* * *
A knock on my bedroom door roused me out of sleep hours later. I pried my eyes open to see that the sun was setting outside my bedroom window. I had slept the day away. The knock came again. I pulled the thick down comforter over my head.
The door cracked open. “Layla-bug?”
I hunkered down, hoping he’d just go away.
A few moments later, the bed shifted under Zayne’s weight. He felt around until his hand landed on my head. “Where are you at under these blankets?” He patted the bed a couple of times. “I can’t find you.”
I hated him for joking.
There was a moment of silence. “You’re mad at me.”
I squeezed my eyes shut until I saw white light. “You forgot me.”
Another stretch of silence followed. “I didn’t mean to forget you, Layla. After everything that happened last night with the possessed human, all of us were out late. It just...happened.”
A weird empty feeling opened up in my chest. “In all the years we’ve known each other, you’ve never forgotten me.” A dry lump formed in my throat. “I waited for you, you know? Then, like an idiot, I thought something had happened to you. So I embarrassed myself in front of the whole clan.”
“I heard that Nicolai offered to take you.”
Rehashing that made me feel so much better. “Just go away.”
Zayne seized the edge of the blanket, pulling it from my grasp. I desperately clamored for control of the blanket, but Zayne held it away from me. I gave up, falling onto my back. “You suck.”
“I’m sorry.” He looked exhausted. Faint shadows blossomed under his eyes, his hair was a mess, wavier than normal, and his shirt was rumpled. “Layla, I’m really sorry. I had every intention of coming back here on time. And I wanted to see you—I was worried about you. I just lost track of things.”
“You look terrible,” I said. “I guessed you stayed up longer than normal, huh?”
Zayne’s eyes narrowed. “No longer than I normally would if I’d been with you.”
But he hadn’t been with me. “Why did you tell Danika to keep an eye on me?”
He blinked. “So that’s what this—” he gestured at me “—is all about? You’re mad because I asked her to help you if you needed anything?”
“I’m mad because you left me hanging this morning, and yeah, I’m mad because you told her about my problem.”
“Layla, everyone here knows what you can do. It’s not a secret.”
I sat up, pushing the tangled mess of hair out of my face. “Not everyone knows how much I struggle with it! And you know that. But you told Danika.”
Confusion rippled across Zayne’s features. “I don’t get what the big deal is. It’s not like we were talking bad about you.”
“You don’t know what the big deal is?” I climbed out of the bed, ignoring the covers that spilled to the floor. Everything poured out of me. All the anger, frustration and confusion rushed to the surface. And there was biting grief making its way out, too, because it felt like I was losing him. “Do you know how embarrassing—how humiliating it is for people to think I’m that screwed up? Jesus. Jasmine already thinks I’m going to suck the souls out of her babies and now Danika follows me around in the middle of the night. That is, when she’s not following you around.”
“Jasmine doesn’t think that, Layla.” He twisted at the waist, thrusting his hand through his hair. “You’ve just been so wired lately. I thought it would be a good idea in case...”
I flinched. “In case of what, Zayne?”
“Layla, I didn’t mean anything by that.” He stood, raising his hands helplessly.
For some reason, my gaze fell on an old dollhouse in the corner of my bedroom. After all these years, I’d never had the heart to store it in the attic. Memories of forcing Zayne to play dolls with me seemed so long ago. Why was I holding on to them—on to him—when it was all so very pointless?
“You know, I don’t even think this morning or my asking Danika to help you have anything to do with why you’re acting this way,” Zayne said, his voice laced with frustration.
I frowned, turning back to him. “And why else would I be mad?”
“You’re pissed because Danika is here. You get like this every time she comes to visit, but it’s beyond obvious this time around.”
My mouth dropped open, and the weird icky, empty feeling spread. “You really think that’s it? That’s ridiculous. You made me feel like crap four times, Zayne.”
“Four? What in the Hell are you talking about?”
I raised my hand, ticking them off my fingers. “You threw me under the bus with the whole tagging thing, which you should be happy over, because after last night, I’m not tagging anymore. You told Danika to look after me just in case I go demon on everyone’s ass.” I knew how crazy this all sounded, but I couldn’t stop myself. “You didn’t even check on me last night. And you forgot me this morning to spend time with someone else!”
He crossed the room, stopping in front of me. “I suggested that you stop tagging because it’s dangerous for you, which turned out to be true, now didn’t it? I told Danika to keep an eye on you because I care about you. Strange concept, huh?” His pale eyes snapped fire, latching on to mine and holding them. “I didn’t come see you last night because I figured you were resting and I left immediately to hunt. And I’m sorry about this morning. I’m not replacing you, Layla. It was an honest mistake.”
“But you are replacing me!” Realizing what I had said, I clasped my hands over my mouth and backed off. Even worse were the tears building in my eyes.
His expression softened instantly. He reached for me, but I stepped back. Something akin to pain flickered over his face. “That is not the case.”
I lowered my hands to my sides. “But you’re spending so much time with her. I’ve barely seen you since she’s been here. She’s doing everything I...” I stopped, biting the inside of my cheek until I tasted blood. Stupid, stupid girl.
“It’s only been a few days. She’ll be leaving in a couple of weeks.” Zayne dragged his fingers through his hair again. “Please don’t be like this, Layla.”
Our eyes met, and I knew he was waiting for me to tell him it was okay. That I was cool with things now, and I wouldn’t be upset over Danika. I didn’t say anything, though, because I wasn’t okay with it and jealousy and bitterness were like bitter pills exploding in my stomach. This was more than a crush unreturned. He was my friend—the only friend who really knew me—and I was losing him.
Shaking his head, Zayne shrugged. Then he went to my bedroom door, stopping to look at me over his shoulder. “I am sorry.”
“Sorry doesn’t make me feel any better,” I said just because I wanted to be a bitch.
A muscle ticked along his jaw. Several seconds passed before he spoke. “You know, you’re constantly griping about everyone treating you like a kid. It’s kind of hard to treat you as a grown woman when you act like this.”
Ouch. He could’ve hit me and it would have hurt less.