brought me the final cage, I walked out of the trailer with him.
“I’m going to go with your dad. Do you wanna come?”
I shook my head. It was hard enough for me to load them up after taking care of them for the last couple of weeks.
“I think I’m going to do some weeding and pruning.”
He removed his gloves and leaned against the truck.
“We’ll be back in a couple of hours.”
I kissed him and headed back for the house as their truck went in the opposite direction.
There was a black car in the driveway when I got back to the house. Jason. Ugh. I opened the door and called out.
“Jason?”
No answer. Lovely.
I checked the kitchen and the living room, but he wasn’t there. I looked in the office and noticed my bedroom door was open. What was he doing in there? Man, I didn’t like that boy. I poked my head around the corner to see if I could catch him somewhere he wasn’t supposed to be, but he sat on my bed like he was waiting for me.
“Hello, Naomi, come have a seat. We’ve got some talking to do.” He was holding a bunch of pictures. I ripped them out of his hand.
“What the hell? You had no right.”
He smirked. “Of course I didn’t, but I did it anyway. I’m good at secrets though. I won’t tell anyone.”
I looked down at my pictures. The one on top was the picture of the first time Puck kissed me, after we got back from Arkansas. He’d been so careful, keeping everything light and fun. That night he’d taken me to an improv comedy show and then out for ice cream. I’d playfully offered him a bite of my ice cream but ate it myself instead. He went after it. The picture catches me laughing and pulling away. It was moments later that I told him I loved him. That was the first of many, many kisses, and Kai’s spies caught it on camera. I clenched my fists. I missed Puck, and Jason wasn’t going to make this easy for me.
“It’s not a secret. Kai already knows about these pictures,” I said.
“Yes, but does Kai know you keep them hidden in a drawer?” he asked.
Things were going so well. Why’d Jason have to come in here and stir things up? He wouldn’t understand that Kai had to believe I was in love with him.
“No. You won’t tell him either.”
“Sure thing. If you’ll help me out with something.”
I groaned and sank on the bed next to him. He hunted those pictures down so he could have something to hold over my head. What an ass.
“What do you want?”
“Your friend Tiff.”
I creased my eyebrows. “But she already likes you.”
“Not really, she doesn’t. She really likes Kai and she thinks things are iffy between the two of you. She’s waiting to see if you all fall apart before she commits to anyone else. I want her to commit to me. Encourage her.”
“If I do that, you won’t tell Kai about the pictures?”
“Lips sealed.”
“Until you need something else from me.”
“Naturally.”
“You really are a Destroyer. I don’t know how you managed to fool Puck and the others that you were a Guardian.”
He put his hand over his chest. “I'm hurt that you would think such horrible things of me.” He smirked.
“Get out. I don’t want you here.”
He sauntered out of the room. The door slammed and I heard a car start up.
I flipped through the rest of the pictures in my hand. I remembered all the things I loved about Puck. His honesty and his playfulness. Life with him was fun and easy. This thing with Kai was so complicated. I had to let myself feel things for him, but I loved Puck so much. Every time I kissed Kai it felt like I was betraying Puck. Yet, if Kai found these pictures, he’d think I was betraying him.
I yawned. This had been a long, long week. I put the pictures back in my drawer and headed outside. Roses always made me feel better.
When Kai showed up in the garden a few hours later, guilt still swam thick in my veins. Was I being fair to him? Probably not. But Puck said this was the only way to bring him back.
“It’s
“I’m going to go with your dad. Do you wanna come?”
I shook my head. It was hard enough for me to load them up after taking care of them for the last couple of weeks.
“I think I’m going to do some weeding and pruning.”
He removed his gloves and leaned against the truck.
“We’ll be back in a couple of hours.”
I kissed him and headed back for the house as their truck went in the opposite direction.
There was a black car in the driveway when I got back to the house. Jason. Ugh. I opened the door and called out.
“Jason?”
No answer. Lovely.
I checked the kitchen and the living room, but he wasn’t there. I looked in the office and noticed my bedroom door was open. What was he doing in there? Man, I didn’t like that boy. I poked my head around the corner to see if I could catch him somewhere he wasn’t supposed to be, but he sat on my bed like he was waiting for me.
“Hello, Naomi, come have a seat. We’ve got some talking to do.” He was holding a bunch of pictures. I ripped them out of his hand.
“What the hell? You had no right.”
He smirked. “Of course I didn’t, but I did it anyway. I’m good at secrets though. I won’t tell anyone.”
I looked down at my pictures. The one on top was the picture of the first time Puck kissed me, after we got back from Arkansas. He’d been so careful, keeping everything light and fun. That night he’d taken me to an improv comedy show and then out for ice cream. I’d playfully offered him a bite of my ice cream but ate it myself instead. He went after it. The picture catches me laughing and pulling away. It was moments later that I told him I loved him. That was the first of many, many kisses, and Kai’s spies caught it on camera. I clenched my fists. I missed Puck, and Jason wasn’t going to make this easy for me.
“It’s not a secret. Kai already knows about these pictures,” I said.
“Yes, but does Kai know you keep them hidden in a drawer?” he asked.
Things were going so well. Why’d Jason have to come in here and stir things up? He wouldn’t understand that Kai had to believe I was in love with him.
“No. You won’t tell him either.”
“Sure thing. If you’ll help me out with something.”
I groaned and sank on the bed next to him. He hunted those pictures down so he could have something to hold over my head. What an ass.
“What do you want?”
“Your friend Tiff.”
I creased my eyebrows. “But she already likes you.”
“Not really, she doesn’t. She really likes Kai and she thinks things are iffy between the two of you. She’s waiting to see if you all fall apart before she commits to anyone else. I want her to commit to me. Encourage her.”
“If I do that, you won’t tell Kai about the pictures?”
“Lips sealed.”
“Until you need something else from me.”
“Naturally.”
“You really are a Destroyer. I don’t know how you managed to fool Puck and the others that you were a Guardian.”
He put his hand over his chest. “I'm hurt that you would think such horrible things of me.” He smirked.
“Get out. I don’t want you here.”
He sauntered out of the room. The door slammed and I heard a car start up.
I flipped through the rest of the pictures in my hand. I remembered all the things I loved about Puck. His honesty and his playfulness. Life with him was fun and easy. This thing with Kai was so complicated. I had to let myself feel things for him, but I loved Puck so much. Every time I kissed Kai it felt like I was betraying Puck. Yet, if Kai found these pictures, he’d think I was betraying him.
I yawned. This had been a long, long week. I put the pictures back in my drawer and headed outside. Roses always made me feel better.
When Kai showed up in the garden a few hours later, guilt still swam thick in my veins. Was I being fair to him? Probably not. But Puck said this was the only way to bring him back.
“It’s
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