I force a tight smile. “Hi,” I was never good at making friends. Truthfully, I never thought I needed them. Between my busy schedule, horseback riding, and my brothers, I was content.
“Don’t sound too excited,” she leans back slightly with a laugh, watching me like she’s waiting for a reaction I’m yet to give her.
I exhale through my nose, shaking my head. “Just surprised to see you, is all.”
Dale tilts her head, her smirk widening. “You and me both. Though I have to admit, I was a bit worried when you fell off the face of the earth.”
I arch an eyebrow. “And why is that?”
She shrugs, giving me a partial answer. “You’re dating Hayden Herron, right?”
My stomach tightens, thinking about the intensity of the morning with the lawyer, but I keep my expression neutral. “You seem to know a considerable amount about me.”
Dale laughs at my expression, so easygoing, a woman with a sharp wit.
She reaches into her purse and pulls out a pack of French slim cigarettes, offering me one. I shake my head, and she smiles.
They still allow you to smoke in most indoor places at Eulogia, with ashtrays dispersed throughout the hall. I’ve never picked up the habit.
“I’m a woman with great intel,” she jokes, and I shrug.
“I promise I’m not meaning to be rude, I just have a horrible habit of being forward,” she smiles, and I can’t help but laugh.
Students fill in around us as they grab seats to study and prepare for class.
I look at the Nokia in my hand, but can’t ignore the gnawing feeling I have.
I’ve only just left Hayden, so why do I suddenly want to use the phone to call him?
I’ve heard in the past about a Taft dating one of the most ruthless Bonesmen. I guess I never realized it was this Taft, even though it was right in front of me all along. I know I shouldn’t pry; in fact, it’s something I’m accusing her of. But I can’t seem to stop myself.
I let curiosity get the best of me, leaning in slightly, keeping my voice low. "Did you and Hayden ever date?"
Dale doesn’t react immediately. Instead, she keeps her eyes on the front of the room, tapping her cigarette against the ashtray built into the communal desk. Then, slowly, she turns her head toward me, her smirk deepening.
"Now why would you want to know that?" she asks, amusement lacing her tone.
I roll my eyes, wanting to know, considering the intensity of the contract I know Hayden will have waiting for me this evening, but instead I opt for coy. "It’s a simple question."
"And you’re avoiding telling me why you asked it."
I purse my lips, waiting.
She leans in just a little, like she’s letting me in on a secret. "Let’s just say, Hayden Herron and I have history. Whether that history includes dating? Well…" Her smirk turns almost predatory. "That depends on how you choose to look at it."
I don’t know what annoys me more, her answer or the fact that it gets under my skin.
She watches me for a moment longer, her gaze assessing, as if deciding whether to let me off easy or let me drown in the truth. Then she takes a long drag of her cigarette and exhales, slow and deliberate.
"I was his Chosen."
The words settle between us, thick and heavy. My stomach tightens.
I blink. "You were hiswhat?"
Dale leans back, stretching her arms lazily before setting her cigarette down in the ashtray with an air of indifference that I don’t believe for a second. "You know what a Chosen is, right?" she asks, tilting her head slightly. "The Brotherhood of Death doesn’t leave things to chance. They assign us roles, partners, and alliances. I was Hayden’s. Chosen for him by the Brotherhood."
My pulse stutters, something uneasy curling in my chest. “Meant to be?”
