Page 51 of The Mist of Stars
“Is it just me or has this place gotten smaller over the years?” I remark as I turn in a circle.
“I think it’s because we’ve gotten bigger.” Laylen plops down in a chair and kicks up his boot-clad feet onto a makeshift barstool, a few chunks of mud falling off the bottoms. “How long has it been since you’ve been up here?”
I shrug as I sink into a chair. “A while.”
Aislin hoists herself up onto the table and swings her legs back and forth. “It brings back so many good memories.” The corners of her lips quirk. “And dramatic ones.” She gives Alex and me an insinuating look.
Alex avoids my gaze. “If you’re talking about mine and Gemma’s drama, it wasn’t drama.”
Aislin tucks her hands under her legs. “Then what was it?”
He lifts a broad shoulder as he collects an old, rusty knife from off the floor, an item we must’ve brought up here at some point. “Ask Gemma.” He sneaks me a glance before returning his focus to the rusty knife. He examines it as if it’s the most fascinating item he’s ever seen.
“It was a misunderstanding,” I reply, observing his reaction.
His fingers twitch, but he shows no other reaction as he tosses the knife aside.
“I need to call up a few of my connections and get this thing going with the security footage. If all fails, then Aislin, you might have to wipe some memories, if someone gets to it before we do.”
Aislin nods as she hops off the table. “I have a ton of my stuff with me because I was moving out …” She trails off as she slows to a stop. “Shit, all of my stuff is in the Jeep, including my spell book.”
Alex rubs his jawline as he considers this. “You might have to drive back and get it. But be extra careful.”
“She can’t go alone,” Laylen protests, shaking his head as he gapes at Alex.
Aislin puts her hands on her hips and lets out a dry, harsh laugh. “Can’t go alone? I can do whatever I want. Do I need to remind you that I’m the only one out of the four of us who has powers?”
“That’s not true,” Alex comments as he leans against the wall with his tattooed arms folded across his muscular chest. “Gemma probably has foreseer powers.”
“True,” Aislin agrees. “But she can’t really do anything with them—no offense.”
“None taken.” I cross my legs. “Besides, we don’t know if I, for sure, have them. It’s just a guess.”
“Based on a lot of evidence,” Alex grumbles, clearly in a bad mood, probably because of what I brought up in the car.
It’s odd. I’ve spent years loathing him, and yet I feel bad for bringing something up that had to be traumatic for him. I wonder if Aislin or Laylen know about it.
“Look, I can handle it,” Aislin assures Laylen with her hands in front of her.
He props a foot onto the wall. “I know you can, but it’s safer if someone goes with you.”
I raise my hand to volunteer, but Laylen beats me to it as he leaps to his feet.
“So, I’m going with you,” he offers with a charming grin.
Aislin’s cheeks are flushed, and I mentally roll my eyes. Those two are so into each other, yet they never say it.
“Okay, let’s go then.” Aislin spins for the door with Laylen following.
That’s when I become aware that … “Wait.” I stand up. “I think I should go.”
“Why?” Alex asks, pushing away from the wall.
“Because …” I don’t want to say the reason. “I can stay alone with …” I trail off as Aislin throws me a wave and yanks Laylen out of the hideout.
I think that witch did this on purpose.
My attention shifts back to Alex, who’s studying me way too intensely. “What?”