Bet Your Life Read Free

mine, and it was as comforting as sitting by a log fire. The fireworks were winding up for a big finish, which helped me to ignore the stares we were getting. I knew it looked as if he’d succeeded in wearing me down, but I didn’t care. Damage to my reputation was survivable. Hypothermia was, potentially, not.
    They kept the best for last: a flurry of hundreds of gold stars that hung against the sky for what felt like forever, then faded to black. I sighed and then applauded along with everyone else, genuinely impressed.
    The crowd started to come apart, drifting away in twos and threes to seek further entertainment, or a quiet corner for some alone time together, or the next party. Ryan still had his arms around my shoulders and didn’t seem inclined to let go.
    “I need to look for Hugo,” I said, twisting so I could see his face.
    “In a minute.” He ran a hand into my hair and held onto it at the back of my neck.
    “Hey,” I said half-heartedly. “Let go.”
    “It’s traditional to round off the fireworks with a kiss.”
    I leaned away from him as far as I could, which was not very. “I keep hearing about Port Sentinel’s traditions but I’ve never heard that one.”
    “You’re still new in town. Give it a year and you should be up to speed.” He leaned toward me and I did a quick calculation: was it more embarrassing to make a fuss or to allow it to happen?
    “Jess!”
    Saved. I wriggled free as soon as Ryan’s grip loosened. Hugo was coming toward us.
    “Where have you been?”
    “I was going to ask you the same thing.” Hugo had an odd expression on his face, I noted, and could guess why. My cousin was not a Ryan fan. You didn’t have to be particularly sensitive to spot that, and Ryan was actually quite good at reading other people’s reactions. He let go of me completely and nodded to Hugo.
    “Glad you found each other.”
    “Ryan!” The shout came from across the recreation ground, where a figure stood, arms outstretched. A knot of people was milling around him but he was very definitely the center of attention. He was instantly recognizable, even to me, as Harry Knowles. His hair stood straight up from his head, adding an extra six or so inches to his already quite impressive height. “Are you coming or not?”
    “In a minute,” Ryan yelled back.
    “Don’t miss out, man. It’s going to be big.” He picked up a small witch and threw her over his shoulder, spinning around as she shrieked with laughter.
    “I’ll be there.” Turning to me, Ryan said, “There’s a party at Harry’s house tonight. Come along if you can.”
    “I don’t know Harry.” I meant personally. Everyone in Port Sentinel knew who Harry was: the wild son of a genius city trader who had made his first million of the day before breakfast, every day, until the day he’d burned out. He’d quit, taken his money, and fled to Devon. Even in a town full of rich kids, Harry was renowned for being loaded, and spoiled rotten. He was a founding member of Ryan’s group of friends, who were essentially the prettiest and richest teenagers around. And all this could have been mine as well, if I’d been prepared to indulge Ryan and go out with him.
    “You don’t need to know Harry. You know me.” Ryan grinned down at me, ignoring Hugo. “Anyway, if you change your mind, let me know. Harry’s folks are in Venezuela for half-term. He’s aiming for a party a night.”
    “I’ll keep it in mind.”
    Ryan’s eyes narrowed a fraction, registering that I hadn’t said yes. “It would be fun. You don’t want to miss out.”
    “Definitely not. Thanks for asking me.”
    “Good luck with finding your coat,” Ryan said, and then, as I was just about to reply, dropped a kiss on my mouth. My lips were parted and it was startlingly intimate, even if it was quick. I stared after him as he walked away, my mouth tingling. When Hugo spoke, I jumped. I had completely forgotten he was there.
    “What were you doing with