Page 57 of A Little Secret
With a relieved sigh, she peeks into the backseat, finds Frankie’s terrarium tucked between my backpack and Griffin’s duffle bag, and opens the back door so she can reach her precious demon. Good riddance. Scooting intothe backseat, she unwedges the terrarium from our bags, and cradles the glass container to her chest as if Frankie is her own flesh and blood. “How’s my little guy? Huh, baby?” She dips her head and practically presses her face against the glass to get a better look at the monster. “Did Aunt Finley treat you oh so good, or do I need to sneak you into her bed tonight?”
My lips thin, and I make eye contact with my supposed best friend through the rearview mirror as I roll the passenger window up. “Trust me. That won’t be necessary.”
“Yeah. Been there, done that,” Griffin adds from the driver’s seat as he pushes his door open.
Dylan’s forehead wrinkles. “What?”
“Frankie jumped out of his cage a couple days ago and wound up torturing me on my bed,” I explain.
Eyes bugging out of her head, Dylan almost chokes on her own amusement as she asks, “Are you serious?”
“Careful,” Griffin interjects. He climbs out of the car, then bends at the waist so he can hold his sister’s stare. “The wound’s still fresh.”
“Yikes.” Swallowing her fresh cackle, Dylan smooths out her expression and clears her throat. “Well, when you finally decide to have kids, I’d be happy to babysit as a thank you.”
My lungs squeeze, but I paste on a smile, refusing to acknowledge how close her comment hits home. “Sounds great. I’ll definitely hold you to it.”
“Perfect! Oh, and, uh,” she grimaces, “sorry about the breakup. How are you holding up?”
Keeping my smile in place, I tuck my hair behind my ear, then reach for the door handle. “Never better.”
“Why am I not surprised?” She follows my lead and climbs out of the car. The cold breeze hits our faces, turning Dylan’s cheeks pink as she adds, “Seriously, Fin.Pretty sure an asteroid could be headed in our direction, and you’d still find a way to not only handle it but handle it like a freaking pro.”
If only she knew.
“I think you’re overestimating my abilities,” I argue.
“Hardly. And look at the bright side.” Dylan’s eyes light up. “Now you and Griff can be friends again without feeling guilty, which is actually perfect considering tonight’s game.”
Closing the driver’s side door, Griffin rounds the front of the SUV and asks, “What’s tonight’s game?”
“You’ll see,” Dylan replies, still juggling Frankie’s terrarium. “Come inside. It’s freezing out here, and I don’t want Frankie to catch a cold.”
“Yeah, wouldn’t that be a shame,” I quip.
Ignoring Dylan’s half-assed glare, we follow her into the house. It’s less busy than usual. Still littered with gyrating bodies, don’t get me wrong, but there’s maybe half of the usual chaos ensuing, and I can’t decide if I’m happy about it or not. Part of me could’ve used the distraction. The other part? Well, I’m too lost in my own head to compute anything but the bare minimum at the moment.
A freshman from one of my classes is at the door. Handcuffs are sprawled out on the table beside him. It’s the only hint I can see as to what game we’ll be playing tonight.
When I see them, my mouth lifts. “Kinky.”
Dylan tosses me a grin over her shoulder. “Raine picked tonight’s game, since the last one ended with her crying. Everett suggested we play one of your favorites.”
My gaze narrows. “This is payback for when I suggested we play open wide for a nice surprise, isn’t it?”
She laughs. “Yup.”
“Cuff up, Fin!” my brother calls from the top of thestairs, well aware of how much I hate being partnered with someone during Game Nights. “You and Griff are on a team.”
“I don’t get to at least pick my own teammate?” I demand.
“You’re too late.” He takes the stairs two at a time, meeting us in the entryway. “Everyone else is already paired up.”
Standing on my tiptoes, I start searching the family room for a familiar face, muttering, “I’m pretty sure I could find someone to?—”
“Griff can take your shots,” Everett adds.
Griffin groans beside me, and my face pulls even more as my heels hit the ground. “If he has to take both our shots, he’ll be bombed by the second round, and I’ll lose.”