“For this exercise, you will look deeply into your partner’s eyes,” Elanora continued.
“That’s gonna get awkward fast,” Mrs. Penny guessed.
Awkward and deadly with two alpha guys staring each other down.
Gabe stared into Riley’s eyes, his brown eyes seeming to burrow their way into her brain, her soul. It was like staring down a golden retriever.
“Now, you will take control of your minds and direct negative, hurtful thoughts at your partner.”
“Grandmother, is this necessary?” Wander the peacemaker asked.
“It is absolutely necessary. Begin.”
I hope the old lady chokes on her egg salad today.
What is up with that old bat dressing up like Stevie Nicks?
“I said direct your thoughts at your partners,notme,” Elanora said crisply.
“Come on, Fred. Gimme your best shot,” Blossom said, rolling her shoulders.
“What are you looking at, fuckface?” Nick asked Canon.
“A sweaty douchebag,” Canon returned.
Riley decided to leave them to her grandmother’s wrath and focused on Gabe’s face. She couldn’t think anything mean about him. It just wasn’t possible. He had the same kind of soul as her sister. Open, warm, loving.
“Your hair is not very shiny.”
Riley blinked.
Gabe was doing their assignment, and she could hear him loud and clear.
“Yeah? Well, your head is shiny enough for the both of us,”she shot back internally.
Gabe flinched as if she’d struck him.
“Sorry.”
“No, you must keep going. We must complete the assignment. You’re not a tall enough person.”
“Gabe. Come on. If you’re going to do the assignment, do the assignment. Don’t be a scaredy cat.”
“I am not a frightened feline. You are the one who does not try hard because you fear failure. Which only serves to limit your experiences in life.”
Okay. That one hurt.
“You want to talk about fear? Which one of us is afraid to stand up to a crusty old lady and date my sister?”
“Elanora made me who I am. To disrespect her is unthinkable.”
“To accept her word as law means you don’t care deeply enough about yourself or my sister to stand up to her.”
“At least I am not afraid of the hard work it takes to do good work.”
“What kind of work do you do, anyway? As far as I know, all you do is hang around eating ice cream and moping after a woman you’re too afraid to profess your feelings for.”
Gabe’s eyes filled with tears, and Riley blinked back her own.“I am not here to fall in love with Wander. I am here to guide you. Yet I have found it impossible to guide someone who is determined to go nowhere.”
