Page 11 of A Wild Darkness

“Why are you guys here?” I ask.

Sebastian walks right past my kitchen. “We heard there was pizza and wine.”

Lux sets her bouquet on the table next to an old bouquet of dying white roses I bought for myself over a week ago. Then grabs River’s hand, leading him to the couch she was just sitting on.

“Nice place.” Sebastian looks around my condo and spots the wilted flowers. “Your roses are dying.”

“Thanks for noticing,” I deadpan. Besides the old flowers, I did just clean, thank goodness. I’d hate for them to see my moth or stone-rubbing books scattered all over the floor. “So, why are you guys here?” I repeat.

Sebastian gets comfortable on the opposite side of the couch from me. “We were invited.”

“No, you weren’t.”

“I was.”

“I don’t think so.”

Sebastian crosses his arms over his chest with confidence. “Yes. We were.”

“By who?”

Lux raises her hand bashfully. “Don’t be mad. I just thought it would be nice for us all to hang out.”

I gasped at my sister’s betrayal. “You could have told me.”

I appreciate her trying to get the four of us together—because she wants us all to be this happy family, especially with her and River not going more than a few feet from each other—but I don’t need to be best friends with her boyfriend’s cousin.

She grimaces. “You would have said no.”

“Obviously.”

“And it was last minute,” she adds with her finger in the air.

“That’s how betrayals work.”

River laughs, and then Lux snuggles into him and kisses his cheek. Sebastian looks amused, which somehow makes everything worse. The three of them settle into the couch. Sebastian smirks at me, while Lux stares up at River lovingly, and I wish for a moment that I’d have rethought my plans for the evening.

“They’re always like this,” Sebastian says.

“I bet it’s hard to live with them,” I say.

“Let’s just watch the movie now,” Sebastian tells River and Lux, in hopes they’ll relax on being so lovey-dovey.

The movie lasts approximately eleven minutes before Sebastian talks again. “That would never happen.”

I glance over at him. “What?”

“The airport scene.”

“It’s a movie, Sebastian.” I chuckle at how serious he’s taking it already.

“He wouldn’t make it through security.”

“It’s a movie,” I repeat. “It’s for our enjoyment.”

He sits straighter. “He left his luggage unattended.”

“It’s a movie.”