I gave him another dirty look and he burst into laughter. Well at least he had found his sense of humor again.

“Glad to see you worked out all your frustration,” I growled bitterly. And even though I silenced him, I still couldn’t look him in the eye.

“Stella, I’m sorry.” My eyes flew to his when his voice turned from teasing to hauntingly serious. “You’re right, I was frustrated. But I was also hurt…. I felt like we had this big moment, I mean…. you mean everything to me and last night you were almost taken from- I went through hell last night, for those few moments you were gone that was utter hell. And then you came back to me and it was exactly the opposite of hell and it was great between us. We took this step forward and I actually felt like we were on the same page.” Seth paused for a long moment and I think he was waiting for me to say something, but I couldn’t even wrap my head around everything he had just said, or the raw emotion with which he said it. Finally, he sighed and continued. “Anyway, when he walked downstairs this morning and I realized where he came from…. I think I lost my mind for a little bit.” He smirked apologetically and my heart melted.

I couldn’t help it.

My heart was one, big, buttery puddle.

Still I was an independent woman after all.

Hear me roar….

“I get that we have this future together, Seth,” I started, smiling a little bit to ease his fears. I took a breath, knowing I had to stand my ground, even if the way his golden eyes watched me carefully, revealing how vulnerable he could be sometimes, made my chest constrict and my lungs completely forget to do their job. “But you can’t just spend a few weeks in my life and tell me what I’m allowed or not allowed to do. Granted, Tristan should never have slept over. I get that. And not just because of this thing between me and you…. He shouldn’t have slept in my bed because it was disrespectful to my parents and it’s not the kind of girl I am. And if I’m going to be honest, it won’t happen again. And only partly because my daddy would kill him. Seriously…. he would kill Tristan….” I thought about that for a moment and shuddered from the thought of what that would be like before continuing, “But you and me, we decided to let things happen naturally and slowly and even if there is kind of an expiration date on that mentality, I am still treating our relationship as if we have a choice. I need that; I need to have an actual choice in the matter. So you can be jealous or whatever, but I don’t want to hear about it. And I really don’t want to be told what I can and cannot do. At least until you are officially my boyfriend.”

“Or your fiancé,” Seth smiled that charming, disarming smile of his and I hoped he took me seriously.

“Whichever one comes first,” I mumbled, knowing that would get under his skin.

But he just laughed. “You’re right, Stella. It won’t happen again. Like I said, I’m sorry.”

“I forgive you,” I replied sincerely. “Now go home. You stink.”

“You don’t smell so good yourself,” he tussled my hair on his way out, and then I broke into a huge grin.

It died when he left though and my parents moved into the room like hawks waiting to prey on their next meal.

Shoot.

“Stella, you know Tristan is not allowed in your room anymore, right?” my mother asked and I could tell she was the calmer one of the two, even though both of them looked decidedly less angry than I expected them to look.

“Yes, I know,” I dipped my head, ashamed.

“You’re grounded this whole week, young lady,” my father continued, and I couldn’t bring myself to meet his eyes that I knew were boring into me. “And the weekend.”

“I figured.”

“Alright then,” my father announced stiffly and both of my parents made a move to leave the room.

“Wait, what?” I demanded. My head perked straight up and I met their eyes easily this time. “That’s it? That’s all I get? One week of being grounded?”

“Do you want more?” My mom laughed, it was outright and genuine and I loved the sound of it. I had been so afraid my parents were going to be completely and irrevocably disappointed in my behavior or at the very least extremely, incredibly, so scary I might pee my pants angry.

“No!” I gushed, trying to keep from smiling too. “I just thought there might be more….”

“We heard your conversation with Seth, honey,” my father explained and my cheeks brightened with an instant blush. “You’re more responsible and dedicated than your actions demonstrated last night. Don’t let it happen again.”

“Yes sir,” I replied respectfully.

My mother left the room, hiding her smile, but my father pulled her back against him before she could get too far. “Seriously Stella, don’t let that happen again,” my father warned, lifting one of his hands and pointing a long, strong finger at me. “Don’t make me have to talk to you like you’re an irresponsible child ever again, Stella-bean. You’re not one and I want you acting with all the manners and etiquette classes I paid for over the summer!”

I cracked a huge smile, my father had been threatening me with etiquette classes my whole life. He thought they would help us blend into humanity. He smiled back and then dipped his head to kiss my mother lovingly on the neck before leading her into the living room. I watched my parents retreating backs and couldn’t help but wonder if Seth and I would ever be that close…. if we would ever fall that much in love.

It was definitely hard at this point, especially when I had to keep trying to convince myself that Seth could actually like me for me and not because of some career obligation made by his dead parents. Or a Council of Elders that had never met either of us and paired us together before we were even born.

Yikes. Aliah was hardly the beginning of my problems….

Chapter Nineteen

Today was officially Valentine’s Day. It felt weird falling on a Thursday, especially when the dance wasn’t until tomorrow night. I had so far avoided Tristan and Seth today, save for the carpool to school this morning, but that was always awkward and silent. Not that I was expecting a gift from either of them and I actually said a million prayers over the last week that neither one would attempt some kind of holiday-induced declaration of love or anything like that.

Not that either one were in love with me.

But things had gotten so awkward and tense between our group with both of them constantly facing off in their battle of testosterone fueled male dominance that I was terrified an explosion was just around the corner. And I prayed it wouldn’t happen on or near this weekend while everyone else celebrated love.

I took a big breath and sat down at the lunch table. I tried to shake off the knowledge that there were three very brave and careless Shadows lurking in the corners of the cafeteria. I ignored completely the fact that a greater evil presence existed close by, or at least I had the feeling that one was close by. Seth seemed unphased though and I was convinced this was just a residual effect from the more obvious evil presence in the lunch room.

Or I was trying to convince myself that.

Seth sat next to me like usual and when I set my tray down on the table, his arm went immediately to my lower back in a gesture I was completely comfortable with. Tristan stiffened across the table and gave Seth a deathly stare down.

Here we go.

“Oh you guys are so cute!” Piper gushed, giving Tristan a pointed look of her own before turning to us with a sweet smile.

I shrugged out of Seth’s arm casually feeling uncomfortable that Piper was referring to us like we were a couple. We weren’t.

Not yet anyway.

“Thanks Piper,” Seth replied sweetly. At least he enjoyed her excitement. “I think we’re pretty cute too.” He smiled down at me, his grin stretching across his face and revealing his perfectly white, perfectly straight teeth.

I smiled back, but shifted uncomfortably with his eyes so intensely on mine. Things had been fine after our one disagreement and relatively back to normal. But Seth had been right, we had taken a step forward the night he kissed me and then after Tristan had spent the night it felt like we took five giant steps back.

I knew it wasn’t because of anything Seth had done, or for lack of effort on his part. It was me. It was all me. But I wasn’t ready for Seth yet; and so we kept our relationship in the strange limbo that was somewhere between friendship, partnership and a future marriage together.

Yikes.

“Big plans for tonight Lincoln?” Seth engaged, giving him an encouraging grin, his eyes dancing with mischief.

Lincoln cleared his throat from across the table before answering, “Uh, yeah, I have some things in the works….” he gave Piper a quick glance from under his lashes and his perfect complexion heated. He really did have perfect skin. It didn’t seem fair.

“Oh really, like what?” Piper challenged. She brushed her too long, severely straight bangs out of her eyes, and gave him what could only be described as “bedroom eyes.”

“You’ll see,” Lincoln smiled and then looked down at his lunch bashfully.

“I can’t watch this,” Rigley muttered, slapping Lincoln in the back roughly.

“Watch what?” Piper demanded, her loving gaze turning to steely daggers, daring Rigley to keep talking.

“Watch my man become a whipped little puppy,” Rigley argued exasperatedly as if the answer was obvious.

“Rigley, don’t even start-“ Piper screeched until Lincoln reached across the table and put his hand on hers. He shook his head once, his blonde surfer hair flopping into his eyes.

“He’s not worth it, Pi,” he said sweetly. “Besides Rigs is jealous. The only woman that’s ever been able to tolerate him is his mom and even she’s not completely convinced yet.”

“So true,” Rigley laughed, pushing Lincoln’s head away from him.

“Do you have plans for tonight, Stel?” Tristan suddenly broke his lunchtime vow of silence. He stared across the table at me, his expression so hopeful it took me a moment to remember how to swallow.

“Uh, why?” I asked, ignoring the way Seth’s body tensed next to mine.

“I thought you could come over tonight. Trader and Trenton are coming home for the weekend and mom is making a big meal tonight. Thought you might want to see them. Plus Truman’s been asking about you lately.”

Geez Tristan, way to lay on the guilt…. I shifted uncomfortably on the bench.

“Who’s Truman?” Seth asked, giving me time to think things through before I answered Tristan.

“Um, Truman is Tristan’s little sister. We usually spend more time together but I’ve been so busy lately that I haven’t seen her since Christmas break,” I explained, feeling a stab of guilt in my gut.

“Stella’s pretty much her favorite person, they’re like sisters,” Tristan cut in only his explanation sounded more like a threat.

“Since she doesn’t have any,” I went on. “Uh, sisters that is. And neither do I.”