Im cooler! Deacon yelled from his Mortal Holiday Tree room.
Aiden headed up the stairs. Sometimes I think one of us was switched at birth. We dont even look alike.
Thats not true. I fingered the decorative garland covering the marble banister. Your eyes are the same.
He smiled over his shoulder. I rarely ever stay here. Deacon does every once in a while, and visiting Council members will stay here sometimes. The house is usually empty.
I remembered what Deacon had said about this house. Wanting to say something, but at a loss for what to say, I trailed behind him quietly. Over the last two days, Aiden had stayed by my side constantly. Like before the whole stabby incident, wed talked about stupid, inane things. And he hadnt been able to get Olivias number for me. All he had access to was her moms.
Deacon stays in one of the bedrooms downstairs. Ill stay here. He gestured at the first room, drawing my attention.
The urge to see his room was too much to resist. I peeked inside. Like the one in the cabin, there were just the bare essentials. Clothes were folded neatly on a chair beside the full-size bed. There were no pictures or personal effects. Was this your room when you were younger?
No. Aiden leaned against the wall in the hallway, watching me through hooded eyes. My room used to be the one Deacon stays in. Its hooked up with all the stuff Deacon requires. This was one of the guest rooms. He pushed off the wall. Yours is down the hall. Its a nicer room.
I tore myself away from his room. We passed several closed doors, but one had locked double doors decorated with titanium inlays. I suspected that had been his parents room.
Aiden pushed open a door at the end of the carpeted hall and turned the light on. Sliding past him, my mouth dropped open. The room was huge and beautiful. Plush carpet covered the floors, heavy curtains blocked the bay window, and my bags of personal items had been stacked neatly by a dresser. A flat-screen TV hung from the wall and the bed was big enough for four people. I spied a bathroom with a huge tub and my heart went all fluttery.
Seeing my love-struck expression, Aiden laughed. I figured youd like this room.
I looked inside the bathroom, sighing. I want to marry that bathtub. I turned around,
Hed also cut back on the drinking thing. I glanced at him. Maybe Luke was a good influence on him. You doing anything special for Valentines Day? I asked.
His lips pursed. Now why would you ask that, Alex? We dont celebrate V-Day.
But you do. You wouldnt have that tree if you didnt.
Are you? he inquired, his gray eyes dancing. Id swear I saw Aiden at the jewelry
Shut up! I hit him across the stomach with the throw pillow. Stop saying things like that. Nothing is going on.
Deacon grinned, and we watched the rest of the shows hed recorded. It wasnt until the afternoon that I worked up the nerve to ask where Aiden was. He was outside with the Guards the last time I checked.
Oh.
Part of me was glad that Aiden was doing his babysitting outside. My cheeks caught fire just thinking about us in the chair last night.
So you two were up pretty late, Deacon said.
I kept my expression blank. He was showing me the house.
Was that all he was showing you?
Shocked, I laughed as I twisted toward him. Yes! Deacon, geez.
What? He sat up and swung his legs off my lap. It was just an innocent question.
Whatever. I watched him stand up. Where are you going?
Over to the dorms. Lukes still there. Youre more than welcome to come, but I doubt Aiden will let you out of this house.
Pures and halfs could be casual friends, especially while they were in school together, and a lot of them were, although not so much since the daimon attacks at the beginning of the school year. Zarak hadnt thrown any of his huge parties lately. But for a half to be hanging out at a pures house would raise questions.
What are you two doing? I asked.
Deacon winked as he backed out of the room. Oh, Im sure the same thing you and my brother were doing last night. You know, hes going to show me around the dorm.
Several hours later, Deacon returned and Aiden finally reappeared inside. Avoiding my gaze, he went straight upstairs. Deacon shrugged and coaxed me into making cookies with him.
When Aiden finally came downstairs he lingered in the kitchen while Deacon and I made cookies. I sort of gaped at himdressed down in jeans and a long-sleeved shirtso long that Deacon elbowed me in the side. Once Aiden loosened up, he joked around with his brother. Every so often our eyes would meet, and electricity danced over my skin.
After eating our weight in raw cookie dough, we all ended up in the living room, sinking into couches bigger than most peoples beds. Deacon controlled the TV for four straight hours before ambling off to bed and Aiden went outside to check in with the Guardswhy, I had no idea. I roamed around the house. What had Aiden wanted to talk about before I told him to stop talking? Had he been ready to talk, like hed hinted when I was still in the med clinic? Restless, I found myself in the MHT tree room.