Romance.
I lifted another to see the titleBonekissed,with a similar suggestive couple pose. Book after book held the same vibe, mostly fantasy, with vampires, fae, shifters, and witches. What the heck was a fae? Even more importantly, Kellan enjoyed reading romance, which was overall less surprising than his wall of weapons. It also explained why he always had the most perfect and romantic lines up his sleeve. He’d been trained by the best of the best.
According to Kerry Anne, who’d been my manager at Wahl’s Diner in San Diego, romance books were the ultimate guides for males. I’d never seen her without a book in her hand during her breaks, and she’d tell me the plots while we worked. She also introduced me to audiobooks, which I’d been able to afford approximately once a year.
I was hit with the urge to read the same stories as Kellan, but it would take me months to finish this book. My best hope was that he’d wake up soon and tell me the plots of his favorites, sharing that way with me.
“I can help you.”
I spun around, clutching a book about a stalking vampire to my chest. “With what?” I asked, looking around quickly before returning my focus to Slade, who was perched in the doorway.
“I can help you with your reading.”
Annoyed embarrassment filled me, coating my cheeks red. I’d mentioned my lack of schooling and weak reading skills before, but Slade was the one shifter who saw deeper into my true weaknesses and vulnerabilities.
He always saw deeper.
“It’s not just a lack of schooling,” I said, forcing myself to breathe evenly in the hope of willing my embarrassment away.“My brain is kind of fucked up. Letters and words mix all around, and I can’t seem to make lines of text stay straight. They jump up and down the page.”
Slade’s expression never shifted. “Yes. I’ve noticed the way you squint at the page. Based on the symptoms I’ve compiled, I believe you’re dyslexic.”
He said it so matter-of-factly, and I tried not to let my shock and distress spill across my face. “You think I’m dyslexic?”
I’d heard the term before of course, but only in passing as customers chatted about their children and school. I wasn’t sure what it actually meant, or how it was related to my reading inability.
Slade nodded. “Yes. It’s a reading disorder that affects many. There’s nothing wrong with you, and you’re not stupid.”
Through my continued shame, because adisorderdidn’t sound like an affliction to brag about, there was also a sliver of suspicion at his reference to being stupid. I’d been telling Kellan about it only a few minutes before I got off the bed, as part of my task to share with him all my life’s secrets.
I discreetly glanced up, but couldn’t see any cameras, so maybe it was a simple coincidence.
“Dyslexia is a reading disorder,” Slade repeated. “It has no correlation to your intellect. You just need to understand how your brain works and find the tools to help overcome the obstacles. I believe I can help you.”
Despite the years of hating my own flaws, a part of me was hopeful that maybe there was a way to improve. “I’m almost twenty-six,” I whispered.
A rumble rocked Slade’s chest. “Yes, on the twelfth of December.”
Another spike of suspicion, since I was fairly sure my birth had never been recorded, and I sure as shit hadn’t told them.
“Yes. Don’t you think I might be too old to learn how to read now.” Just talking about this had my heart beating faster. I’d spent years not drawing attention to my weaknesses. But when Slade acted so matter-of-fact, it did help me look at it clinically too. “I’ve made it work for most of my life. No point trying to force a round peg into a square hole when I’m already grown and dealing.”
Slade straightened, and when he stepped into the room, the atmosphere danced with new tension. “You could learn to be a nuclear physicistnow. Or a cardiovascular surgeonnow. Or how to build rocket shipsnow. There’s nothing you can’t learn, Snow. If you’re brave enough to take the chance.” His shrug was elegant, despite his massive, muscled shoulders. “If you’re afraid or can’t be bothered though, I won’t waste my time.”
The jab wasn’t as sharp as others he’d directed my way before, and for the most part I was glad that the dragon never tempered his words. He gave you his exact, unfiltered thoughts.
He gave you his truth.
He walked away before I could respond, leaving me to wonder if I should adddyslexia researchto the list of shit I had to do over the next few weeks. The irony of needing toreadinformation to find out about myreading disorderwasn’t lost on me. Along with omega research, my brain was going to start screaming at me.
Neither of which was as important as making sure Kellan woke up.
CHAPTER 13
EMME
The next time I fell asleep, it was in the chair, my head resting on the bed beside Kellan, my hand wrapped tightly around his. When voices jerked me awake, I had no idea how long I’d slept for, but there were heavy shadows lining the walls, with just two oyster lamps on his bedsides casting light around the room.
I wiped a hand over my face and shook myself awake as voices and steps grew louder. I was relieved to see Hunter’s head pop through the doorway first. “Are you okay if Jewels, Tyson, and Julien check in on Kel?”
