I found out later that the girl’s name was Wren, and the woman had been her guardian. At the time, she’d been seventeen, three days shy of turning eighteen, and the fact that she was only a few months younger than me cut me to the core. Our lives couldn’t have been more different. Why were some people dealt such an awful hand in life? Why did these sick monsters exist?
Wren joined our troupe of trapeze artists, and we gradually got to know each other. That downtrodden, fragile girl blossomed into a woman who bore no resemblance to her past self on the surface, although there was still a fragility lurking beneath. But she was strong. She never let her fragility overwhelm her. I was so proud of her—we all were. She was a part of the cirque family, and we’d all do anything for each other.
But there was something more. I couldn’t stop thinking about her. Couldn’t stop noticing her. Wherever she was, I wanted to be. Something about her drew me like a moth to a flame.
It was an obsession I didn’t understand.
She was on my mind. Always.
Never before had someone captured my attention so fucking effortlessly, and she didn’t even know the effect she had on me.
Or did she? Did she see me only as a friend? Did she feel the same ache I did, deep within her soul?
“You’re staring again.”
I’d been so caught up in watching Wren that I jumped at the amused voice coming from my side. My head shot around, and I found Florin grinning at me, his golden curls catching the afternoon light. He looked like a sweet little angel—all innocentblue eyes and cherubic features. It was a lie, of course. Florin was many things, but innocent wasn’t one of them.
My cheeks flushed. “I’m not staring.”
He tilted his head, his long lashes fluttering as he blinked up at me, the innocent little demon. “Oh? You’ve been ‘not staring’ at her for months now.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Florin laughed, a bright, tinkling sound. “You can’t fool me. I know you’re head over heels for our little bird. She watches you too, you know. When you’re not looking.”
My heart did a little flip. “She does?”
“Yep! Even Darius noticed.” He clapped his hands together. “Oh! I just remembered! Last week when you were all practicing, she nearly fell off her trapeze because she was too busy watching you on the silks. Vivienne had to call her name three times!”
I couldn’t help the smile that spread across my face. “Really?”
“Really.” He bounced on his toes, all bright enthusiasm. “So, what’s the plan? A grand romantic gesture? Ooh, you could write her name in blood! I could help with that!”
“Florin, no. No grand gestures, and definitely no blood.”
He sighed dramatically, his lips curving into a pout. “You’re no fun. Fine. But you should tell her how you feel.”
Tell her how I feel.
My gaze slid back to Wren, and she looked up, catching my eye. She smiled—that beautiful, unguarded smile that made my stomach flip—and gave me a shy wave.
My heart skipped a beat.
“Wave back!” Florin hissed, lifting my hand for me and waving it in the air.
“Florin!” I snatched my hand away, my cheeks flushing even more as Wren’s smile widened, amusement dancing in her beautiful eyes.
“I’m going to help you,” he announced, completely ignoring my warning look. “Teeth’s mirror maze would make such a lovely, romantic location for a love confession. What do you say?”
“Love confession— What?”
“Yay! I’m glad you agree. It’s going to be so much fun! I’ll go and find Teeth now, and we’ll make sure the maze is free for you tonight after the show.” Flashing me a bright smile, he skipped away before I had a chance to respond.
When he’d gone, I lowered myself to the bench with a sigh. Maybe he was right. Wasn’t it better to know, rather than live with this uncertainty?
I’d been suppressing my feelings for so long, but now I was struggling to hide them, to act as if Wren was only a friend to me. But according to Florin—who seemed to know everything that happened in the cirque—Wren watched me, too.
I had to know if she felt even a fraction of what I felt for her. And tonight, I’d know one way or another.
