Chapter 26
26
A n hour later, Devlin cut the connection.
The invention was a success! At least temporarily. There would have to be more testing, but this was heading in the right direction.
He was elated. So was I.
He claps his hands. “What are we doing to celebrate?”
My phone dings and a reminder pops up. I groan. “Oh. I can’t.”
His entire body drops, and I feel awful for forgetting about this. “What?”
I scroll down my phone. “I have plans. Feylin and Addison are throwing a dinner party.”
“Oh.” He slumps against the wall in his living room. He’s surrounded by all his inventions. It’s very impressive. Makes me feel like I haven’t been doing anything with my life. Like maybe I should be inventing a pocket cauldron or something. Oh wait, Devlin already did that.
But he looks so sad, like a lost puppy dog. Can’t have that, not on such an important day. “Why don’t you come with me?”
He stretches his arms over his head, touching the top of the doorframe. His shirt rides up, revealing a trail of dark golden hair that disappears down into his pants. “You sure?”
I rip my gaze away. “Yeah. I don’t think they’d mind, and it’ll be fun. You like Feylin and Addison, right?”
“Very much.”
“Then come with me. Be at the house at five. That’s when we’re leaving.”
He gives me a questioning look. “You’re sure? You’re inviting me to do something with your family. You realize that.”
I smirk. “Of course I realize that. So come. They’d love to see you. And I”—butterflies flutter in my stomach, so I look down—“I’d like for you to be there.”
My cheeks are burning when I lift my head and see him studying me. He blinks, breaking his gaze, and flashes his lopsided smile. “All right. Pick you up at five.”
I roll my eyes. “You won’t be picking me up. We’ll all be going together.”
He grins, showing off the dimple in his right cheek. “Then I’ll be there.”
“You did not invite Devlin,” Chelsea says, plopping onto my bed and grabbing Mr. Mittens, my stuffed kitten, from on top of my pillow and hugging it to her chest. “Why’d you invite him and not Storm?”
I wrap a strand of hair around the curling iron. Yes, some things you do the old-fashioned way instead of using magic.
“Well, because we made a big breakthrough in his invention today, that’s why. Plus, Storm is out of town.”
“Sounds like somebody’s in love,” she says in a singsong voice.
“Stop it.” She rolls onto her back and tosses Mr. Mittens into the air. “Be careful with that. He’s old.”
“Don’t worry, I’m not going to harm your stuffie. But what about Storm?”
I shrug. “I don’t know. He’s great and all, but I don’t know…”
He’s not Devlin. It’s as simple as that. Devlin may not be the man I need, but he’s the man I want. The past few days—hell, the past few hours have proved that to me.
Chelsea sits up and stares. “Wait. Are you and Devlin…together?”
“No. No we are not. We are definitely not together. Not in even the closest sense of the word. But we have become…friends, maybe?”
“Friends. I see. Friends who kiss?”
“Quit.” I pull Mr. Mittens from her hands and toss it at her. She catches it two-handed. “We’re just friends and I only invited him tonight because I promised to celebrate this breakthrough he had with his invention.”
“Whose invention?” Dallas asks from the doorway, a toothbrush in her mouth.
“Blair has the hots for Devlin,” Chelsea tells her. “They’re smooching.”
“No, we’re not! We are not doing that, and if you say one word to him tonight, I’ll hide all your nail polish.”
Her jaw drops. “You wouldn’t.”
“I would. I’d even hide Cajun Shrimp.”
She gasps. “But that’s the best color.”
“I know.”
Dallas laughs. “You can have all my nail polish.”
Dallas is the tomboy in the family. Very little interest in makeup, doing her hair—all of it.
“Anyway,” I say, finishing up my curls. “Isn’t it almost time?”
Chelsea jumps up. “Yep! Let’s find you something to wear.”
“Why can’t I go in this?” I joke, flashing my bathrobe.
“Because it’s going to rain,” Dallas says, walking away. “I gotta go spit.”
Chelsea drops Mr. Mittens onto my bed and heads to my closet. “Let’s see. What should you wear?” She grabs a yellow sundress from the rack and spreads it over her chest. “It might be winter here, but it’s summer in Feylin’s garden. So, this. You should definitely wear this. It shows a lot of shoulder, and your boobs look great in it.”
I laugh. “My boobs look great in it?”
“Yes, they do,” she confirms.
“Fine. Now get out of my room so that I can finish getting ready.”
Fifteen minutes later I’m downstairs with the rest of my family, including Nana, who keeps shooting me funny looks. It feels like she wants to ask me something but doesn’t have the nerve to do it.
Surprising, I know. Since when does social etiquette stop my grandmother from anything?
My mother’s wearing a blue wrap dress that cinches at the waist, and my dad’s in a blue shirt with a sports coat over it.
Mama steps up. “Are we ready?” Oh, I hadn’t noticed her strappy heels until now. They’re adorable. Almost as cute as mine.
Just kidding. They’re cuter.
“Wait.” I clear my throat. “We’re waiting on one more.”
“Who?”
The doorbell rings and Dad walks to it. “I guess this is our mystery guest?” He opens the door and pauses. “Devlin. What a surprise to see you.”
Every head turns to me. Even Chelsea and Dallas, who already knew about this, of course. “I invited Devlin. Addison told me that I could bring someone.”
“But I thought you’d be bringing Storm,” Nana whispers in my ear.
I’d elbow her if I could—old or not.
Mama approaches Devlin with a wide smile on her face. “Devlin, good to see you. Everyone, say hello.”
All five of my sisters give a round of hellos, and Devlin greets them in return.
Mama clasps her hands in front of her. “Are we ready then?”
Devlin threads his way through my sisters to stand by my side. “You look pretty,” he whispers.
“So do you,” I say with a wink.
He grins and little bluebirds flutter in my stomach.
He’s showered since I last saw him. His hair’s brushed back and his shirt collar lies open, revealing just enough tanned skin to make me want to see more.
Before I’m allowed to think too much about Devlin’s naked flesh, my mother says, “Then it’s time to leave.”
She claps her hands, and a halo of magic drops on me. I’m sucked from my spot in the middle of my living room.
Next stop, the castle on the hill.