Page 57 of Burning Embers
Jake, who has been mostly silent until now, gives his friend a bemused look before he forces a smile on his face. I don’t know Jake that well yet, but I’ve determined he’s a pretty chill guy, always willing to go with the flow. Not a lot seems to perturb him.
My foster brother pulls Emery and Dec into a conversation about the upcoming football game against a team called the Vipers. The two of them try to ask Ashton, who has finally sat down beside Emery, for his opinions—he must be a football player too—but Ashton doesn’t answer.
He just keeps staring.
At me.
His features are utterly blank, almost impassive, as he regards me. He’s no longer clenching his jaw, but there’s a calculating glint to his dark gaze that makes me uneasy. It’s not the same uneasy feeling I have around Kain. It’s more as if I’mbeing sized up and rated, and I have to wonder if he finds me…lacking.
I’ve never been a self-conscious person before, but just then, I want to burrow my head in the sand and disappear. His penetrating gaze seems to see too much yet not enough.
It unnerves me.
And then Ashton speaks, his low, growly voice slashing through the air like the crack of a whip. His words cut Jake, Dec, and Emery’s conversation off in mid-sentence.
“Why are you here, Izzy?” Ashton’s eyes narrow nearly imperceptibly as he studies my face.
I blanch. “Excuse me?”
“Why are you here?” he repeats.
“Dude!” Ethan hisses, sounding mortified. His face has gone a dark shade of crimson.
“Ash…” Emery’s voice holds a hint of warning and reproach.
“I’m a foster child,” I say with a forced neutrality. What the hell is this dude’s problem? “My newest placement is in this school district.”
His lips thin further. “And this is the first time you’ve ever been here before?”
I try to chuckle, but the noise comes out harsh and guarded. I’m not sure if Ashton is simply trying to get to know me—and going about it in a way that borders on creepy—or if he’s accusing me of something. It almost sounds like the latter, which is absolutely ridiculous. What could he possibly be accusing me of? I’ve never met him before in my life.
“First time,” I say. “Is there anything else you want to know? My middle name? Address? Bra size?”
“Okay, enough with your weird-ass interrogation.” Jake slings an arm over my shoulder, pulling me closer against his side. “You’re scaring the new girl. She’s going to think we’reweird or something.” He places his lips by my ear. “They’re weird. I’m not. Obviously.”
Across from me, Ashton and Emery go very, very still. Emery’s eyes are fixated on where Jake’s arm touches my shoulder, and Ashton’s jaw has once again resumed its clenching. I glance towards Ethan to see that he isn’t faring much better. There’s a dark, predatory glint to his eyes that I’ve never seen before, and his hands are curled into fists.
Dec, obviously sensing the strange tension saturating the air, jumps to his feet and grabs his lunch.
“I’ll see you guys at practice,” he says to no one in particular. Then, almost as an afterthought, he turns to me and waves. “Bye, Izzy.”
“See you later, Dec.”
I swear Ashton actually growls.
What. The. Fuck?
Do they not like Jake? I thought Jake said they were friends. Is it Dec? Maybe they’re not fans of him. It certainly has nothing to do with me—Emery and Ethan barely know me, and Ashtondoesn’tknow me.
“So…” I try to change the subject, suddenly desperate to temper the animosity permeating the air. “The three of you are all friends? How long have you known each other?”
As I speak, I subtly shift out from underneath Jake’s arm and resume eating.
The three men seem to relax as soon as I’m no longer touching Jake.
It’s Emery who answers. I’m beginning to believe he’s the most talkative of the bunch, though I don’t get the sense he’s the leader. His eyes constantly flick in Ashton’s direction, as if asking the other man for permission.
Interesting.