16. Maddox #2
She grinned, her eyes twinkling in such a way I found so fucking beautiful it stopped my breath. “Because you need an A in AP biology.”
I chuckled, my lips curving to match hers.
This fucking girl.
My amusement surprised me as much as it did her, genuine, unguarded, and completely out of character for me. The world tilted a little, the ground shifting beneath my feet. What the hell is going on with me?
“Holy shit,” she said breathily, one hand coming up to press against her chest. “I think my heart just stopped. I wasn’t sure you were capable of smiling.”
“There hasn’t been much in my life worth smiling about,” I admitted as a group of girls walked behind me, pushing me closer to her. I kept my gaze on hers, wanting to see if she was as affected by my proximity as I was by hers, and was rewarded by the darkening of her irises.
I wanted to kiss her, and normally I wouldn’t have hesitated acting on those wants, yet I did…why? Was it Kaylor? The idea seemed ridiculous, given she was with my brother.
Movement flickered in my peripheral vision, just behind Hales, but by the time I shifted my gaze, Mason already had his hands around her waist, sliding around her as he pulled her back against his chest. “Hey, Freckles, you look hot.”
She went rigid in my twin’s arms. “If you don’t put me down, your balls are going to be extremely sore.”
Mason laughed, his eyes twinkling as he set her feet to the ground but kept his hands around her. “I love when you talk dirty to me.”
“Let her go, Mason,” I growled.
“We’re about to play a game. You in, Freckles?” he murmured into her ear.
She gave no warning, just moved, sinking her elbow into Mason’s chest.
He made an oomph noise before releasing her, his hands rubbing at the spot on his lower sternum. “Shit. I love how feisty you are.”
Those two different colored eyes rolled. “You ever heard of consent?”
Mason’s lips curled, unfazed. “Do you consent to playing a game, Freckles? I’ll let you tackle me again.”
She snorted. “I’d rather not touch you.” Her eyes turned to me, raising a brow. “Are you playing?”
“Of course, he is.” Mason draped his arm over my shoulder. “Mad invented the game, a little twist on Spin the Bottle.”
“What kind of twist?” she asked, her voice wary now, suspicion threading through the curiosity as she toyed with the charm hanging from her neck.
Mason’s grin grew predatory, knowing he had her. “We blindfold you, spin you around, and you have to guess who is who by kissing them.”
“Mas,” I gritted out between clenched teeth.
He ignored my warning. “It’s tradition. It wouldn’t be Raven Night if we didn’t play.”
If I didn’t go along, he would know something was up. “Fine, but I’m up first.”
Mason’s brows inched up. “And why is that?”
I held his gaze, doing our twin telepathy thing, letting him know without words that I wasn’t thrilled with his tactics.
He smirked.
Taking Hales’s hand, I steered her toward the back of the church, away from the main floor and the watching eyes, down the narrow stairs that led to the cellar.
The stone steps were worn smooth by a century of footsteps, uneven and treacherous in the dim light.
I should have told her to run…that’s what a decent guy would do, but it had been established, I wasn’t a good guy.
The air changed as soon as we descended, cooler, damp, and heavy with the smell of old stone and sins I longed to forget. She shivered, goose bumps rising on her bare arms. Why was my first thought to offer her my sweatshirt?
A half dozen guys were already down in the cellar, drinking, smoking, and bullshitting. In one corner, a couple was pressed together against the rough wall, more interested in each other than whatever game was starting.
Mas rattled off names in case she wasn’t familiar with all the guys. Torin, Levi, Hudson, Ty, Nick, Mason, and me.
Mas handed me the blindfold, the silky fabric sliding through my fingers.
I turned toward Hales, my eyes seeking hers, expecting to see fear wide in her blue and hazel eyes.
If she was afraid, she didn’t show it, and I couldn’t figure out if that made her naive or reckless.
“Just remember, I told you I wouldn’t be held responsible for what happens to you. ”
Her head tilted to the side as she regarded me with a ghost of a smile. “Is this your way of warning me that something bad is about to happen to me?”
“I get the feeling it wouldn’t matter if I were. There’s something different about you, Hales. I don’t know what it is, but I’m going to figure it out.”
“Stop flirting with her and put on the damn blindfold,” Levi whooped, lifting his drink in salute.
Hudson, beside him, clinked his Solo cup against Levi’s. “Let the games begin.”
My lab partner was about to hate me…if she made it through the game, that was. Why was I bothered by the idea of those eyes glaring at me with disdain?
“What happens if I guess wrong?” she asked, noticing Mason as he lit the candles, bathing the cellar in flickering shadows.
I lifted the blindfold. “You’ll be punished.” I was the last thing she saw before I tied the blindfold around her eyes, careful not to catch her hair in the knot. My fingers brushed her temple as I worked the silk into place.
She went still at the touch. Completely motionless except for the rise and fall of her ribs.
“Ready?” I whispered, my breath stirring the hair near her ear, and she shivered again. We were close enough for me to feel the way her breathing quickened.
She followed my voice, tipping her head toward me, causing my lips to gaze at her skin. “As ready as I’ll ever be,” she murmured.
Mason moved in behind her, his hands on her shoulders, turning her once, twice, three times before he released her with a shove forward.
Her hands shot out in front of her like she was walking a tightrope, grappling for stability, her body wavering from side to side, but she had better balance than most.
“Okay,” Mason said, stepping back into the loose circle that had formed around her. “Choose carefully, Freckles.”
She walked forward, hesitant, testing the ground like she expected it to disappear. Her fingers brushed someone’s sleeve that wasn’t mine. As she approached Ty, my immediate response was to shove him out of the way. For reasons beyond me, I didn’t want her lips touching anyone else’s but mine.