"Absolutely," I said, grinning at him.
Ash snorted. "It'll be awhile before you need to worry about that."
"Um, no," Corey said. "She's already shifting."
Ash's look darkened--telling me he wasn't shifting yet--and I quickly said, "It's only been a few times."
He glowered at me, as if I was bragging, then he fell back beside Corey and walked in silence behind me.
Great. Just great.
I inadvertently screwed up again at the cafe. Daniel, Corey, and I had pooled our money so we were taking turns grabbing stuff. Since it was my turn to buy, I naturally asked Ash what he wanted.
"I pay my own way," he said, with a scowl that I was beginning to think was as much a part of his normal expression as Daniel's smile or Corey's grin.
"Do you want me to grab it for you?" I asked.
"No."
As he stalked off, we watched him go, making sure he didn't bolt.
"Don't let him get to you," Daniel murmured. "Whatever his problem is, it's not you. He just met you."
"I know."
He leaned closer, squeezing my hand, and whispered, "I'm sorry. I know this isn't how you'd pictured it."
I could say that I hadn't pictured it--there'd been too much going on for me to even think about my newly discovered brother. Yet that was a lie. I had thought about meeting him. I'd thought about what it might be like to have a twin. Everyone said they shared a bond beyond mere blood.
I looked at Ash, standing in line, glowering.
Nope. No bond there.
I joined the line behind Ash. He must have known I was there but didn't turn, not even when I cleared my throat and said, "Ash?"
I tried again. "Can I, uh, ask you something?"
He glanced back. "What?"
"You are by yourself, right?"
"Said that, didn't I?"
Actually, no. He'd never answered the question. But I didn't point that out.
"So she's not with you," I said. "Our, uh, mother?"
"Nope."
"You left her behind?"
A look. One I couldn't decipher. "Not exactly," he said, and turned away.
"Is she . . . dead?"
He paused so long I thought he wasn't going to answer. Then he said, "No idea," and stepped up to the counter to place his order.
NINE