“Rabbit must have been pleased. Virgin skin, right?” Seth got a faraway smile on his lips and started walking, moving in that easy lope that was the only speed at which
he seemed to do anything.
“It was. I got the outline last week.” Leslie moved faster to keep up with Seth and Aislinn, who’d kept pace with Seth without pause, seeming as oblivious as he was. They had a synchronicity that came from truly fitting together. That’s how it’s supposed to be: relaxed, good. Leslie wanted to believe that someday life would be like that for her too.
Aislinn held Seth’s hand and steered the two of them through the people passing on the street. As they walked, Seth talked a bit about friends’ tattoos, about the shops up in Pittsburgh, where Rabbit did the guest-artist gig sometimes. It was one of the most enjoyable conversations Leslie had ever had with him. Until recently, he’d been terse with her. She hadn’t asked why, but she suspected it had something to do with Ren. Seth wasn’t very tolerant of dealers.
Guilty by association. She couldn’t really blame Seth: Aislinn was too gentle to be exposed to Ren’s crowd. If Seth thought being friends with Leslie would put Aislinn in danger, he’d have reason to disapprove. She shook off the thought, enjoying the banter with Aislinn and Seth.
They’d only gone two blocks when Keenan and Niall stepped out of a doorway. Leslie wondered how they’d known Aislinn was passing at that moment, but the awkward silence that came with Keenan’s arrival made questions feel unwise.
Seth tensed as Keenan held out his hand to Aislinn and said, “We need to go. Now.”
Niall stood to the side, watching the street. Aside from a curt hello to Seth, Keenan behaved as if he and Aislinn were the only two people there. He didn’t look at anyone or anything other than Aislinn, and the way he looked at her was much the same as the way Seth did: like Aislinn was the most amazing person he’d ever seen.
“Aislinn?” Keenan made a weirdly elegant gesture with his hand, as if to direct Aislinn to walk in front of him.
Aislinn didn’t respond or move. Then Seth kissed her briefly and said, “Go on. I’ll see you tonight.”
“But Niall…” Aislinn frowned as she glanced from Niall to Leslie.
“There’s a guest in town. We need to find him….” Keenan shoved his hair away from his face, elegance gone as quickly as it had arrived. “We should’ve gone hours ago, Aislinn, but you had your classes.”
Aislinn bit her lip and looked at everyone. Then she started: “But Niall…and Leslie…and…I can’t just leave them here, Keenan. It’s not…fair.”
Keenan turned to Seth. “You can stay with Niall and Leslie, right?”
“Planned on it. I got it, Ash. Just go with Sunshine”—Seth paused and gave Keenan a friendly grin that seemed at odds with the situation—“and I’ll see you tonight. We’re cool.” He tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear and let his hand linger there, his palm resting around Aislinn’s cheek, fingertips against her ear. “I’ll be fine. Leslie will be fine. Go on.”
When Seth stepped back, Keenan nodded to him and took Aislinn’s hand. Whatever those three had going on was decidedly weirder than Leslie wanted to know about, and Niall’s studious observation of the street was starting to make her feel angry. He hadn’t even acknowledged her presence. The few moments of easy friendship with Aislinn and Seth didn’t mean that she wanted to be caught up in whatever their drama was. “I’m out of here, Ash. I’ll see you at sch—”
Aislinn put her hand on Leslie’s wrist. “Could you hang with Seth? Please?”
“Why?” Leslie looked from Seth to Aislinn and back again. “Seth’s a bit old to need a sitter.”
But Niall turned toward her, the movement drawing her attention to his scar. Leslie froze, caught between wanting to stare and wanting to look away.
Niall said, “Surely you could join us for a while?”
Leslie turned to stare pointedly at Aislinn; there’d been enough “stay away” messages from Aislinn, but all Aislinn did was look to Keenan. And he smiled approvingly at them. Maybe he’s why Ash wanted Niall away from me. Leslie shivered in a sudden rush of fear. Keenan might be Aislinn’s friend, but something about him made her uncomfortable, more so today.
“Please, Les, could you? As a favor?” Aislinn asked.
She’s terrified.
“Sure,” Leslie said as a wave of dizziness rolled over her, like something in the core of her was being stretched and tugged. The force of it made her unable to move, unsteady to the point that she thought she was going to be sick if she tried. She started cataloguing everything she’d drunk or eaten or touched to her lips in any way. Nothing unusual. She stayed motionless, concentrating on breathing until she felt whatever it was recede.
No one else moved either. They didn’t seem to even notice.
Seth said, “We’re good. Go on, Ash.”
Then Aislinn and Keenan got into a long silver Thunderbird parked at the curb and drove off, leaving Leslie standing there with Niall and Seth. Niall leaned back against the wall, not looking at her or Seth, just waiting on…something.
Leslie shifted from foot to foot, watching a group of skaters across the street. They were taking advantage of the traffic-less side street and doing tail slides on the curb—not that there weren’t other places they could go, but they were content to be where they were. It was appealing, that sense of peace. Sometimes Leslie felt like she was chasing that—at Rabbit’s, at her friends’ parties. She just needed the right timing to catch it.
Seth started to walk away, and Niall pushed off from the wall, watching Leslie with a hungry expression. Something was different, unleashed. He stepped closer to her, slowly, and she felt sure his caution was to keep her from running.
“Niall?” Seth had stopped and called back, “Crow’s Nest?”