Lullaby (The Fable Series, Book 2)

Chapter Thirty Three

It's too late to hide.

Alix and Zee are standing just a few feet away, their surfboards towering over me as they stare down in disbelief.

"I thought you were visiting your aunt in New York for the summer," Alix says, his voice barbed. "What's going on?"

"Ash? You know them?" Kitty asks, dropping her nail polish in the sand as I scramble to my feet.

Zee tries to say something, but Alix cuts her off.

"No, let Ash speak for herself," he says.

"It's complicated," I say. "I can explain."

"Damn right you're going to explain," Alix says.

Before I can speak, I feel a hand on my shoulder, gently pulling me back. Alastaire steps between Alix and I, his sun-dazed champagne stupor gone in a flash.

"And who exactly are you, hmmm?" He asks, his eyes hooked angrily on Alix. "What business do you have with my Cupcake?"

"What the..." Alix is shaking his head as he stares at Alastaire like he's some kind of alien. "Cupcake?"

"Yes, Cupcake aka Ash aka the girl who you were so rudely addressing just a moment ago," Alastaire says, puffing out his chest as he steps towards Alix. "Aka the girl who you will now be politely saying goodbye to as you leave us the hell alone."

"Wait," I say, stepping out from behind Alastaire. "Alix, I-"

"Is this guy your boyfriend or something?" Alix asks, his eyes wide as Alastaire bristles in front of him.

"No!" I say, shoving Alastaire away as he tries to wrap his arm around me. "Please, just hear me out Alix. There's a reason I told you I was in New York. I've been doing something important."

"Him?" Alix asks, side-eying Alastaire suspiciously.

"No!" I yell, as Zee gasps and raises her hand to her mouth. "Don't you recognize him? C'mon."

"What on earth are you doing Ash?" Kitty asks, springing up and attempting to drag Alastaire away. Alastaire, however, refuses to budge.

"Whatever's going on, I'm sure you three can sort it out on your own," she says hurriedly, glancing nervously from Alix to Zee to me. "Really, we're no one."

"Wait a second..." Alix says, the realization dawning on his face. "You're... you're the rock band guy... Aster Castle Kendollington-something, right? From... Fable?"

"It's Alastaire Cassiel-Kensington, actually," Alastaire says as Kitty moans and facepalms.

"I've been helping them record a new album," I say, stepping closer to Alix, who now just looks more shocked than angry. "It's a long story, but I'm not just doing it for me. It's for us."

"Us?" Alix asks incredulously.

"Yes, for Wild Blue Yonder," I say, suddenly feeling like a traitor as I say the name of my band. "They're going to give our demo to BYG Records. It could be our big break. You and Micah are always talking about getting out of Portland and-"

"I am getting out of Portland," Alix says, his voice suddenly softer. "I don't need your help with that, Ash. I got into Yale. Something you'd know if you hadn't been hiding from Micah and me all summer."

"Yale?" I say, as Alix nods, a slight smile curling the corners of his mouth.

He always said he didn't want to go to college. His parents can't afford it, seeing as they sunk what little money they had into buying a video store a year before Netflix came onto the scene.