The Hidden - Jessica Verday [13]
“Thanks for the invitation,” I said, steering the conversation off that track. “I wish I could go, but …” I held up the sling as explanation.
Beth looked down again. She’d found the drawing of the forest. “Hey.” She sat straight up. “Hey, Abbey, these are really good. I didn’t know you were an artist.”
“I’m not. I didn’t. I mean, they’re not mine. They’re someone else’s.”
Beth smiled. I groaned inwardly again because I knew that smile. And it was not one I wanted to see. “Ohhhh,” she said. “Someone drew them for you? Who are you dating, girl?”
“No one,” I said weakly, trying to laugh it off. Technically, not true. But easier than the real answer … “Hey, what ever happened to Lewis? Are you guys still together?”
“Ugh, no.” She blew her bangs out of her face with a disgusted breath. “He got too serious for me. He kept wanting to make plans for our future, and discuss what we’d do at college. And then! Then he brought up moving in together at some, like, halfway point if we went to different schools, so we could see each other on weekends. Seriously? I mean, dude, you’re a great lay and all, but I need some variety.”
“Um, yeah. I totally get it.” No, I don’t. I’m going to be with my boyfriend for all eternity. Talk about a commitment.
I tried very hard not to glance at Caspian, but I couldn’t help a quick peek. His face was blank, unreadable. I couldn’t tell if he was purposely keeping it that way or if he truly didn’t have any interest in what Beth was saying.
Or wearing.
“So, how’d he take it?”
“He was heartbroken, of course,” Beth said, drawing my attention back to her. She walked over to my desk and picked up the bottle of oakmoss oil. Her face wrinkled as she sniffed it. “Ew. Gross. That smells like dead plants or something.”
I laughed and took it from her. “Here.” I handed her vanilla. “Try this one.”
Her face lit up with a blissful smile as she inhaled. “Mmmmm. Could you make me a perfume like this?”
And just like that, my thoughts were spinning. Already working. I could add Madagascar vanilla with just a hint of butter crème, and some brown sugar to spice it up. “Yeah. Sure. No problem.”
Suddenly she hugged me. “Come to the beach with me,” she urged before pulling away. “We’ll find some lifeguard hotties and get drunk under the moon at midnight. I don’t care what Lewis says. I’m young. I need to live life. Look at you, right? You don’t have some high school boyfriend hanging around your neck like a chain, and you’re fine.”
I didn’t even know what to say. “I … Beth … I …” I shook my head.
“Puh-lease? Come on, Abbey. It’s just for one day. Just come hang out with me for one day. That’s all I ask.”
The problem was that, in a normal world, it was something I might have agreed to do. But now Vincent was here, and so were the Revenants, and I didn’t know what to tell Caspian … and Mom. Plus, how could I act like I was single? It wouldn’t feel right flirting with some hunky boy. I had my own hunky boy right here.
The only trouble was, no one could see him but me.
“I can’t, Beth,” I said firmly, shaking my head. “I’d just feel awkward with my sling, and I’m not really up to finding some guys right now, after everything that happened. Maybe next time?”
She gave me a pouty look, but I could tell she saw that I was serious. “Okay, fine. Whatever. Just don’t go all moldy being cooped up in here, okay? Get some air.”
“I will.”
“And you better make me some of that vanilla perfume too.”
I laughed. “I will. I will. I’ll bring it to you on the first day of school.”
Beth blew me a kiss as she went out the door. “’Kay. Later, chica. I’m on my way to go find some beach hotties on my own.”
I waited until the coast was clear, and then I shook my head as I closed the door behind her. But I couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across my face.
“She seems nice,” Caspian said, a teasing lilt to his voice. “Why didn’t you tell her about me?”
“Riiiiiight. What was I supposed to say? ‘Yeah, sure, Beth. I’ll go with you. But there’s just