Bryce’s eyes widen a fraction as he stares at the cop before he catches me watching him.
“And how did you get that?” I point to his busted lip.
“One of them got a lucky punch in.” Bryce smiles.
“I think we should go.” Rosie hugs her middle, looking a little frightened.
“Yeah, we probably should. Listen, I think you’ve done enough. We can probably get a cab from here,” I say to Bryce.
He frowns. “Are you trying to ditch me after my heroic act? That doesn’t seem right.”
The corners of his lips are curled upward, so I know he’s not serious.
“I feel like you’ve done enough.”
“Will there be cake at this birthday party?”
“Naturally.”
His smile widens. “Then I think the least you could do is put me on the guest list.”
I let out a defeated exhale, though I’m feeling exactly the opposite. “Fine, if you insist.”
“Oh, Daisy. I do.” His voice loses the mocking tone and becomes almost seductive. My heart decides it’s time to do a cartwheel.
Okay, Daisy. You’re enjoying this way too much. Remember who he is. What he is.
30
Rufio
“Where the fuck is Bryce?” I call my stupid brother again, only to be sent to his voice mail after a couple of rings, which means the fucker is ignoring my calls on purpose.
“You never cared about Bryce’s whereabouts before,” Phoenix replies from the couch without taking his eyes off the video game on the TV screen.
“We’re expected for dinner at our parents’ tonight, and I’m not going alone.” I walk to the window, but I’m too pissed off to appreciate the view.
If Bryce leaves me hanging again, I’ll beat his aggravating ass all the way to China. I can’t endure another stuffy dinner with our overbearing mother and our jackass father all by myself. Their idea of quality time is to criticize us. I need Bryce to share the spotlight with me.
I whirl around, determined to find the idiot at all costs.
Morpheus comes into the living room half naked, drying his hair with a towel. “No word from Bryce yet?”
“No,” I grumble.
He drops the towel on the couch, driving my aggravation to the limit.
“Hey, put that thing back where it belongs.”
Morpheus gives me a death glare but does pick up the towel again. “I swear to all the gods, Rufio, your obsession with tidiness will be the reason we’ll kill you one day.”
“You should thank me that our place isn’t a pigsty. Can’t you use your damn gift to see where Bryce is?”
He narrows his eyes to slits before he flips me off. “I’m not a fucking detector of lost shit.”
“Fuck, you’re all useless.” I yank my hair back by the roots.
“Come on, dude. Dinner with your parents can’t be that bad.” Phoenix chuckles.
“Do you wanna trade places with me?”
The smile vanishes from my friend’s face. With a somber expression, he replies, “No.”
I’ve met Phoenix’s father once. He seemed all right. Phoenix doesn’t like to talk much about his family, though, or his home life. The same can be said about Morpheus, but at least I know why mummy-boy doesn’t talk about his parents. There’s a lot of drama there, and I’m glad Morpheus is the keeps-shit-to-himself kind of guy.
“I wonder what Daisy’s doing today. Maybe I’ll pay her a visit.” Phoenix glances at me in challenge.
“Whatever. There’s no way in hell you’re going to bag that Norm. She’s worthless, but she’s not stupid,” I tell him.
“You underestimate me, bro, and that’s going to be your downfall.”
“Can we quit talking about Daisy for one day? Is that possible?” Morpheus complains from the kitchen.
“Now that Phoenix mentioned her, maybe I’m going to see what she’s doing today.” I veer toward the kitchen counter and pull up a chair.
Morpheus is still searching for something in the fridge when his entire spine goes rigid. The silver bracelets he wears disappear under the shadows pouring out of his wrists.
“Morpheus? Are you okay there?”
The shadows recede, but it’s another second or two before he turns around. “I think I know where Bryce is. Phoenix, tune it to the news channel now.”
Phoenix glances over his shoulder with a bored glint his eyes. “You’re joking, right? I’m almost on the final level of this game.”
“Do it, damn it!” Morpheus bangs the fridge door closed, rattling the bottles on top.
“Jeez, fine. Cool your jets, bro.”
The video game goes away, and after a few clicks, the news is on. They’re showing an aerial view of Saturn’s Bay Beach, where a circular area near the carnival’s Ferris wheel looks like it’s been leveled by a great force.
“Is that the carnival at the Norm side of the beach?” Phoenix asks.
The news reporter is saying the carnival was attacked by out-of-towners—Idols—and that a local Idol hero prevented a tragedy. One of the witnesses describes seeing a great bright explosion, which is totally my brother’s MO.
“Damn it, Bryce. What are you doing in Normville again?” I ask out loud.
“Maybe he went back for more pie,” Phoenix replies.
A sudden fury erupts from the pit of my stomach. I turn around and head for the door.
“Dude, where are you going?” Phoenix asks.
I’m already outside, banging on the door of our illustrious neighbor.
“Daisy, open up.”
My knocks are loud enough to bother the entire floor. When no answer comes from inside, I’m ready to blast the door to pieces. Morpheus holds my arm before I can.
“What the fuck are you doing?”
“What does it look like?”
“You can’t blast the door open with your bare hands. Have you forgotten those are protected against Idol powers?”
I clench my jaw so hard it actually hurts. Every dorm room door on campus is made out of a special material that repels Idol’s gifts. A precaution to ensure students have privacy and also to avoid people dying on school grounds.
“She’s probably not home anyway. I bet she went to visit her friends at the diner,” Phoenix chimes in.
“Do you think Daisy and Bryce are together?” I ask Morpheus.
“I’d say there’s a high chance they are.”
I’m livid. If Bryce messes up my plans for Daisy, there will be hell to pay. He’s always had a strange fascination for pathetic things. First it was the insects, now the Norms.
“I guess I’m going to crash their date, then.”
I return to our apartment with Morpheus close behind me. “What about dinner with your parents?” he asks.
“Fuck them. If Bryce can skip it, so can I.”
“What’s happening now?” Phoenix sits up straighter on the couch.
“Rufio is going after Bryce,” Morpheus replies.
Phoenix jumps from his seat, tossing the video game controller on the couch. “Do you mean he’s going after Daisy? Then I’m in.”
I grab my car keys from the counter. “Sorry, buddy. This is a solo mission.”
“Fuck that. I’m going.”
Without looking back, I say, “Not with me you aren’t.”
I shut the front door hard. It gives me a small sense of satisfaction. It won’t keep Phoenix from tagging along, even in a separate car, but there’s one advantage I have over the idiot. Now that I more or less know Bryce’s whereabouts, I can find him. I can sense his unique power signature if I’m near.
Wicked excitement curls around the base of my spine, the thrill of the hunt. It’s heightened by the fact that I can kill two birds with one stone—piss off my brother and further my plans for Daisy.
I can’t wait to see the look on her face when I come crashing into her world. Again.
31
Daisy
I didn’t think this
day could be salvageable, but I underestimated the power of hanging out with true friends. A few hours in to Felicity’s surprise birthday party, the shit that happened earlier has faded into the background.
Bryce’s presence put everyone on edge at first, but Toby was quick to give a brief summary of what the Idol did at the carnival. That was enough to break the tension for almost everyone, except Poppy, who’s kept a close watch on Bryce since we arrived.
When I’m finally alone, he stops next to me. “How is life at Gifted Academy? I see you’ve made friends in high places.”
I easily catch the disapproving tone in his comment.
"It’s had its up and downs. I'm in one piece, though, so I count that as a win."
Poppy takes a sip of his beer. "I have to say, I'm surprised to see you hanging out with that Idol. Isn't he part of the group who terrorized my diner last week?"
"Bryce had nothing to do with it. He just wanted pie."
Why am I defending him? Again?
"Look at you, getting your feathers all ruffled over a poor Idol boy. If I didn't know you any better, I'd say you have a crush on him."
"What?" I squeak. "I do not have a crush on him, or on anybody for that matter."
Is that accurate, though? I’ve experienced all kinds of new emotions, not only today with Bryce but also in the past week as well. I can’t deny that both Phoenix and Rufio have somehow left their marks on me. And if that doesn’t earn me the prize of stupidest girl in the universe, I don’t know what does.
"Good. I hope you didn't forget your experience at a certain night entertainment locale. No one who frequents that place is decent, Daisy. Remember that."
Poppy walks away, leaving me alone to stew on his warning. My good mood plummets.
Why did he have to remind me of one of the most humiliating evenings of my life?
"Everything okay?" Bryce materializes next to me.
I curl my fingers tighter around the glass of soda in my hand. "Yeah. Everything is fine."
"You look tense."
I angle my face to the side to watch him. The first thing I notice is the chocolate smear on the corner of his mouth.
"Did you have a second serving of cake?"
He rewards me with an impish smile. "Third, if I'm being honest. How did you know?"
I point at the stain. "You have chocolate on your face."
Bryce brushes his fingers over the corner of his mouth, but he only manages to get the stain partially off. He licks the chocolate off his fingers, and my eyes immediately zero in on his lips. My stomach clenches, fighting the butterflies that are suddenly fluttering in there.
His eyes find mine, and I know he's aware of my stupid reaction.
"Did I get it all?" he asks in a dangerously smooth voice.
"Uh, no. You missed a spot."
"Where?" He touches every inch of skin surrounding his lips besides the area where the chocolate is.
I'm pretty sure he's doing it on purpose, and I, foolishly, fall for his trap.
"There." I reach over and wipe the spot clean myself.
A zing of desire shoots down my spine and curls around its base. The butterflies are batting their wings at full speed now, matching the tempo of my accelerated heartbeat. I yank my hand back with a gasp. Bryce smiles broadly, showing a row of perfect white teeth.
"You're doing it again," I croak.
"Doing what?" he asks, his eyes full of mischief.
"The smiling thing." I turn away, unable to withstand the power of his stare.
I know he's an Idol and dangerous, so why do I have this insane craving to taste his lips?
I focus on the pool table, which is currently free.
"So, you used to hustle unsuspecting fools at pool, huh?" he says.
"I can't believe Rosie told you that," I reply, crossing my arms.
"Do you want to teach me?"
I glance at him. "You don't know how to play pool?"
Bryce shrugs. "It's not a common pastime on my side of the fence."
I clamp my jaw shut, facing away again. I never once stopped to think that Idols had any other interests in life besides persecuting Norms.
"All right. I'll give you some pointers." I set my glass down and claim the table.
Bryce follows me and waits on the opposite side while I arrange the balls inside the triangle. Once they’re all set, I lift my eyes to his. "Do you want to break?"
"By break you mean start?" he asks.
I reach for the cue sticks mounted on the wall behind me. "Do you even know the basics?"
"Would you think less of me if my answer was no?"
I chuckle. "No."
Bryce's attention remains riveted on my face as I walk around the table. I set one of the sticks on the edge and hand him the second.
He runs his finger over the length of the cue stick and then turns to me. "Now what?"
I place the cue ball on the table. "Just grip the cue stick as you would naturally." I wait for him to do so. "Now lean forward and place the bridge flat on the table, behind the cue ball."
"Like that?"
"'Almost." I move behind him and lean forward to adjust his stance, which brings my boobs flat against his back. His heady cologne fills my nostrils, sending chills down my spine. Or maybe it's just his proximity that's making me light-headed.
I cover his hand with mine and change the way he's gripping the stick. "Hold the butt cap with your thumb, index, and middle finger. And you don't want to grip the back too close to the end."
Bryce turns to me, bringing his face inches from mine. I keep my eyes trained on the cue ball, trying my best to ignore the rampant fury of my heartbeat.
"Drop your head into line with the ball. As you pull your arm back, you ought to release your grip, which will increase the power of your shot."
"All right, I think I got it," he replies, still staring at my face. His warm chocolate-scented breath fans across my overheated skin.
I step back, realizing Bryce could probably feel the hard thumping of my heart while I was glued to his back. Shit.
He gets into position, eyeing the cue ball now. His line is perfect, and I begin to suspect he wasn't telling the truth about his lack of skills. When he pulls his arm back and fires a powerful and precise shot, he manages to get at least five balls in the pockets.
He straightens up and slowly turns to me with a cheeky smile plastered on his gorgeous face.
I put my hands on my hips. "You lied to me. You've played pool before."
"What? Nonsense. Must be beginner’s luck."
I squint slightly before I grab my cue stick. "Fine, buddy. Let's see how long your luck holds."
The game ends fast. I win, but only because Bryce let me. I'm good, but he's way better.
"Okay, you beat me. Told you that shot was beginner's luck," he states with a grin.
"You're too amused for someone who just lost a game." I stare hard at him.
"Hey, kids, anyone fancy brownies?" Felicity approaches our table and offers a tray with the treats, barely holding the offering straight. It's safe to say she's a little tipsy right now.
"Don't mind if I do." Bryce takes three square pieces, immediately shoving one into his mouth.
"Wow, leave some for the rest of us." I walk around the table to grab one. "Who baked these?"
"Angel. Isn't he sweet?" Felicity's gaze travels across the room to land on her boyfriend, Angel, who's having a drink with Poppy.
He's an older dude with longish hair and a beard. Honestly, he’s kind of a hippie, which is completely not Felicity's type. She seems smitten with the guy, but they’ve only been dating for like a week.
I take a bite of Angel's brownie and moan out loud. "Oh my gosh. This is so good."
"I know, right? He’s such a good baker," Felicity replies proudly.
"Man, I've never had anything more delicious. They even beat the blueberry pie. Can I have another piece?" Bryce's greedy fingers are already hovering over the tray.
"Sure, hon. Take as many as you want."
“I seriously don’t know how you can eat so much sugar and maintain your physique.” I take another bite of the brownie.
“It must be in my genes.” Bryce shoves another entire square into his mouth.
I finish eating my treat, then lick the melted chocolate off my fingers. It’s a totally innocent move, but when I glance at Bryce, I find him staring at me with his mouth slightly open and eyes at half-mast.
Heat spreads through my cheeks. “What?” I ask, trying to mask my embarrassment.
“You’re so beautiful,” he says simply without breaking eye contact.
I’m at a loss for words. My face feels numb, and there’s now a strange noise in my ears, as if my head is stuck underwater.
“That’s random.” I laugh nervously.
Oh my God, I sound like an idiot.
He inches closer, then cups my cheek with his large hand. “Maybe I like to watch you.”
I twist my face into a grimace. “Bryce, you’re veering into stalker territory.”
He leans down, bringing his lips closer and closer to mine. I enter panic mode. He’s going to kiss me, and I’m so tempted to let him.
An old favorite song of mine starts to play, and to avoid what I know would be a huge mistake, I step back and announce, “I love this song. Let’s dance.”
I lace my fingers with his and drag him to the makeshift dance floor. It’s an upbeat, classic number, and soon other people join us. I mistakenly thought a crowded dance floor would help keep Bryce away from me, but it works the other way, as we’re quickly pushed together by the throng of partygoers.
His arms snake around my waist, pulling me closer to him. But instead of becoming still as a board—I’m in the arms of the enemy, after all—I laugh and place my hands on his shoulders.
“What’s so funny?” he asks.
“I don’t know.”
Bryce looks to his left and then tips his head in that direction. “I think Toby is infatuated with your sister.”
I follow Bryce’s line of vision. Toby and Rosie are sitting next to each other at a table. Rosie is talking about something she clearly enjoys; the passionate gesture of her hands is a dead giveaway. Toby is simply staring at her adoringly.
Wicked Gods: A Paranormal High School Bully Romance (Gifted Academy Book 1) Page 18
