A Beautiful Dark

have seen his face when he realized you were singing to him.”
    Cassie beamed, and I knew it was the right thing to say. If Cassie and Dan got together, it would change the dynamic of our group, but I couldn’t help thinking about Asher and how much I wished there was nothing standing in our way. I needed to start getting used to things changing.
    I wanted to tell Cassie about my parents—about the truth behind Asher and Devin’s sudden appearance at our school and my own role in all this. The kitchen was loud, but we were standing off in a corner where it was quieter and with the way our heads were tilted together, I knew no one would be able to hear us.
    “Cass,” I started, my voice shaking a little in the way that it did when I got nervous. “I have to tell you something.”
    She eyed me carefully. “I knew you weren’t telling me everything.”
    “It’s . . . um . . . it’s hard to talk about. But I want you to know. You’re my best friend, and I’ve been keeping these things from you, and I just . . . I’m so sorry. I’ve wanted to tell you this entire time.”
    “Whoa, Skye. Shh, it’s okay.” She put her hand on my back. “I’m not mad. You can tell me anything, and I promise it will stay between us.”
    “Okay.” I took a deep breath. “Remember the story that Asher told at the campfire?”
    Cassie’s eyes were growing wide and excited. “Yeah? Is this about Asher? Are you guys—”
    “No,” I said. “Well, kind of. I mean—there’s more to the story than that. It turns out—” That sensation of being watched had suddenly pricked at the back of my neck, and as casually as I could, I looked behind me.
    Devin was standing on the other side of the marble island. He wasn’t looking at us, but from the look on his face, I knew he’d heard every word. I had to think fast. I had to play this off like I’d meant to tell her something completely harmless. Cassie looked a little bewildered, waiting for me to finish the story.
    “It turns out,” I continued, “that he never even liked Ellie. We kissed. He liked me the whole time.” It was still the truth, after all. Just a very, very big omission. I hated that Devin had to hear it, but better that than he hear me spill all of his secrets to Cassie.
    Cassie’s eyes were huge. “Oh, Skye!” she exclaimed, throwing her arms around me. “That’s incredible! You have to fill me in on everything !”
    “I will, definitely. But I think you should go look for Dan now. I bet you two have a lot to talk about.” I gave her a pointed look. “Besides, I should go check on the party. I am the hostess, after all.”
    “Okay!” She started to back away toward the open living room. “This is so romantic!” She squealed again, clapping her hands together before she took off.
    My heart still pounding at the near miss, I turned around and found myself face-to-face with Asher. Devin was nowhere to be seen. It was a little creepy the way he could disappear like that.
    “What’s so romantic?” he asked, his head tilted to one side and studying me as though he could read my mind. He looked so good, in a soft, chocolate-colored sweater and jeans. I wanted to bury my face in his chest and feel him breathing beneath my cheek.
    “Nothing to do with you, obviously,” I said, turning away again.
    “That’s not what it sounded like,” he said, catching up to me and leaning down, his voice low in my ear. “It sounded like the opposite, actually. Were you telling Cassie about me?”
    “No!” I sputtered, spinning back around. “And what are you even doing here? I don’t remember inviting you.”
    “You didn’t. But if you’ll recall, your friend Cassie invited everyone at the show. And that included me. So don’t be rude. Are you going to offer me a drink or not?”
    “Not,” I said. “Why did you come?”
    Asher looked taken aback, even a little hurt, but he kept up the light tone.
    “I wanted to see you.”
    “But—”
    “In case you’ve forgotten,” he said under his breath, taking me gently but firmly by the elbow and turning to face me, “I have a job to do, remember? And that’s to look out for you.”
    “Well, you haven’t been doing so hot the past few days, have you?”
    “Hey, will you stop being difficult with me for like five minutes, or is that too hard for you?”
    “I’m complicated, remember?” I said. “I’ve got dual natures.”
    “Oh my god!” he said, running a hand through his hair