But I don’t even get to finish before the twins call for us, shouting, “This room! I want this one!”
Since the twins are so used to being together, I was sure they’d want to share the same space and even get bunk beds or something. But the moment they checked out the size of the next room, and the one after that, they each staked their claim and never looked back. Spending the next several hours directing Damen and me to decorate down to their most minute specifications, demanding we manifest beds, dressers, and shelves, only to change their minds, have us empty the room, and start all over again.
But as long as Damen was using his magick, I didn’t complain. I was far too relieved to see him manifesting again, even if he was still refusing to manifest anything for himself. By the time we finished, the sun was starting to rise, and I knew I’d better return home before Sabine woke up and noticed I was gone.
“Don’t be surprised if I don’t make it to school today,” he says, walking me to the front door.
I sigh, hating the thought of going without him.
“I can’t leave them here on their own. Not until they get settled in.” He shrugs, hooking his thumb over his shoulder and pointing upstairs where the twins are finally, mercifully, asleep in their beds.
I nod, knowing he’s right, and vowing to get them back to Summerland soon, before they get too comfortable here.
“I’m not sure that’s the solution,” he says, sensing my thoughts.
I squint, unsure where he’s going, but getting an uncomfortable ping in my gut nonetheless.
“I’ve been thinking—” He cocks his head to the side, thumb tracing his stubble-lined chin. “They’ve been through a lot—losing their home, their families, everything they’ve ever known and loved—their lives taken so abruptly, they hadn’t had a chance to even live them—” He shakes his head. “They deserve a real childhood, you know? A fresh start in the world—”
I gape, wanting to respond but the words just won’t come. Because while I also want them to be happy and safe and all of those things, as far as the rest goes, we’re no longer on the same page. I was planning for a short little visit, a couple of days, or at the very worst—weeks. Never once did I entertain the idea of becoming surrogate parents, especially to twins who’re just a few years younger than me.
“It was just a thought.” He shrugs. “Ultimately, the decision is theirs. It’s their life.”
I swallow hard and avert my gaze, telling myself this is nothing that has to be settled just yet, heading toward my manifested car when Damen says, “Ever. Seriously? A Lamborghini?”
I cringe, flushing under his gaze. “I needed something fast.” I shrug, knowing he’s not buying it the second I see his face. “They were scared of being outside, so I needed to get them here quickly.”
“And did it need to be shiny and red as well?” He laughs, glancing between the car and me and shaking his head.
I press my lips together and look away, refusing to say anything more. I mean, it’s not like I was planning to keep it. I’ll get rid of it the second I get home and pull into my drive.
I open the door and climb in, suddenly remembering the thing I meant to ask him before. Taking in the elegant lines of his face as I say, “Hey Damen—how’d you open the door so quickly? How’d you know we were here?”
He looks at me, eyes meeting mine as the smile slowly fades from his face.
“I mean, it was four in the morning. I didn’t even have a chance to knock and you were already there. Weren’t you asleep?”
And even though a chunk of flashy red metal stands between us, it’s as though he’s right there, gaze sending shivers over my skin when he says, “Ever, I can always sense when you’re near.”
fourteen
After a long day at school without Damen, the second the final bell rings, I get in my car and head for his house. But instead of making a left at the light, I pull an illegal U-turn. Telling myself I should allow him some space, give him a chance to bond with the twins—when the truth is, between their hero worship of Damen and Rayne’s glaring animosity toward me—well, I’m just not ready to face them again.
I head toward downtown Laguna, figuring I’ll stop by Mystics and Moonbeams, the metaphysical bookstore where Ava once worked. Thinking maybe Lina, the store’s owner, can help me find a solution to my more mystical problems without my divulging just what it is that I’m after. Which, considering how suspicious she is, should prove to be quite a feat.
After manifesting the best parking space I can, which in overcrowded Laguna happens to be two blocks away, I stuff the meter full of quarters and make my way toward the door, only to be met by a big red sign reading: BE BACK IN TEN!
I stand before it, lips pressed together as I glance all around, making sure no one is watching as I mentally flip the sign over while making the dead bolt retreat. Silencing the bell on the door as I slip inside and head for the bookshelves, relishing the chance to browse on my own, free of Lina’s scrutiny.
The tips of my fingers graze the long row of spines, waiting for some kind of signal, a sudden warming, an itch at the tips, something to alert me to just the right one. But not getting anything, I grab one near the end and close my eyes, pressing my palms to the front and back covers, eager to see what’s inside.
“How’d you get in here?”
I jump, bumping into the shelf just behind me, knocking a pile of CDs to the floor.
Cringing at the mess at my feet, scattered jewel cases everywhere, some of them cracked, as I say, “You scared me—I—”
I drop to my knees, heart racing, face flushing, wondering not just who he is but how he could’ve possibly managed to sneak up on me when it should be impossible to do so. A mortal’s energy always announces itself long before their actual presence does. So is it possible that he—isn’t mortal?