“I think the larger risk will be what Easter needs.” His fingers hook into the seam of my coat.
“Why would Easter’s needs get in the way of her being with Kris?”
Hex goes quiet. His energy is… off.
I press closer, fingers fixing under his chin. “Hex? What’s going on?”
He smiles. It’s forced and sets me on edge. “It’s not important.”
“It is. What’s wrong? This isn’t about Iris and Kris.”
“It’s nothing. I have morbid tendencies, if you’ll recall. Please. We can discuss it later.”
“You’re worried about us.” The words have been pinballing around my head for the past few weeks but it doesn’t make the way I say them any more confident. They come out shaky and a little desperate. “About after all this.”
His smile wavers. “We only have a few days left now.”
“I’m so close to fixing everything, I swear.”
That sad tinge to his smile doesn’t wane. “I know.”
“Even if you think it’s—”
Footsteps patter up the hall. The cadence is too fast, frantic, and the rhythm triggers a fight-or-flight response deep, deep in my chest.
There’s a crack. Something, somewhere, in the past two seconds broke, a massive split shattering, shattering—
Iris comes tearing around the corner. Her whole demeanor sets me on edge, eyes emanating defeat. Under my hands, Hex’s arms go rock solid.
I don’t release him, but pivot to her. “What’s wrong?”
The question sounds muted. Like I’m asking it through water.
“You need to get to your room,” she says. “Now. Your father—”
I put one hand up and point at her and a hot swell of anger mixed with fear burns right through my chest.
“Don’t,” I tell her. “Don’t say—”
“He found the letters. The responses from the winter Holidays.”
He went through my room? The air sucks out of my lungs.
“Kris is trying to calm him down,” she continues, and my hand drops. “He’s furious.”
I swing back on Hex. That feeling of being underwater is overtaking my senses and makes everything delayed until all I can do is drop my lips to his forehead.
“I’ll come to your suite later,” I promise.
“Do you want me to be with you?” he offers. A wince ripples across his face.
No, he can’t. Not if he wants to keep his Holiday out of this.
“It’ll be fine.” The words are weather-beaten.It’ll be fine. It’ll be fine. It’ll be—
Hex lifts his head, rests his lips against mine. “I’ll be waiting,” he says into my mouth.
One last kiss, and I break away, giving Iris a forced smile as I pass her. It’s fine, see? I’ll go to my room, and—
