Page 107 of Tracking Snow

Swear him to secrecy and if he breaks it, I’ll murder him in a slow, torturous way that involves waterboarding him with dirty dishwater.

My fingers fumble to send a long, rambling response that promises I’d murder him first, how sorry I am, and to let me know how I can make it up to her or I’ll die if she doesn’t forgive me.

Three gray dots appear.

Then disappear.

Then appear again.

Ariel

You’re on bathroom duty through New Year’s, starting with fixing that damn lock. AND I get one month of Magic Bean drinks on you. Whatever I want, whenever I want it.

I let out a sigh of relief.

Me

Done.

I can make it up to her. This will be fine.

Slowly, I feel my adrenaline-fueled fear start to settle.

When I lift my eyes, I find Five still wearing that strange look, as if he’s shocked and...upset?

After a few blinks, his eyes morph from blue to red.

Five has receded, and it’s Four in his stead. "Yeah, uh, sorry, we were just caught by surprise. No problem. Don’t worry about us, baby."

Baby. Gawd. Why does it melt me when Four calls me that?

Is it because heat and sex appeal literally roll off him?

I watch him standing in the center of my living room. His nonchalance feels a little forced, like he’s still shook.

"Is Five okay?" I ask carefully. "I mean, it’s not that big of a deal, right? You knew most of my friends were different."

His demeanor eases further. "Yeah, totally. Like I said, it was just a surprise. That’s all." He smiles down at me, and there is heat in it, and suddenly a new intent has me forgetting the last few minutes. "Since we can’t clean up, how do you feel about being filthy with me for a little while." He waggles his brows, and before I can react, his arms scoop under my legs, picking me up the same time he buries his face in my neck, and attacks it.

I try to suppress the giggles at his sudden swing even as he walks us back to my bedroom, slamming the door shut behind us.

Chapter 34

A Seven Way Vote

FOUR

We make our exit after another round in the sack and skip breakfast entirely, leaving Snow with the still-recovering flutterbun and Five’s stupid sneeze pigs.

I should have grabbed the jar before we left, but we need distance. Space to think. To talk. To agree that we aren’t going to do it.

So we book it back to our apartment on the edge of the city.

We’re not taking Ariel to Mother, I say the second the door shuts behind us. We’re not doing it.

I’d jumped in to take lead before Five opened his mouth and said too much. Distracted Snow sufficiently too. But that didn’t mean I was complicit. That didn’t mean I was going to hurt her.

Even if I wasn’t ready to reveal more.