“I came to see you, naughty girl that you are. You never answer your phone or respond to my mind-blowing texts anymore. My plan was to lecture you until you promised to have your phone surgically attached to your hand, but I decided to have some coffee first.”
Speaking of coffee... “I’ll take that.” I confiscated her mug as I eased into the seat beside her. I wouldn’t allow myself to eat or drink anything from the Ankhs, which made coffee a luxury. But I didn’t mind taking from my best friend.
“Hey!” A second later, she confiscated Reeve’s.
“Hey,” Reeve said, then confiscated Nana’s.
Musical coffees.
Nana shook her head, but I could see the gleam of amusement in her eyes.
“No need for a lecture,” I said to Kat, flattening my hand on my side. “There’ll be no more surgeries for me.”
Her features softened. “My poor, sweet Ali.”
“I don’t understand how you fell down our stairs and received such a life-threatening injury,” Reeve said. “You’re not the clumsy type, and there’s nothing sharp on the railing or the floor.”
“Of course she’s clumsy,” Kat exclaimed, covering for me as I stuttered for some type of response. “Ali could get tangled up in a cordless phone.”
I nodded and tried not to look miserable—the claim was only a lie if I failed to believe it. Maybe I was clumsy. Once, I’d stepped into Cole’s ankle trap and dangled upside down from a tree. Another time, he’d been teaching me how to work a sword and I’d nearly removed his head.
So...yeah.
“Anyway,” Kat said, quickly changing the subject, “I’m sure everyone will be pleased to know we won the football game last night.”
“Go, Tigers!” we said in unison, and burst into peals of laughter.
An alarm sounded from Reeve’s phone. “Crap!” She jumped up. “Sorry, guys, but I’ve got plans for Halloween and they actually start this morning. See ya!” She raced out of the kitchen.
Nana stood. “I’ve got to go, too. I want to lecture that girl’s father about the importance of being well informed. Oh, and, Ali, Cole called me a little while ago and told me you were in need of a costume, but that you’d be too busy training to shop. I thought he was kidding, like some kind of Halloween joke I just didn’t understand, since only yesterday he’d been so adamant about you staying in bed. But if he thinks you’re ready, you’re ready—and I won’t ask how he reached that conclusion.”
Please don’t!
And Cole had actually called Nana? “That’s sweet of you, but I don’t want us to spend money on an article of clothing I’ll only wear once. I can make something I already own work.”
Smiling, she patted my hand. “Darling, we’re not destitute. We have the insurance settlement.”
“But we are saving for a house of our own.” There were conditions for living here, and with conditions came an expiration date. I wanted Nana taken care of for the rest of her life, no surprises. In fact, I should probably find a job...though that might prove impossible, considering I would need to take time off for school and slaying.
No. There had to be a way.
“I’m getting you a costume, young lady, and that’s final. I’m looking forward to this.”
I sighed. “All right, but something from the thrift store will work just fine.”
She kissed the top of my head and followed the same path Reeve had taken. Without agreeing, I realized too late.
My phone vibrated, and I checked the screen.
Cole McHottie (as Kat had dubbed him): I can’t leave the gym 2 get U, Ali-gator, I’m sorry. But we R still on 4 2nite. I miss U
I wondered what had happened to keep him trapped at the gym.
Disappointed, I looked to Kat.
“So, where are you and Cole going?” she asked.
“Hearts, I’m sure.” It was the only nightclub the slayers frequented. “Now, about your phone calls and texts. I wasn’t ignoring you, I promise. It’s just strange, knowing you now know what I know, yet trying to buffer you from the worst of the details.”