Good girl.
Once he was out of sight, I heard her exhale loudly. I peered carefully around the trunk of the tree and saw her hands shaking as she looked around anxiously.
I pulled my phone from my back pocket and messaged Orin.
You need to come get Maeve at The Junction. Now.
I slid the phone back into my pocket and chanced one more glance at her. Visibly upset. Shaking slightly. Glued to the spot. She needed to get out of there before she broke in front of all these people.
Ever since that night, she was… different. Something inside her had shifted. She was no longer the prey, but a predator.People often forgot that every predator had a weakness. Hers? Once the switch was flipped,things got messy. Sometimes her mind couldn't tell the difference between a threat and general fear.
Soon, I see Orin striding across The Junction toward Maeve. I took a deep breath and sat back down, waiting until he had taken her away before I left, too. I peered around the trunk one more time and caught a glimpse of them just before they rounded a nearby building. Maeve’s arms were wrapped around her middle, and she looked at the ground as she walked. I wanted to be the one to get her out of there. I wanted to be the one to take her home, care for her, and comfort her. But I couldn’t for so many reasons. I rubbed a hand over my jaw, through my hair. It would be three more days before I could see her again, but it could only ever be from a distance now.
How could that ever be enough?
Chapter 12
Maeve
Esoteric (adj) only understood by a small, select group of people
His eyes glitter an icy, sharp blue as he looks into mine. There’s a sincerity there that I can’t question or deny.
But Nessa…
How could she do this?Whywould she do this? It makes no sense. What was itfor? To fuck Callum? Why would she go to such drastic lengths? There has to be something else to it, something I’m not seeing.
He leans his forehead against mine.
“What do you say we take our food to go and we get out of here? I have something I want to show you,” he says softly, just above a whisper.
“That sounds great,” I say, nodding.
As if he had been cued in, the waiter opens the door to the suite.
“We’ll be departing earlier than anticipated,” Callum says, straightening his posture and adjusting his collar. “We’ll need our food to go.”
“Very good, sir,” the waiter says with a nod and hurries away. In a few minutes, he returns with the bill and our entrees, boxed and bagged.Callum pushes his chair back and starts to stand, but I reach for his arm, stopping him. He sinks back down slowly, looking at me intently.
“Cal,” my voice small, “I’m sorry I didn’t let you explain sooner. That’s on me.”
He reaches over and takes both of my hands in his, planting a slow, lingering kiss on the back of each one. The scruff on his jaw scrapes lightly, leaving my skin tingling. I bite my lip. The intimacy of this moment is almost too much.
“Hey,” he says softly, looking up at me. “As frustrating as it was, there were other things going on that prevented me from pushing harder to see you, talk to you. At the time, it seemed like the right thing to do was to just… give you space. But I was wrong, Maeve. Hindsight is always 20/20.”
He stands, keeping my hands in his, pulling me up gently. This time, holding his hand feels different. Like the current has changed directions, pulling me back to shore, away from the abyss I’d drifted to.
Callum settles the bill, leaving a generous tip, and we head out of the restaurant. The blonde hostess is nowhere to be seen. As the valet pulls the car up to the curb, I catch a glimpse of Orin and Ronan, as they climb back into a car parked down the street. Their faces are hidden by darkness, but I know it’s them. I’m annoyed by all the surveillance, but Iamlooking forward to telling both of them how terrible their stealth skills are.Eejits.
And suddenly, I remember. The information I was hoping to get from Callum tonight was about what has been going on between our families. His revelation about Nessa had distracted me, but seeing Orin andRonin sneaking around in the darkness reminds me thatI’mthe one who is truly in the dark. Have been for a long time now. My father told me that the feud was a ruse, but to what end?
Callum opens the car door and helps me in, and I offer him a small smile as I slide into the passenger seat, making a mental note to revisit the conversation. He’d told me that he would fill me in, tell me everything. No more secrets between us. And I’m determined to hold him to that.
The Mustang rumbles as we take off. Once we are on a long stretch of the road, he reaches over for my hand, sitting in my lap, and pulls it to his lips. I lay my head against the seat, watching him. Mine again. I sigh, more relief than the frustration coursing through me. Even though I’m angry about all of the secrets, the hidden reasons behind the fake feud between our families, I’m glad that thisrealrift between Callum and me has begun to heal. He rests our hands on the shifter before he shifts us into a higher gear, sending the car forward a bit faster. I giggle as the car increases speed, Callum grinning with easy amusement. We didn’t speak. We simply existed together.
Roughly twenty minutes later, we’re driving down a familiar road, and I wonder where he’s taking me. We pull up to an estate I’d only ever seen in passing, or from the back while on the other side of the lake.
Ourlake.
