Page 7 of She is the Darke

“This is awesome,” Rachel said from behind the rim of her drink.

“Rachel Durock,” Tyler said loudly. “When I was eighteen, and your best friend was sixteen—”

“Stop!” Demi shrieked.

“Is this about the kiss?” Rachel asked.

Demi gasped and froze in horror. “W-what?”

Rachel slurped another sip. “The kiss at Reagan Frogg’s party, right before Tyler left for college.”

In shock, Demi forced her gaze to Tyler, and that oaf was smiling. “You told her?” she whispered.

“Oh, he told me years ago,” Rachel said. “I don’t really know if I like pumpkin-spice flavored beer. I keep trying it, but I don’t think it’s for me.”

“You pinky-swore you wouldn’t tell her,” she gritted out, feeling utterly betrayed.

“And you’ve been hiding it from your best friend for all these years,” Tyler said, closing the distance between them. “I guess we’re both fuckin’ liars.” He pulled a folded piece of paper from his back pocket and slapped it into her hand. “I knew you would rip up the first quote. When you settle down and realize how stupid this all is, and you want someone to handle the next two weeks of chaos with you and your type-A bossiness that nogrown man would ever in his right mind want to put up with, you give me a call. I wrote my number on the back. I need the business, Demi. So do you. We don’t have to talk or be friends. Tell me where to show up with the equipment, and let me do my thing. I’ll let you do yours.” He leaned closer, bright-blue eyes blazing, and she couldn’t move away. She couldn’t move! He leaned close to her face and murmured near her ear, “I told Rachel because it didn’t mean anything to me. Seems you felt different. Keep it professional, yeah?”

Tyler eased away, eyes on hers, and she hated the stupid burning sensation in her eyes. She dropped her gaze and clenched her fists, digging her nails into her palms to try and control the emotions that were washing through her.

Her skin was tingling just being this close to him, and he was right. His words rang true. That kiss had meant something to her, and left her confused for a long time, but he probably hadn’t thought much about it ever again. She was reacting, and angry, acting childish while he had grown out of any feelings surrounding that stupid kiss.

Her cheeks were on fire as he walked away.

“Want me to slash his tires?” Rachel asked.

A thick, emotional laugh escaped her. “I’m sorry.”

“I figured you would tell me someday, when you were ready.”

“Honestly, I was going to take it to my grave. I’m a horrible friend.”

“Me too.” Rachel shrugged. “I’ll see you later, okay?”

“Are you mad at me?” Demi asked.

“Oh, no. I’m going to go light his ass up for talking to you like that. Call you later.”

“Okay,” she said in a small voice as she watched her friend scamper after Tyler.

Feeling low, she unfolded the new quote and scanned his scribbled phone number on the back. The quote was very fair, but why couldn’t it have been any of the other Durock brothers? Or his dad?

Out of all the Durocks, why did it have to be Tyler bidding to work with her?

Chapter Four

“Now look what you did,” Rachel griped from behind him.

Pissed off at himself, Tyler turned to see what she was talking about. A huge crow was taking flight. He locked his legs and tracked the path of the crow. It was much larger than any one he’d ever seen. Its wings were outstretched so gracefully as it caught the wind currents and pushed upward until it skimmed the tops of the trees and disappeared in the distance.

“Was that…”

“Judging from the pile of her clothes, I’m going to go out on a limb and say yeah. Congratulations, Tyler. You got Demi so upset she Changed in public.” Rachel shoved him in the arm, but he barely felt it. He was busy staring off where the crow had disappeared.

If that was her animal, she was gorgeous in both forms.

He frowned at himself. A crow was gorgeous? What was wrong with him?