Unspoken (The Lynburn Legacy 1)

“Girls’ night?” Holly asked from the door.

“Come,” said Angela, without opening her eyes.

“Yes, do come,” Kami said after an instant.

“I’d love to.” Holly swept in, bringing radiance with her. Angela slid over so Holly could sit on the sofa and lean against Angela’s legs. “I’d say our best chance of getting to dance is to go to the cellar at the Bell and Mist.”

Angela opened her eyes all the way. “Somewhere with other people? But other people bother me.”

“I know, Angie, but I’ll keep them away, and besides, they don’t bother you as much as you say they do.”

“Are you willing to bet on that?” Angela asked. “Like, a sizable amount? Fine, but afterward we’re having hot chocolate and pastries and lots and lots of sleep.”

“Cool,” said Holly, and hugged her legs. “I haven’t been to a sleepover in years.”

Kami thought this was an excellent plan to lift her spirits. She just had to work out a few details first.

When Kami reached Angela’s house that night, she found Holly parking her motorbike behind the gate. Holly looked up and smiled when she saw her. “Just give me a second.”

Kami leaned companionably against the bike. “Yours is much shinier than Jared’s.”

“That is because the way Jared treats his is a disgrace,” Holly said, with unusual sternness. “I like things to be nice. Plus I like working on the bike myself. It’s a Triumph—that’s a classic bike.” She gave its shining blue surface an affectionate pat.

“Jared works on his,” Kami said defensively. “He just uses it—I think—as a bit of an escape.”

Holly shrugged. “Well, sure. That’s why I got the bike myself. When things get too much and everyone is packed in yelling at e

ach other, it’s wonderful to be able to get away, to be peaceful and on your own, moving away fast. But you have to care for your escape as well. That’s Jared’s problem. He doesn’t care about much.”

“He cares,” Kami protested.

Holly gave her a doubtful look, then she rose, dusting off her jeans, and Kami took her arm. Kami hadn’t thought about how crammed Holly’s family’s farmhouse might feel, especially if the family was arguing. Holly didn’t talk about her home life much. Of course she didn’t: Holly liked things to be nice.

“I have a serious girls’ night question for you,” said Kami. “I know you’re new to this, but I will require an answer quickly. Are you prepared to eat at least five éclairs tonight?”

“I don’t know,” Holly returned, laughing and pushing the door open as she shrugged off her jacket. Underneath she was wearing jeans and a pink backless top that was all sequins. “That’s a big commitment.”

They stopped on the threshold at the sight of Angela, sitting at her kitchen island being radiantly beautiful in a red silk shirt and dividing her scowls between Jared and Ash. “They were not invited,” she said. “But they won’t leave. Now you two are here, I’m willing to kill them if you’ll help with the cleanup.”

“I thought you could all use a bodyguard,” Jared suggested. He looked at Kami, and she felt that he was happy to see her. She could not quite help smiling.

Kami looked away and took off her coat. She wasn’t long-legged in tight jeans like Holly and Angela, but she was wearing a white dress that tied low down in front, swung bell-like about her, and had a bright pattern of apricots. She hoped that she looked pretty.

When she looked back, Jared was not looking at her. He seemed set on looking almost anywhere else. “If you keep talking to Angela, soon you will be using a body cast,” Kami told him, more sharply than she meant to. Then she turned to her friend. “Don’t worry, Angela, I expected this. Well, I didn’t expect Ash.”

Ash gave Jared a cold glance. “I followed him to see what he was up to.”

So Ash still suspected Jared, then.

“Doesn’t matter!” Kami said loudly over her own discomfort. “Boys. Listen up. We are going out for a girls’ night, where there will be dancing.”

Kami did an illustrative shimmy. Angela looked resigned.

Jared looked amused. “What was that?”

“You’ve got to dance like nobody’s watching, Jared,” Kami informed him.

“Have you considered that perhaps nobody’s watching because they’re too embarrassed for you?”