Page 148 of Wherever You Are

Our eyes close again, and he deepens the kiss, edging my mouth open. A soft noise catches in the back of my throat. One that I don’t even know ifheheard. But I cling harder to Garrison all the same. I follow his lead until he breaks away for breath. Forehead pressed to mine.

“That was my first kiss,” I whisper to him.

He smiles. “I know.” His eyes dance around me, trying to read my body language. I wouldn’t even be able to translate it for him. “Did you like it?”

“Yes,” I say, my body heating up from truth. “A lot. I think…I think we should do it again sometime.”

“Definitely. But later,” he agrees. “When we’re not in a room with your brothers.”

My brothers.

Oh shit.

I forgot about them. In fact, I forgot all about the other six people in the kitchen. I glance past Garrison’s chest. Daisy and Ryke are lost in each other’s eyes, swaying to invisible, nonexistent music. Cake stuck in their hair and covering their arms.

Lily and Lo are MIA.

Connor and Rose have migrated to the couch, backs turned to us.

No one was watching us.

I’m not sure if that’s the real truth, but I’m going to the grave believing it.

37BACK THEN – October

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

GARRISON ABBEY

Age 19

We’re huddled near the back of Connor Cobalt’s limo, my laptop propped open on the trunk. Water slowly trickles from a fountain in the yard. The Cobalt Estate is made for royalty. If their mansion could talk, it’d be calling all the other houses on the street “peasants.”

Cold bites my bare skin. My costume for this lovely Halloween: a red T-shirt, red slacks, and a red-horned headband.

I’m the devil.

All thanks to Loren Hale.

Halloween happens to land on his birthday. And yeah, I phrased it like that because after knowing the guy for this long, I don’t think the universe put his birthdayonHalloween. It’s definitely the other way around.

As a present to Lo, we’ve all let him decide our costumes for the night.

Willow tucks a piece of hair behind her ear.

A circular gold wreath hovers over her head. Knee-length white dress and matching wings round out the outfit. An angel to my devil. I’m shocked. Not that Lo would choose something pure and perfect for Willow, but because he pickedmatchingcostumes for us.

It looks like we’re a couple.

We are.

But I didn’t think Loren Hale wanted to announce the fact to the world. Not likethis. He still glares at me anytime I get within three inches of her lips. I get it. He’s overprotective of his sister, especially now that I’m dating her.

Willow and I are doing well, and that’s all that matters to me.

She glances at the opened laptop, an email server popped up next to a hacking software. But we haven’t been talking about that.

I’m stuck on news that recently came out. “I don’t get it. The artists and creators ofThe Fourth Degreemust have smoked one too many joints. None of it makes sense. I shouldn’t have won.”