“No, I was being emotional and unreasonable. You were just trying to be encouraging.”
She smiled and reached out to squeeze my hand. And just like that, all was forgiven. The way it always was between us, the way it should be.
“I know you can’t talk about it,” she began. “Like you literally, physically can’t talk about it. But I’m not asking about what happened in the last Trial, not really. I just…the vibe between you two is different now.”
“The vibe?” I raised a brow.
“I like to think I’m relatively decent at catching onto these things, you know? Before, you could barely even look at him. You were overwhelmed and grieving and distant, and I totally understand that. But you used to spend your time around him thinking of the best way to get under his skin. Now you seem…actually into it. He’s the same moody asshole he was before, but you…I don’t know. You seem more receptive to the gloom.”
I bit my lip. Was it really that obvious?
My reaction had Sophie grinning from ear to ear in an instant. Her eyes gleamed as she turned back and glanced in Dante’s direction. I tried not to look, I really did, but I couldn’t help but follow her gaze to find him standing with Milo and Graham at the Finnegans’ table. All the others were deep in conversation, smiling and laughing as they drank, but his eyes were still on me. They darkened when our gazes met.
“Holy hell, Adrian,” Sophie cursed under her breath from beside me. “That man is undressing you with his eyes.”
I chuckled and looked away from him, turning my attention back to Sophie. I still felt his eyes burning into me but did my best to ignore it.
“I might have been too hard on him at first. I’ve learned Dante has it worse than I thought. It isn’t easy for him, not like I thought it was. He’s been hard on me too. He has high expectations and I think he worries I don’t take this as seriously as I should. But we’re partners. We’ve passed four Trials together. It’s…necessary to open myself up to him more as we go along. It’s—there’s a bond there. I can’t explain it.”
“I get it,” Sophie said. “I mean, I don’t. Not really. But there isn’t a rule that says you have to hate the First Ringers. And I understand you getting closer to him through this. No one else understands what you’re going through. I mean, no one. But none of that explains why he’s looking at you likethat.”
She pointed and I didn’t have to look to know he was still watching me. I took a breath.
“There have been…moments,” I admitted.
“Moments?” She asked, raising a brow.
“There might have been a kiss.”
She squealed and punched me hard in the shoulder. I groaned and rubbed the spot even though it hadn’t hurt at all.
“And?” She pressed.
“That’s it,” I told her. I chose to keep the stolen glances, months of pent up frustration, and the moment in that darkened hallway at Cosmo’s party to myself.
“It doesn’t have to be. If you decide to sneak away from my party a little early, I won’t be too offended. Just this once.”
“Sophie!” I laughed.
“You’re my best friend, Adrian. I just want to know you’re happy, safe, and taken care of. If that sullen beast can provide those things for you, then I’ll try to forget who he really is. For you.”
I shook my head but couldn’t help my smile as I pulled her into an embrace.
“I love you, Sophie,” I spoke against her sleek, shining hair.
“Love you too, Adrian.”
“You better. Now let’s go dance so Harrison doesn’t see us standing here all night and decide to interrogate us about why we thought the music wasn’t ‘dance-worthy’.”
Sophie snorted but took my hand and led me out onto the dance floor where, for the next hour, I lost myself in the music and didn’t think about the Trials, or Dante, or my family, or anything but the rhythm coming from the makeshift stage and the party raging around us.
Graham and the Finnegans joined us soon enough, raising their drinks in the air and cheering on the band between songs. Milo preferred to remain on the perimeter, watching and approaching partygoers on the fringes to question them in an academic sort of way that I was certain killed their buzz entirely. He didn’t seem to notice. He caught my eye a time or two and smiled. I’d lost track of Dante entirely. That is, until Sophie started grinding up on Graham and Liam reached a hand out to me in an offer to pair up.
A growl emanated from my back that had Liam snatching his hand away as if he’d been burned. Raising his hands in surrender, Liam backed away and was soon dragged off by a girl in a shining purple dress with bouncing blonde curls. I turned to find Dante standing firm behind me. His green eyes flashed as they met mine.
Territorial much?I asked through our bond, raising a brow.
Guess so,he drawled in response.Because there’s no way I was going to let you dance like that…a pointed nod in Sophie and Graham’s direction…with him.
