Page 252 of Boys Who Hunt
Slowly but surely, that same wicked smile that still haunts my soul to this very day forms on his face. “Deal.”
CHAPTER 61
Heath
Weekslater
Through the bushes,I watch Ivy scatter her mother’s ashes on the cemetery grounds. She grabs Cora’s hand tightly when the girl starts weeping, and it makes it so hard for me not to come and hug them tight.
The trees whistle in the wind while they stay put to watch the dust settle on the grass.
I know I should stay away.
I know I should let her deal with this in peace.
But a gnawing part of me just can’t let go.
Even if I have Max now, it feels like I’m missing a part of me without her.
Max was right. We’ve gotten addicted. Addicted to the rush of having a girl like her at our beck and call. And then we wasted it all because we thought she was a liar.
Prejudice is the killer of love.
Now we have to watch her from the sidelines, wondering if she’s doing okay.
Silas warned me not to overstep, so I won’t, even though I wasn’t the one who said “deal.”
But if I made a move now, it would only establish what we already know to be true; the Skull and Serpent Society men take what they want with no regard to anyone else.
So I stay put and watch her from a distance.
For a second, she turns around, wiping away a small tear, her eyes briefly connecting with mine before I disappear into the trees.
Even if she doesn’t want us close right now, I will always keep watch over her and Cora.
That is the promise I made to myself the moment she walked out of that hospital on her own despite every bit of adversity thrown her way.
A deal I made with myself when I swore I would never touch those fucking pills again.
And I intend to keep that promise until the day I die.
Ivy
“Why can’tI take Bagel to school?” Cora whines.
“Because cats aren’t allowed in there.” I laugh. “Besides, the teacher would probably get holes in her clothes from the number of times he’d want to jump on her lap for cuddles.”
“Aw … but he’s so cute.” She cuddles him thoroughly, entirely against his wishes as he moans in cat language toplease let him go. I don’t speak cat, but I consider myself a connoisseur in Bagel-ese, and I know what it sounds like when he’s annoyed.
“But he’ll be so alone, all by himself,” she says, then she starts singing the lyrics to that song, making me laugh again.
“He’s surrounded by plenty of sorority girls more than willing to pet him,” I reply. “I’m sure he’ll be all right.”
“Ivy’s right; that cat has more game than the boys from the Skull and Serpent Society, and that says a lot,” Océane says as she leans against the doorjamb of the guest room I’m staying in. “We have alternating classes here, so I doubt he’ll be alone.”
“Exactly what she said.” I wink. “Now, let’s go. We’re almost late.” I grab her bag and drag her along.
“You need a ride?” Océane asks. “Talon can drive.”