Page 113 of This Blood that Bonds Us

Aaron was in a good mood, and I didn’t want to be the reason he wasn’t anymore. I’d been mad at Luke for doing the exact same thing to me. We were all too alike.

“Your secret is safe with me.”

I offered her a cigarette, and she took it. I couldn’t fight the growing amusement as she surveyed it and sniffed it.

“Don’t give me that look. I’ve never tried one.”

“They taste awful, but it’s not about the taste. It’s about the feeling of it.”

I lit her cigarette, and she inhaled, looking as badass as ever with her dark hair.

“What about you? How are you holding up?” I asked.

“I’m fine.”

I waited.

“I don’t want you to worry about me. I want to be encouraging for you.”

“Eh, that’s Aaron’s job. You can be whatever you want. Be sad with me.” I nudged her.

She nodded and took another puff, grimacing but powering through. “Do you think . . . I’m weak?”

“Huh?”

“This thing is happening to me, and I thought it was a good thing at first, but . . . I’m so scared all the time. I swear I didn’t used to be scared.”

I blew out a puff of smoke. “You’re one of the strongest people I know. Seriously, do you remember that day in the forest you were panicking about telling my brothers?”

I imagined it all. Back in that memory, everything was warm and happy. I almost forgot what any of that felt like. The dirt and the trees were vibrant, and Kimberly’s cheek was red. I couldn’t remember that without remembering my older brothers and their secrets.

“Yeah, I remember.”

“Even then, I remember thinking about how brave you were. And then you went toe to toe with a killer-crazed vampire and still came out on top. You changed, knowing you might not make it. I wish I was like that . . .”

She hugged me without warning, so tight she squeezed the breath from my lungs.

“Kim, you’re hurting me.”

“Sorry. You’re just perfect exactly like you are, and I don’t want you to ever think that you’re lacking somehow.”

“Aaron’s really rubbing off on you, huh?”

When she pulled back, there were tears in her eyes. “Is it that obvious? I didn’t cry before, not even during sad movies.”

I smiled. “It’s kinda cool. It suits you.”

We stayed snuggled together as we admired the snow-covered trees that surrounded our property. That place never changed. I couldn’t imagine it not being covered in snow, but every day, we got a little closer to spring.

“Do you ever wish I would have just turned you away at the OBA party when we met?” I asked, finally finishing my cigarette and putting it out on my shoe.

“Do you?”

“No. I just think about that moment a lot, and I wonder if I could have . . . changed things. Maybe you could have avoided the Calem curse.”

“If this is the result of someCalem curse, I’m okay with it.”

“You really mean it? The whole . . . cabins on a piece of land thing? Or is that more ofin a better worldthing.”