When his tear-drenched shouts finally petered out, I choked on a sob and said, “It’s so good to hear your voice.” Because it was, even when he was yelling at me.
“You dick. You selfish dick,” he said. Then he burst into tears, sobbing into the phone.
“Gideon!” I ran out of my room, phone clutched in my white-knuckled grasp. “Gideon!”
I barreled into Gideon’s study as he rose from his desk, his eyes wide, fire crackling along his hands. “What’s wrong? What’s happened?” He tugged me close, craning his neck like he expected Lucifer to jump through the window and attack.
“I need to go. Danny needs me. Please, can you take me? He needs me. Please.” I put the phone to my ear again, hating every sob punching from Danny’s chest. “Danny, I’m coming okay? Just give me a second. I’m coming.”
“Get your shoes on,” Gideon said gently, and I turned on my heels and sprinted to the entryway.
I passed the kitchen, catching sight of Jai and Noel. Noel sat on the island counter, dangling legs parted to allow Jai to stand between them. They were speaking in low tones, foreheads pressed together. Jai’s hands splayed on the counter on either side of Noel’s hips. Noel cupped Jai’s face, and they were smiling.
They jerked their heads in my direction as I rushed past. “Riley?” they said at the same time, but I ignored them.
Pulling on my shoes, I told Danny I was coming. I repeated it over and over, even when the phone lay on the floor, the sounds of his tears crackling through the connection. Jai and Noel watched from the archway as Gideon joined me, slipping his feet into his loafers.
“What’s going on?” Jai asked.
“I’m taking Riley to Danny. We’ll be back later,” Gideon answered for me.
Jai and Noel nodded, concern written on their faces. But they let me go without any more questions. I sent them an apologetic look before picking my phone up.
“Listen, Danny, I’m coming. Okay? I’ll be there in a minute. I’m coming.”
He didn’t reply, just sniffled into the phone.
“I’ll see you soon,” I said, then hung up. “Gideon, please. I need to—”
“I know. Come here.” Gideon extended his hand, skin already aglow. I took it and the familiar fishhook teased my spine. It latched and tugged, and we winked out of existence.
It had been a long time since I’d teleported, and my stomach roiled as we landed on the sidewalk of a suburban neighborhood. I recognized the little house and the oak tree in the front yard. I’d only been here once in the summer, but it was cooler now. There wasn’t any snow, but my breath puffed in front of my face with every exhale. I’d forgotten to grab a coat.
Utopia was perpetually warm, but it was December. I’d forgotten.
“Text me when you’re ready to leave,” Gideon said with a squeeze to my elbow.
Nerves exploded in my belly as I stared at the unassuming house wrapped in Christmas lights. “What if he doesn’t forgive me?”
His fingers tightened around my elbow, and I looked at him. His smile was thin. “Then you’ll have a choice to make.”
“What choice?”
Bending down, he placed a fleeting kiss to my cheek. “What flavor ice cream you’ll want.”
I snorted a laugh and wrapped my arms around his waist. “You’ll take me for ice cream?”
“Ice cream makes everything better,” he said into my hair, hugging me back.
“That’s true.” I snuck a kiss to his sternum, though I doubted I was as stealthy as I thought I was. “Okay. We’ll get ice cream.”
“It’s a date.”
At his words, I stiffened, and his muscles locked in response. I peeked up at him, noting his flushed cheeks and wary gaze. Had he meant it as a joke? Or would he seriously consider it a date? Maybe it was a slip of the tongue?
“That sounds nice,” I finally stammered, matching his blush with my own.
“Okay,” he said.
To eliminate the awkward silence, I popped onto my toes and leaned into Gideon’s body for balance as I attempted to kiss him. The height distance was still too much, and I merely managed to peck the tip of his chin. I huffed.
“You’re too tall.”
A startled chuckle burst from his mouth at my complaint. “Perhaps you’re too short.”
Subtle laughter danced in his eyes as I frowned. “See if I ever try kissing you again,” I sniffed, facing Danny’s childhood home. The humor faded into the breeze like it had never been.
“For what it’s worth, I think he’ll forgive you.” Gideon’s body heat seared my back, his hands coming to rest on my shoulders. “It’ll work out.”
“Okay.” I took a fortifying breath. “I’ll call you.”
“Okay.”
With one last peck to the top of my head, Gideon backed away from me with a subtle nudge to my back to move me forward. I took a step toward the house. Then another. Before I knew it, I was up the porch steps and standing before the door. A Christmas wreath hung on the wood. After one last glance at Gideon over my shoulder, I knocked just underneath the wreath.
The door opened thirty seconds later. Danny’s sister, Crystal, stood in the doorway. She blinked in surprise. “Riley?”
“Hi,” I said, voice raw. “Is Danny here?”
“Uh, yeah. He’s in his room.” She backed into the living room, waving me inside.
I sent Gideon a small wave as I stepped over the threshold. He waved back as he turned to walk down the sidewalk. The door shut between us. Now that I was inside the warded house, I was sure Gideon would find a hidden place to teleport back to Utopia until I needed a ride back.
“Danny!” Crystal bellowed, and I startled. “Danny, Riley’s here!”
There was a muffled shout of response. She rolled her eyes in the way only a high-schooler could.
“Riley’s here!” she screamed louder, and I grimaced. “So, what are you doing here?”
“Just wanted to say hi,” I said with a weak smile. She arched an eyebrow, and she looked so much like Danny when she did it. She had the same freckles and hazel eyes, but she didn’t wear glasses. I fidgeted under her attention. “How’s senior year going?”
“It’s whatever.”
“How’s your boyfriend?” I asked as heavy steps sounded overhead.
She shrugged, popping her gum as she texted on her phone. “We broke up. He was a douche. I’m into college guys now, but all of Danny’s friends are gay. So that sucks.”
I hummed noncommittally.
Pausing in her texting, she looked me up and down. “You into girls?”
“Nope,” I said, the word strangled.
“Danny, you need more straight friends,” she said, and I followed her bored stare to the top of the stairs where my friend stood.
Danny’s eyes were swollen behind his glasses, his freckles standing out starkly from his pale face. He’d always been thin and gangling, but he looked frailer than the last time I’d seen him. My heart shuddered.
Scowling at his sister, he trudged down the top three steps. “I don’t choose friends based on their eligibility for dating you.”