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Kylie’s face lit up and she wiggled her fingers. “It’s just a promise ring.”
Miranda snagged Kylie’s hand. “It’s a pretty big promise.”
“I know, isn’t it beautiful?” Her smile widened.
“Yeah. It’s great.” Della did another check on her phone.
“What’s that mean?” Kylie asked.
“What does what mean?” Della looked up.
“The tone. And don’t deny it. I heard it.”
Nothing,” Della said, not liking that she was wearing her emotions on her sleeve. “I’m happy for you.” And deep down it was true. It was just … change.
“But?” Kylie asked.
Oh, hell, why not be honest. “But it worries me that you and Lucas are going to end up getting married before we three get to go off to college. The three musketeers is gonna become two. And then one, because one of us,” she pointed to Miranda, “will end up killing the other.”
“I just said it wasn’t an engagement ring. And just because I’m wearing a promise ring doesn’t mean it’s going to happen any faster.”
“I’ll bet Lucas has other thoughts.”
“No, he doesn’t. He knows we’re planning on going to college together.”
“And what’s Lucas doing?” Della asked.
“He’s going to go wherever we go. Like you, he plans to work for the FRU, and he’s pretty much a shoo-in, so where he gets his education isn’t all that important.”
“I just think—”
“Then quit thinking,” Kylie said. “Or I should say, overthinking. Just because we have boyfriends doesn’t mean we aren’t going to always be together.”
“Yeah.” Even as confident as Kylie sounded, Della didn’t completely buy it. Everything in life changed. Most of the time, a person just had to accept it. And she was friggin’ tired of accepting shit.
Kylie looked at Miranda. “How was your weekend?”
“Terrible,” Miranda said. “Dad invited Tabitha over to the house and her mom came to drop her off. My mom had a conniption and wouldn’t open the door. The way my mom acts, you would think Tabitha’s mom was the other woman and not her.”
And from the way Miranda said it, it was clear the witch was having a hard time coming to turns with her home issues. Della supposed learning you had a half sister and that your dad was still secretly married to your sister’s mom would take some getting used to.
Miranda took a big sip of soda. “Then Mom and Dad argued. Dad spent the night as a donkey. Oh, but it gets worse. I had to explain to Shawn why I had a donkey in my living room.”
“Shawn?” Della and Kylie said at the same time. Shawn was a warlock, Miranda’s childhood crush, and now the new cute FRU agent who had a thing for the witch.
“You’re seeing Shawn?” Kylie asked. “I thought you were going to see how things went with Perry first.”
“I … well, I…”
While Miranda spit out random words that didn’t make sense, Della took another sip of soda and then checked her phone to see if she had a text from Chase. She didn’t. Damn him.
“He came over,” Miranda said. “He even said he knew I was trying to make a decision and he wanted to give me space. But not so much space that I’d forget about him.”
“He’s too cute to forget about,” Kylie said.
“But so is Perry,” Miranda said. “I saw him tonight and he was … sweet and said he’d be patient. But … if he’d known I was out with Shawn last night, he’d have a cow.”
“Well, let him have a cow and a couple of bulls while’s he’s at it,” Della said. “No one should tell you who you can spend some time with. I mean, who the hell does he think he is? You didn’t ask to be bonded to him! And if he goes off and gets himself killed, that’s his fault!”
Confusion appeared on her friends’ faces and she realized what she’d said. She dropped her forehead down on the table.
“I think the vamp has some explaining to do,” Miranda said.
“Yup,” Kylie chimed in. “Start talking.”
* * *
Chase landed in the back of the abandoned building on the outskirts of Houston, where the Hell’s Pit was hidden in some underground tunnels. Pulling his phone out to see who’d texted him, he saw Della’s number and almost didn’t read it.