โHow Many Hot Guys Does itโ
Take to Win a Snowball Fight?
Macy squeaksโshe actually squeaksโbut Jaxon just raises his brows at me. The look on his face is a little amused and a lot wicked and my heart starts beating like a metronome on high.
At least until Macy hisses, โSeriously? You couldnโt tell me he was there?โ
โI didnโtโโ
โShe didnโt know.โ He looks me over from top to bottom, and for a second, just a second, a smile touches the depths of those obsidian eyes of his. โBraving the snow twice in one day? Iโve got to admit Iโm impressed.โ
โDonโt be too impressed. I still have to make it through the snowball fight in one piece.โ
The smile dropsโfrom his face and his eyesโas quickly as it came. โYouโre playing Flintโs game?โ
It sounds more like an accusation than a question, though I donโt know why. โIsnโt that why youโre here?โ
โFor aย snowballย fight?โ He shakes his head, makes a dismissive sound deep in his throat. โI donโt think so.โ
โOh, wellโฆโ That got awkward fast. โUm. We should probablyโฆโ
โGet going,โ Macy finishes.
Jaxon ignores her as he braces a hand on the wall behind me. Then he leans in and, in a voice so low I have to strain to hear him, murmurs, โYouโre determined not to listen to me, arenโt you?โ
โI donโt know what you mean,โ I whisper back, but I canโt look him in the face as I say it. Not when Iโm lyingโI know exactly what heโs talking aboutโand not when his breath is so warm and soft against my ear that I can feel it everywhere, even deep inside.
โIt really is for your own good,โ he tells me, still standing way too close. Heat slams through meโat his words and his proximity and the orange and dark-water scent of him currently wrapping itself around me.
โWhatโโ My voice breaks, my throat so tight and dry, I can barely force the words through it when I try again. โWhat is?โ
โYou shouldnโt go to that snowball fight with Flint.โ He pulls back, his gaze catching and holding mine. โAnd you sure as hell shouldnโt be wandering around the school grounds on your own. Youโre notย safeย here.โ
Itโs not the first time heโs implied that Katmere is dangerous for me. And I get it. I do. Alaska is no picnic for the uninitiated. But Iโm with Macy, on school grounds. No way is she going to let anything happen to me.
โIโll be fine.โ Itโs easier to breathe now that Jaxonโs mouth isnโt a scant inch from my ear, but finding words is still harder than it should be under his watchful gaze. โIโm not planning on wandering off tonight. Iโll be with the group the whole time.โ
โYeah.โ He doesnโt sound impressed. โThatโs what Iโm
worried about.โ
โWhat do you mean?โ I clarify. โI thought youโd be relieved Iโm not planning on tackling any wild animals with my bare hands.โ
โItโs not theย wildย animals Iโm concerned about.โ
Before I can ask him whatย thatย means, Macy interjects again. โWe should get going. We donโt want to be late.โ
โWell, whatever youโre concerned about, you shouldnโt be,โ I tell him, refusing to be pulled away before Iโm ready. โIโm a big girl. I can take care of myself. But if you want, you can join us.โ
โJoin you.โ His tone implies I just suggested that we fly to Mars under our own power.
But I refuse to be dissuaded. Not when Jaxon is standing so close to me instead of pulling his usual disappearing act. โItโll be fun. And Iโm sure Flint wonโt mind.โ
โYouโre sure he wonโt mind.โ He repeats my words, and again it isnโt a question. Heโs back to seeming amused, thoughโat least if you donโt look too closely at his eyes. Theyโre flat now, completely empty in a way I havenโt seen since he looked through me at the party. โBecause Iโve got to tell you, Iโm pretty sure he will.โ
โWhy would he? He invited a ton of people.โ I turn to look at Macy, who has gone absolutely sheet white.
I roll my eyes at her, annoyed she seems so freaked out at the idea of hanging with Jaxon, but before I can say anything, Flint walks up behind me and puts his hands on my shoulders. โHey, Grace. Looks like youโre ready to get your snowball on.โ
โI am, actually.โ I turn and end up grinning at him because
itโs impossible not to. Heโs just that funย andย that charming. Not to mention the fact that heโs wearing a snow hat in the shape of a fire-breathing dragon that looks absolutely ridiculous. โIn fact, I was trying to talk Jaxon into joining us.โ โOh really?โ Flintโs eyes go a kind of burning amber as he looks from me to Jaxon. โWhat do you say, Vega? Wanna
fight?โ
Flintโs smiling, but even I can tell itโs not a friendly invitationโฆand thatโs before three other guys in all black join us, arranging themselves in a semicircle right behind Jaxon. For the first time, the phrase โgot your backโ makes sense to me, because itโs very obvious thatโs why these guys are here. To have Jaxonโs back. I just donโt know from what.
These must be members of the infamous Order Macy was telling me about. And I can see why they got the nickname
โthereโs a closeness among the four of these guys that even I canโt miss. A bond that seems to be about a lot more than simple friendship.
Flint feels it, too. I can tell by the way he stiffens and the way he shifts his weight forward onto his toes, like heโs just waiting for Jaxon to throw the first punch. More, like heโs hoping for it.
Whichโฆno. Just no. I donโt care if thereโs suddenly enough testosterone in our little alcove to start the next world war; itโs not going to happen. At least not while Macy and I are standing directly in the middle.
โCome on.โ I grab my cousinโs arm. โLetโs go figure out a way to win this snowball fight.โ
That gets both Jaxonโs and Flintโs attention. โThose are big
words coming from someone who never saw snow before she got here three days ago,โ Flint teases, and while the tension isnโt gone, itโs way lower than it was a few seconds agoโexactly as I intended.
โYeah, well, you know me. All about the bravado.โ I keep a firm grip on Macyโs arm as I start to maneuver around Jaxon and his friends.
โIs that what you call it?โ Jaxon murmurs in my ear as I slide past him. Once more, his warm breath is against the side of my neck, and a shiver that has nothing to do with the cold works its way down my spine.
Our eyes meet, and for a second, just a second, the whole world seems to drop away. Macy, Flint, the other students who are laughing and chattering as they move past us on their way to the door all disappear until itโs just Jaxon and me and the electricity that arcs between us.
My breath catches in my throat, my whole body grows warm, and it takes real, physical effort to stop myself from reaching out and touching him.
I think he must be having the same problem, because his hand comes up, hovers in the air between us for one long, infinite moment.
โGrace.โ Itโs barely a whisper, but still I feel it all the way inside myself. I wait, breath held, for him to say somethingโ anythingโelse, but before he can, the front door flies open, letting in a huge gust of freezing air.
It breaks the spell, and suddenly weโre just two people standing in a crowded hallway again. Disappointment wells inside me, especially when Jaxon takes a step back, his face set once again in inscrutable lines.
I wait for him to say something, but he doesnโt. Instead, he just watches as Flint herds Macy and me toward the open door. As we cross the threshold, I raise my hand in a small goodbye wave.
I donโt expect him to return it, and he doesnโt. But just as I turn away to take my first step outside, he says, โDonโt forget to build an arsenal.โ
Theyโre pretty much the last words I expect to hear from himโฆor anyone, for that matter. โAn arsenal?โ
โItโs the most important part of winning a snowball fight. Find a base you can protect and concentrate on building up your arsenal. Only attack when youโre sure you have enough ammunition to win.โ
Snowballs. Here I was, convinced we had just shared a moment, and heโs thinking about snowballs. Fan-freaking- tastic.
โUmmmโฆthanks for the advice?โ I give him a WTF look.
Jaxon responds with his regular, annoying blank face, but I swear his eyes are sparkling just a little. โItโs good advice. You should take it.โ
โWhy donโtย youย take it? Join me and the two of us can
build a bigger arsenal.โ
He lifts a brow. โAnd here I thought thatโs exactly what I have been doing.โ
โWhat doesย thatย mean?โ I demand.
But heโs already turning away, alreadyย walkingย away, and Iโm left staring after him.
As usual.
Damn it.
Something tells me this boyโand his world-famous
disappearing actโis going to be the death of me.