“I’m sorry. It’s just that everyone is so…secretive. Like, I don’t know anything about your family. I’ve never seen your parents, Daemon. And Ash hates my guts for no reason. It’s weird that there are two sets of triplets that moved here at the same time,” she continued, proving that someone had been talking to her. Probably the girls in trig. “I dumped food on your head yesterday, and I didn’t get in trouble. That’s plain weird. Dee has a boyfriend she’s never mentioned. The town—it’s odd. People stare at Dee like she’s either a princess or they’re afraid of her. People stare at me . And—”
“You sound like those things have something in common.”
“Do they?”
“Why would they? Maybe you’re feeling a little paranoid. I would be if I’d been attacked after moving to a new town.”
“See, you are doing it now!” she all but shouted as she followed me deeper into the woods. “Getting all uptight because I’m asking a question, and Dee does the same thing.”
“Do you think maybe it’s because we know you’ve been through a lot, and we don’t want to add to it?” I threw back at her.
“But how can you add to it?”
I slowed down, taking a deep breath as we hit the clearing and the lake came into view. This was all going way off track. “I don’t know. We can’t.”
Kat shook her head as she stared at the water. Stars reflected off the still surface, and I hated that I brought her here to do this. No longer would I look at this place as a haven of comfort or peace.
“The day at the lake.” My voice was low. I wanted her to know this. Not that it would matter when this was over, but I needed her to know this. “There were a few minutes when I was having a good time.”
She twisted toward me. “Before you turned into Aquaman?”
My shoulders tensed as I lifted my gaze to the sky. For the first time in a long time, I thought about home, our real home, and how different things would be—should be. “Stress will do that, make you think things are happening that aren’t.”
“No, it doesn’t,” she said firmly. “There is something…odd here.”
“Other than you?”
Irritation rolled off her. “Why did you want to talk, Daemon?”
I lifted my arm and clasped the back of my neck. It was time to get this over with. “What happened yesterday at lunch is only going to get worse. You can’t be friends with Dee, not like the kind of friend you want to be.”
Kat stared at me. “Are you serious?”
I lowered my hand. “I’m not saying you have to stop talking to her, but pull it back. You can still be nice to her, talk to her at school, but don’t go out of your way. You’re only going to make it harder on her and yourself.”
A long moment passed. “Are you threatening me, Daemon?”
Lowering my gaze to hers, I braced myself. “No. I’m telling you how it’s going to be. We should head back.”
“No,” she said. “Why? Why is it wrong if I’m friends with your sister?”
My jaw tensed. This was a mistake, because I didn’t like this—no, I hated doing this. I had a mean streak the size of the equator, but this…this wasn’t me. Frustration rolled into a burst of heated energy, stirring the fallen leaves and tossing Kat’s hair.
“You aren’t like us,” I said, and then I really went there. I crossed every line that I knew to drive the point home. “You are nothing like us. Dee deserves better than you, people that are like her. So leave me alone. Leave my family alone.”
Kat jerked as if I’d delivered a physical blow, and truth was, what I had done was far worse than anything physical. She took a step back, blinking rapidly.
Then I sealed the deal. “You wanted to know why. That’s why.”
“Why…?” Her voice cracked. “Why do you hate me so much?”
My control slipped for a moment, and I flinched. I didn’t hate her. God, I wished I did, but I didn’t, and seeing the tears building in her eyes killed me.
And then, because she was anything but weak, she rallied. “You know what? Screw you, Daemon.”
I looked away, my jaw working “Kat, you can’t—”
“Shut up!” she hissed. “Just shut up.”
She stalked past me, heading back down the path we’d taken. It was too dark for her to make it without busting her ass. “Kat, please wait up.”
Unsurprisingly, she didn’t listen.
“Come on, Kat, don’t walk so far ahead. You’re going to get lost!”
She picked up her pace, and then she was running. The urge to go after her was hard to ignore, and I would’ve easily caught up, but it didn’t take a genius to figure out she wanted as much space between us as possible.
I’d hurt her, really hurt her this time, cutting deep. Anything I’d said to her before was nothing compared to what I’d said this time. I had a feeling I’d finally accomplished my mission, but I didn’t feel a single ounce of satisfaction.
I heard her stumble up ahead and grunt. Concern flared to life, and I picked up speed. “Kat!”
She ignored me once more and rushed forward. The road was up ahead, and she broke into an all-out run. I was closer to her now, only a few feet behind, and I saw her lift her hands and wipe them across her face.
Kat was crying.
I’d made her cry.
She hit the road and my heart stopped. I shouted her name, but there was no way she’d be able to react fast enough. It was too late.