I rested my forearms on my parted knees, flicking the messages closed and ignoring the flood of notifications. My gaze darted to the door before I swiped a finger across the phone screen to look at the background picture.
I stared, unblinking, while a slow, stupid smile tugged at my lips.
It was her selfie. The one she’d sent me, with the pen trapped between her upper lip and cute nose.
“So fucking gorgeous.”
CHAPTER 27
YVAINE
“Hi.”
It was the only word my tongue could formulate. One syllable. One squeak of dignity after last night’s pre-party disagreement. How he’d ordered me not to go…and how I’d refused to listen.
“Bunny Doc? You alright?”
The deep voice came through a little scratchy, not as cheerful as usual.
“Yes,Lucien.” Full name, just in case he forgot we were fighting. There was a pause. A short exhalation from his end. Not dramatic. Just…soft. I shivered at the way the nightly breeze caressed my skin, like it was his breath instead.
“I, um, rang you last night, but you never picked up. You sure you’re okay?” he investigated further.
A reasonable question, if my brain hadn’t been spinning like a Windows 98 loading screen. Should I tell him abouttheencounter with my mate? The fact that my usual therapists weren’t available did not help. Amaia was too busy for things like this, Archie lived on the other side of the globe and was off-grid on some excursion, and Makena… Well, discussing my lovelife with her when she didn’t utter a single word about her own didn’t feel right.
“More or less,” I admitted, fingertips touching my lips. Could sparks be stored, somehow? Because it seemed to me that my lips were still tingling. Had Logan secretly installed a taser under my skin?
“Listen, I need to talk to you about something,” he said in a firmer voice.
“Cool.” Except my brain was too crowded to focus on Rudolph.
Between my chat with Sillas, the phone call with Dad and Ian, Logan’s Kiss of Doom™, my upcoming exam, and the bloody wereball game between the Dark Diamonds and the Comets, my mind felt like a circus with too many jugglers.
I needed a spa. Or an induced coma. Whichever came first.
“But not on the phone.”
“I dislike this.”
We spoke at the same time.
He pulled in a deep breath. “What?”
“Never mind.” I huffed out the longest sigh anyone had ever sighed, scanning the park to make sure Zeus was still nearby. Not being bullied by some Chihuahua gang like last time, thinking they could make a fine snack of him but losing a few eyes instead. My wallet was still recovering from their vet bills.
“Come on, tell Uncle Lucien what’s going on.”
“Just exam stress for this test coming up.” I rubbed my temples, and for a moment, my gaze moved skyward, studying the stars.
Were they laughing at our worries from the eternity of their heavenly home?I bet they would, if they had mouths.
“Alright! Want some help?” At the sound of his playful question, I smiled. If Logan and I didn’t work out, at least I could always hang out with Rudy and his mate.
“Yeah, sure, you could…if you’re willing to listen to me recite hundreds of muscle and bone names, body functions, and?—”
I meant to be sarcastic, but my phone-buddy didn’t seem to catch on.
“Sure! If you give me the title of the manual or whatever you use, I’d be happy to help.”
