that had more to do with Victor being human. Everyone else seemed to, you know, buy it.”
“Did she see the kiss?”
“Yeah. I mean, she was there when it started. But I, you know, lost track of her once he started kissing me.”
“Did you feel it in your toes? You have the look of someone who felt it in their toes.”
“I felt it everywhere.” Her body felt warm just from the memory.
“And yet you’re speed cleaning,” Lucy said, making Pandora freeze, realizing her friend was right. She was so worked up that she was letting her supernatural speed come out.
“He was weird after.”
“Weird,” Lucy said. “Weird like he was giving you a trouser salute and was uncomfortable. Or …”
“Or,” Pandora said, sighing. “He was silent and kind of distant.”
“But you felt butterflies and heard fallen angels sing?” Lucy asked.
“Pretty much.”
“Hmm.”
“Do you think he really felt nothing?” Pandora asked, hearing the hurt slipping into her voice.
“I don’t think so. Maybe he’s just, you know, conflicted. You know what? Maybe you just need another kiss to see,” Lucy said.
“I can’t just kiss my fake fiancé.”
“You could if you were doing it to put on a show for your family,” Lucy said. “Or in front of Elias to drive it home to him that you two are never gonna happen.”
“I think Victor is a little threatened by Elias.”
“Which is why you can totally get him to kiss you in front of him. Though I don’t think he’d feel in any way threatened if he knew what that guy is really like.”
“I’m not saying he wasn’t being completely inappropriate. But the way you two were sparring felt a little, I don’t know, heated,” Pandora said as she moved the stir sticks that Lucy had threatened Elias with back to their rightful spot.
“Oh, it was heated all right.”
“You said you wanted to lick him.”
“Before he opened his mouth, sure. Even the hottest man on earth can be turned ugly when he starts banging on about things.”
“So, you think he’s the hottest man on earth?” Pandora asked, loving a chance to tease Lucy like her friend had often teased her about her crush on Caramel Macchiato Cutie before they’d known his name.
“Well, I have eyes, don’t I?” Lucy turned away to hide the flush that crept up her neck at the mention of Elias’s good looks. “Unfortunately, I also have ears. And a brain. And a modicum of self-respect. So no matter how hot he might be, that’s never gonna happen. Anyway, why are we still talking about that arrogant, narcissistic—”
“Aw, talking about me?” Elias’s voice interrupted, making Lucy let out an actual growl that Pandora had to fight not to laugh at.
“Ugh. Great. Count Fangula is back. I’m taking a break,” she said before disappearing into the back room.
“Where’d you go?” Pandora asked.
“Thought I saw someone,” he said, shrugging.
“Are you working with her?” Pandora asked, suddenly suspicious as she glared at Elias.
“Working with whom?” Elias asked. And he was either a very skilled liar or he genuinely didn’t know what Pandora was talking about.