Page 64 of Ghost Ribbon

Does he make you smile?

“Yeah,” I admitted quietly. “He does. Sometimes.” It wasn’t a lie. Alexei did often bring smiles to my face; despite being scary he could also be really cute. Okay no, I should get that thought out of my head.

Luca nodded slowly, like he was accepting it for now. But his hands kept moving.

If he ever makes you cry for real reasons, you tell me. I will kick him in the shins. Even if he is tall. I am fast.

I laughed again, the sound watery. I pulled him into a hug, burying my face in his curls for a second.

“You’re not allowed to kick anyone, menace,” I mumbled. “But thank you. I love you.”

He hugged me back tightly, then pulled away to sign one last thing, eyes serious.

Mom made strawberry biscotti again. Come downstairs soon?

I nodded. “Yeah. In a minute. Tell her I’ll be down soon, okay?”

Luca gave me one more long, searching look, then hopped off the bed and padded out.

I flopped back onto the bed and stared at the ceiling again.

***

The next morning felt like walking through fog. My throat was still a little sore, my lips felt sensitive every time I pressed them together, and every time I swallowed I had the vivid memory of yesterday’s events.

I was in the hallway when I heard the familiar sound of running footsteps.

“Marco!”

I barely had time to turn before Rei crashed into me - well, more like scooped me up. His arms wrapped around my waist and he lifted me clean off the ground, spinning me in a full circle right there in the middle of the hallway.

I let out a startled giggle, the sound bubbling up before I could stop it. My hands flew to his shoulders for balance.

“Rei!” I laughed, voice high with surprise. “Put me down, you’re going to drop me!”

He spun me once more, silver hair with its flower clips flashing under the lights, before finally setting me down, but he kept his arms around me, pulling me into a tight hug instead.

“I missed you so much!” he said, voice bright and a little breathless, face buried in my curls for a second. “You have no idea.”

I hugged him back just as tightly, smiling so wide my cheeks hurt. “I missed you too. Like, a lot.”

He pulled back just enough to grin at me. “Tell me everything. How is your mom? Luca? Did Sasha try to steal you again while I was gone? And wait, is the strawberry supply in your house still stocked? Because I brought you some.”

He was still talking a mile a minute when I felt a prickling sensation at the back of my neck.

I glanced over Rei’s shoulder and my stomach dropped straight through the floor.

Dimitri was standing a few feet away, arms crossed, glaring. Not at Rei, at me. And right beside him -

Alexei.

Those piercing green eyes locked onto the back of Rei’s head like he was already calculating exactly how to remove it from his body.

My heart started hammering so hard I could hear it in my ears.

I tapped Rei’s shoulder quickly. “Rei.”

He blinked, then turned around.