Page 156 of Such Sharp Teeth

“Are you hearing me? Do you understand?”

She lights another cigarette. Inhales. Exhales.

Then she raises her pinkie.

I trudge toward her, hook my pinkie on hers. “Remember, this is legally binding.”

“Fine. But I’m keeping the boots.”

I release her finger, take a step back.

“Did you really not know that you bit me?”

“Why bother asking? I thought you didn’t trust me anymore.”

I nod. “You’re right.”

“I didn’t know,” she says, “if I wanted it to be true or not.”

She grabs me, pulls me in before I can wriggle from her grasp. We share a strained embrace, and then she lets me go. “No one will ever understand you like I do. Not even your sister. We’re bound forever, Rory. Remember that.”

It’s one final look, and then I put her behind me.

“I’ll be waiting for that postcard.” I walk away, the ground crunching under my feet. “Drive safe.”

—

I want to run straight to Ian’s, but considering I’m barefoot, wearing nothing but a Playboy hoodie, I go back to Scarlett’s instead, sneaking through neighbors’ yards, hoping they don’t see me creeping and call the cops. Or animal control.

When I get inside, all the lights are off, the curtains drawn. I figure Lenny’s sleeping, so I tiptoe through the living room, careful not to make a sound.

“Rory?”

I jump.

Scarlett’s on the couch breastfeeding Lenny.

“You scared me,” I whisper. “Hi.”

“Where were you? What are you wearing?”

I sink to my knees and rest my head against the arm of the couch.

“It was a full moon last night,” I whisper. “I was with Ian.”

She gasps, then winces, looking down at Lenny.

“He knows,” I tell her. “He saw.”

“He saw?”

“Yeah. But, Scarlett, it worked.”

“It did? The wolfsbane?”

“Silver,” I say, lifting the cord to show her the medallion.

“Really? That’s . . . It’s . . .”