We’re setting up for one more game — one I know they’re only playing to give me a chance to redeem myself — this time with Hayliel on my team, but it means she has to sit across from me. Before she can get up to switch seats with her Mom, I reach over to cup her cheek.
“I love it when you wear my clothes,” I tell her. It’s a treat to watch her eyes widen when she realizes what I’m saying.Yes, hummingbird. It’s mine. You thought I only hated you, but the truth is so much worse.
“Archangels’ blessing,” Maribella coos at us. “Aren’t they just the cutest, Camael? I don’t think I’ve ever seen our Haylie-bear so happy.”
“Mom,” my fake girlfriend whispers to her mom, clearly embarrassed. But if I only get this one day to pretend to have everything I’ve ever wanted, I’m going to make the most of it. Having Hayliel as my own might not be in the cards for me, but I’m going to soak up every ounce of this pretend relationship, and maybe it’ll be enough.
I don’t know whether it was the first game as practice, or the rush of joy zinging through me knowing that Hayliel wore my jacket and I apparently make her happier than anyone ever has, but somehow we win the next game.
Maribella and Camael offer for me to sleep on the couch, but I don’t think that’s such a good idea. The blade is still strapped beneath my shirt, and I really need to figure out what the hell I’m going to do with it. Not to mention the fact that I’m not even sure I could sleep so close to Hayliel and actually stay on the couch.Temptation is thy name.
While her parents say goodnight, Hayliel and I head down to her room. where I think we’ll finally be able to talk about things in private. Except her idea of private differs from mine.
“We need to call Raphael and Theo.”
I sigh. “Do we really though?”
“Yes,” she says, taking my hand and leading me to the bed. I envisioned a very different outcome from this act. “I know you don’t like them, but they’re my friends and they want to figure this shit out just as much as we do. Today, with you, has been incredible, Zeke. Maybe not that whole bit with Roderick, butthe rest … it reminds me of that night before classes started. I likethatZeke. I want to spend time with him, and I think others would too. Please don’t revert back to Mr. Grumps.”
I stare into her eyes as her words hit me like a boulder, straight in the chest. Is this what Theo was trying to tell me? Swallowing past the lump in my throat, I nod. “I’ll try.”
She puts the phone on speaker, volume low so her parents don’t hear, and we sit huddled on the bed while we wait for them to answer.
“Hey, sunshine. Miss me already, do you?” Raphael says in his cocky fucking voice.
“You know I do,” Hayliel tells him. “Theo, you there?”
“Hi. Yup. I’m here, firefly. What’s going on? How did everything go with Ezekiel?”
“Yeah, how was it? Did that asshole treat you like shit, because if he did—”
“That asshole is on the call too, and no, I didn’t treat her like shit. As a matter of fact, her parents loved meeting herboyfriendand think they’ve never seen her happier,” I add, smugly.
“Fake boyfriend.” Hayliel slaps my arm as noise erupts through the phone. Shit. Right, I was supposed to be on my best behavior. Someone should have told them the fucking same.
“Enough. My parents heard me invite someone and automatically assumed it was my boyfriend. I thought it was easier to just go with it. Zeke and I are fine, but we have some news, and that’s why I’m calling. We think we found out where the stolen weapons are stashed.”
“Huh?” Raphael asks. “What do you mean,you think?”
“I brought Zeke down the path I took when I saw Roderick the first time, and we actually ran into him. Zeke knocked him out. We stole the angel blade and—”
“Back the fuck up,” Theo says, shocking Hayliel and me. Not that I’ve talked to him a lot, but even when he was lecturingme last night, I don’t think he ever sounded this pissed off. “You attacked Roderick, knowing he had a fucking blade and a murdering streak? With Hayliel right there in harm’s way? What the fuck were you thinking?”
Well, he’s definitely pissed, and it looks like it’s all directed at me. Sure, it might not have been my finest hour, but I knew what I was doing.
“I took advantage of the opportunity that presented itself and got a mighty fine lead, I might add. Besides, I would never let anything happen to her. You, of all angels, should know that.”
The line goes silent, and Hayliel’s brows are creased in confusion. Shit. I probably shouldn’t have said that last part. Fuck!
“I don’t want to argue over who’s right or wrong. The fact is, it’s done, and Zeke got Roderick to open up a bit. He’s kept out of the loop on most things, so he couldn’t tell us who his boss is or anything like that, but he told us about an old building near the lake between Pure and Fallen districts.”
“Give me a second,” Theo says. We hear some shuffling around on his end of the line before he starts tapping away, likely looking up the area on a map. “There are a few buildings this could be, mostly storage buildings or warehouses.”
“It’s none of those,” I say, my chest aching. “Follow the separation between the production and farming districts, then cross the lake. There’s a building there that looks more like an old house. That’s the one.”
“But how do you know that?”
“I just do.” The tone of my voice offers no further argument on the subject, and I expect it to start a fight, but no one questions me further.
