“Gracie will do it when she’s ready,” Alex said.
I couldn’t help but peek at him over my shoulder, earning myself a serious nod from him like he really believed that one day I’d get there.
But his words must have been enough, because out of the corner of my eye, I saw both The Primordial—Alana—and Robert nod, something funny on their faces.
She changed the subject immediately. “Lexi, are you back to normal now?”
The leg under me tensed harder than fucking ever, and it was only because I was looking at Robert that I saw the confusion come over his features.
I guess the lack of reply was enough to make her features melt into a concerned expression. Even her voice changed. “You still can’t?” she asked.
She’d asked.
She’d just asked about his flying.
“Oh, Lexi,” she told him gently. “Did you ask Grandmother about it?”
The thigh under me tensed even more, but he didn’t beat around the bush as he said, “I haven’t tried, and I didn’t ask her. I did speak to Grandfather about it the other night. Everything else is almost back to normal.”
Everything else?I knew there had still been something off about him!
You could have cut through the silence with a butter knife. I hadn’t even realized I still had my hand on top of his, and I gave it a pat.
“Let’s try,” she suggested in a voice that reminded me of my grandma from how no-nonsense it was.
I moved my hand and set it on top of Alex’s knee, partially expecting him to whack it off. He didn’t though. He didn’t do or say anything. His leg stayed stiff.
“Might as well get it over with,” she said encouragingly, like she genuinely believed anything was possible. I totally understood how she was his favorite. She really did seem like an angel.
But if she was an angel, it was because her inner brightness had to block out old Grumpy Goose over here.
I squeezed his knee as his leg got even harder, feeling like concrete under my butt.
At my side, his chest expanded in a breath he didn’t need to take; then it deflated in what I knew was resignation.
And to my surprise, when he started to rise, he picked me up and slowly lowered me to my feet. A few fingers brushed against my palm in a gesture that took me about half a second to recognize.
It was my turn to be there for him, like I’d promised when we’d been on the run.
I wrapped my fingers around the three digits closest to me: his pinkie, ring, and middle fingers. I squeezed them tight too.
Was he that worried?
Alana and Robert moved toward the balcony doors, and Alex followed. When I tried to let go, he turned his palm and caught all of mine in his. My hand was a ball inside his as he tugged me along.
I kept my fucking mouth shut as we went through the doors.
I stopped so suddenly, he did too.
Alex glanced at me.
“You’ve said that I saved your life, but you saved mine. You did it without being able to fly. Okay?” I told him, knowing it wasn’t much, but it was something. It was everything to me. “You can be my number 9 best friend regardless of what happens, all right?”
His lips pressed tight.
I smiled, or at least I tried to. Then I took a step forward, wrapped my arms around his ribs, and gave them a quick squeeze before stepping away just as quickly.
His Adam’s apple bobbed as his gaze moved over my face. A muscle in his cheek might have even moved too. Then he said it, sounding almost disappointed, “You make it really, really hard to not like you.”
