Marcus DimascioThe Hurricane Throne

CHAPTER NO.22

Katie sure knew how to cook.

She served us fried salty sausage and bread, with a plastic cup of orange juice to wash the food down. I sat next to my unconscious father, eating silently while everyone else sat around the fire. A few times they were laughing, as if they were sharing a funny joke. And a couple of times, Katie glanced at me with concern in her eyes.

Jake suddenly got up, since Katie and Chloe were talking to each other, and walked over to me. He grabbed me by the shirt sleeve.

"Can I talk to you for a second?" he asked.

I nodded. I got up and followed him into the kitchen, where several pieces of wood lay on the floor. The surfaces were dirty with dampness and the windows were cracked beyond repair.

Jake placed his hands on his hips. "Is there something going on between you and Katie?"

I was stunned by his question. Has Katie talked to him? "Uh...no, there isn't."

"There isn't," Jake repeated raising his eyebrow, obviously not convinced with my answer. "Then why is it that whenever you two look at each other, Katie gives you that look like you two are dating?"

I felt like a mouse trapped in a cage. "Uh...it's none of your business?"

Jake shook his head. "It is my business because closest Katie is one of my friends. What's going on?"

Tell him, my son.

I almost turned my head to look at my father.

That voice was obviously his, speaking to me in his head. I still didn't know how he could've gained enough energy to create this link between us, but I was grateful for it.

Don't be afraid to tell your cousin the truth, he thought to me.

I looked at Jake. Poseidon was right – I shouldn't keep secrets from my family, especially if it was your cousin.

"I might've told her that I have a crush on her," I explained to Zeus's son.

Jake's jaw dropped open. "What?"

I stroked my hair nervously.

"It started when we first met, okay? And when she said that you two stood up for me and my sister, she also explained that she couldn't stop thinking about me."

Jake shook his head in surprise, like he couldn't believe what I said. "Jeez – that must've taken some serious guts to tell the truth. And Chloe knew about this?"

"She's my sister, who can read my thoughts and speaks telepathically with me," I muttered. "It's impossible to keep anything away from her." Then I smiled, chuckling quietly. "Oh, but wait until you hear what Chloe has to say about you."

Jake frowned. "What do you mean?"

I looked behind me to see if we were being watched. Katie and Chloe were still gossiping at the fire. Then I looked back at Jake.

"She also has a crush on you," I whispered.

Jake's eyes nearly bulged out of his skulls in shock. "What...She has a...That's not–" He couldn't say a complete sentence. "Does Katie know about this?"

"Yeah," I nodded, "but she's keeping quiet about it."

"Oh, thank you god," Jake gasped in relief.

I laughed. "It looks like you and I have the same problems, then. Okay, how about this – we both keep this between us and never speak a word of this; until we think we're ready?"