Page 54 of Buckle Up, Buttercup

Oh my gods. I was very sure she didn’t overhear any of what Bluebell and I did last night, but now I’m having doubts.

Bluebell recovers faster than I do. “I make the best pancakes. Should we make some while the guys put the rest of the groceries away?”

Petra flaps up off the barstool, clapping her hands together. “Yessss! I’d love that! Let’s do it?” Purple eyes flick to mine, and her smile falls. “I mean…if that’s okay? I shouldn’t assume we can use your kitchen.”

The protective side of my nature rears up, hot and hard. Despite the surprise of Petra’s appearance, I don’t like her feeling uneasy around me. I remember feeling that way for a while the first summer my folks dropped me off at the Tuckers’. They quickly made me feel at home, but it was awkward until I adjusted.

“My apartment is your apartment,” I say with a smile. “Knock yourself out, kiddo.”

Petra’s smile lights up the room. She and Bluebell move to the other side of the island and start hunting around for bowls and everything they need to make pancakes. I grab a bowl and mixing spoon and push it down the island toward them with a thankful smile aimed at Bluebell.

Half an hour later, Petra scarfs her third plate of pancakes. Bluebell, Jasper, and I stare at her in a combination of awe and shock as she munches the last pancake, eyes rolling back in appreciation.

“My gods, this was so good. I’ve never had this before, but it’s really tasty. Well, we had something kinda similar, but I haven’t had it with this syrup stuff. Gahhhh, so delicious!”

I zip my lips closed. I’ve got no idea what Petra’s actually been exposed to and what she hasn’t. Do they have pancakes in Brazil?

Bluebell gives me a look then jerks a thumb toward my door. “I’ve got a to-do list a mile long, so I’m gonna head next door and grab my stuff. Be back in a minute, alright?”

Jasper just waves her off without looking up from his practice book.

I glance between him and Petra, but Petra’s staring at me with a wary look.

“Be right back,” I say as I push Bluebell carefully toward the door.

She’s silent as we head across to her apartment. I follow her inside and drag her all the way to her retro green kitchen, the farthest spot from the front door.

Last night we connected in a way that has me surer than ever she’s mine. But humans don’t mate like that. Despite our years of friendship, I’m sure she’s having reservations this morning. I can feel them like worms crawling beneath my skin, because my sense of her, the way I read her? It’s getting stronger by the minute.

“Talk to me, Blue,” I whisper. “I see regret in your eyes.”

She shakes her head, planting both palms on my chest. “Not regret. I could never regret last night.” Blowing out a breath, she laughs. “It was…life-changing. But what if this is a whole right person wrong time thing, Hadrian? I mean, Petra, my brother…maybe we should just take this slowly.”

“Gargoyles don’t work like that, baby; you know that,” I say gently, hoping it doesn’t sound too much like I’m downplaying her opinion. “Is that what you want? Or is that just what you think makes sense because you’re so damn pragmatic?”

She bites the edge of her thumb. “Erm, the second one.”

I smile and grab her hands, shoving them up under my shirt to rest over my heart. “That’s what I thought, Bluebell. We can’t hide and dance around this forever. But we can keep this quiet for a little while until other things calm down, if you want. It might even be fun to pretend I’m your dirty little secret, but I don’t think either of us will be satisfied with that for very long.”

She purses her lips while she considers my words. After a moment, she looks up. “You’re right. I want to hold your hand in public. I want to yell at Merit and Bryony that I don’t give a fuck if they share a picture of us. I don’t want to hide you.”

“Good,” I whisper. “Put me at the top of your to-do list every day. We’ll find time. We’ll keep it a secret. For now.”

Dark blue brows lift. “Sounds to me like you might need help with your house, on account of me being a black witch and all. Maybe help with your cutie pie little sister. I’m going to be around a lot, Mister Alkazar.”

I bend down to brush my lips against hers. “Good, Miss Tucker, because there’s nowhere else in this entire universe I’d want you to be.”

Bluebell

Petra smiles up at me as we descend the stairs toward the side of the building. “So, you need help with decorating or something today? Can I help? I helped Dad and his wife with their research for a while. I’m an excellent listener; Dad said so.”

Something breaks inside me at her words. She’s never been in a haven, never had pancakes, never met her brother until yesterday. I mean, they basically dumped Hadrian with us when he was about the same age, leaving him for the summer and conveniently only showing up every few haven years.

We just loved him so much that we kept him.

“I’d love to have your help with the decorating. Normally we glamour most of downtown because it’s an easy way to decorate but there’s a couple hours’ worth of work we prefer to do manually. I’m meeting my friends Lemon and Oz to knock that out. Pine Gulch hosts a lot of festivals, and monsters from all over the haven world come to visit us.”

She hops up and down, wings flapping at her back. “What kind of festivals? What are you celebrating?”