Intrinsical - Lani Woodland [99]
“You really think he’s going to just leave me alone?”
“No,” Brent finally admitted, yanking at his collar, trying to loosen it. “That doesn’t mean you should put yourself in harm’s way, though.”
“Brent,” I started, trying to sound reasonable. “How can you expect me to just leave things? He’s going to keep coming after us and we’re going to have to keep fighting him off. Haven’t you heard the best defense is a good offense?”
“Yara, please remember, for the last few months I’ve watched you die before my eyes every single night and I was powerless to do anything about it.” He laced his fingers together behind his head, his Adam’s apple wobbling as he cleared his throat. “Please don’t risk letting that happen again. You said you were willing to die for me,” Brent reminded me, his voice barely a whisper. “Why shouldn’t I be allowed to make the same sacrifice for you?”
“The circumstances are totally different,” I argued. “I was already dead.”
“So am I,” Brent threw back at me.
“No, you’re just bodily challenged.”
Brent snickered for a second, his shoulders shaking. “Make it as PC as you want, but I’m dead. I will not let you do anything that would put you in danger.”
“Is that so?” My eyebrows drew together and my eyes narrowed at him. “You can’t stop me.”
He held up his finger telling me to be quiet. “I’m warning you, if you try something stupid—”
“Are you threatening me?” I asked, throwing my hands in the air. “If you think you can tell me what to do—”
He gave me a menacing look. “I will stop you by any means necessary.”
I collected my anger, hugging it tight to me, pretending it was gone. “You’re right,” I said opening my eyes wide, trying to appear and sound innocent. “It’s stupid of me to mess with this. I’ll let it go.”
“Yeah right” Brent said, eyeing me suspiciously. “I don’t trust you for a second.”
“What? Why?” I sputtered, my anger unfurling around me.
He rolled his eyes at my question like it wasn’t worth the air to answer it. “I don’t trust you because I know you.” Brent brought his fingers to his lips and shushed me. “Someone’s coming.”
The soft fall of footsteps drawing near to us had me holding my breath, my heart beating rapidly. The tension melted quickly when a vaguely familiar boy with strawberry blond hair and big gray eyes turned the corner. I was pretty sure I had a class with him, but I couldn’t remember which one.
“Hey, Yara,” he said with a slight southern drawl. “You gave me start. I thought I was alone.”
“Hey . . .” I trailed off lamely, not having any idea of his name.
His cheeks grew two red spots. “Dallin.”
“Right, Dallin,” I gushed, hoping my enthusiasm would make up for my name ignorance.
He dropped his gaze to study his shoes. “We have Calculus together.”
“Oh right. How did you do on that test?”
“I failed it.” He sighed. “Rumor has it you got the highest grade.”
I nodded, kicking the dirt. “Yeah.”
Dallin took off the school uniform’s pullover sweater and tossed it over his arm. Brent sighed in envy.
“I was actually hoping you might be willing to tutor me.”
“Oh man, this is painful to watch.” Brent broke out in laughter. “You do realize he’s trying to ask you out, right?”
I glared at Brent before answering. “Sure.”
“You better warn him about your habit of using that book as a weapon,” Brent said.
“Only on you,” I said under my breath.
“Only me what?” Dallin asked, not catching all of my words.
“I don’t usually tutor people but I’ll make an exception only for you,” I lied easily.
Brent openly gaped at me. “Do you have any idea how that just sounded?”
Dallin drew himself up taller. “Great. Maybe tomorrow, right after school?”
“Sure? In the commons building?”
“Yep,” he said. He took a deep breath, his cheeks puffing out. “Are you seeing Brent?”
I coughed back a laugh but my eyes still danced as I looked at Brent. “Not in the way you’re thinking.”
“I figured,” Dallin said. “You know, with him not into the long