Page 35 of Haunting the Deep

Jaxon takes a swipe at Dillon, but Dillon jumps out of the way and raises his hands in surrender.

“Okay, man,” Dillon says through a laugh. “I get it. Just be at Niki’s tonight.” Dillon walks into the crowd pushing toward the door.

Jaxon rubs the back of his neck with his hand. “Sorry ’bout that. He thinks he’s funny.”

I half laugh as we walk toward the side door. “He is funny.”

But Jaxon doesn’t laugh in return like he normally would. We exit into the parking lot and head for Jaxon’s truck. An awkward silence replaces our usual banter.

“So you’re going to Niki’s tonight?” I ask.

“Does it matter?”

I look at him. “What do you mean?”

“Do you not want me to go to Niki’s for some reason?”

Besides the fact that she doesn’t like me and would probably make me disappear if she could?“How do you want me to answer that?”

“Words would be best. I’m shit at charades.”

I stop next to Jaxon’s truck. “How are you this mad atme?”

Jaxon shrugs.

“Words would be best. I’m shit at shrugs,” I say.

“I tried words.”

“You’re frustrated because I won’t go to the dance with you? You don’t evenknowwhy I said I wouldn’t go.” And this is definitely not the moment to tell him that I will go with him. It’s going to look like it’s for all the wrong reasons.

“How could I? You don’t talk to me, Sam.”

“Are you kidding? We talk every day. I talk to you more than I talk to anyone besides my dad.”

“Small talk. Every time I try to talk to you about something personal, you change the subject. Especially if I bring up Vivian running out on you guys, or what happened in the woods.”

“So our friendship doesn’t count because I won’t talk to you about terrible things I’d rather forget?”

Jaxon shakes his head. “You can twist my words all you want. I’m just saying that right now we have a pretty low standard for friendship. And yesterday morning was a perfect example. You literally ran away from me.”

He gets in his truck, and I’m left standing there with my mouth open.

I get in the passenger side. “First of all, I didn’t run away; you wouldn’t let it go. Second of all, just because I don’t want to go to the dance doesn’t mean it’s about you or our friendship.”

Jaxon starts his engine. “Not what I’m talking about. If you’re honest, you know I have a point.”

It takes me several tries to slam my seat belt into its buckle. “Did it ever occur to you that I’m not super open with you about certain things because you’re so judgmental? And when something comes out that you don’t like, you get all moody. Like this.” I gesture at him.

He drives through the parking lot. “Right. I’m the problem. Glad we sorted that.”

“I’m not saying I’m not the problem. I’m just saying you are, too. Youhatemagic and anything supernatural.”

“That has nothing to do with it.”

“That has everything to do with it. You have no idea what you’re asking me to tell you, and you’re acting like I’m ridiculous.”

“No, Idon’t knowwhat I’m asking you to tell me, because you don’t communicate.”