I frowned. “No.”
A one-note laugh escaped him. “So final. I like that you found your voice only to tell me what I can and can’t do.”
Heat crept across my cheeks. Had I gone too far?
“I’m sorry, I wasn’t trying to be controlling,” I murmured.
Viol tossed his head back and laughed again. He’d brushed away the unshed tears, but his eyes remained wet and glistening, shining like dark amethysts.
“You’re fine, Poppy,” Viol said softly.
His kind words floated in the air like silk threads wrapping around my heart.
I missed this. I missed him.
Nerves choked my chest. I wanted to tell him how I felt. How badly I yearned for his companionship. How I was only able to bear the pain of revisiting those dark memories because of his presence in them.
But I couldn’t say any of that.
The words felt too big and frightening to force out of my throat. Like if I spoke them aloud, it would alter the worldforever—and I didn’t know if I could handle that uncertain future.
Instead, I kept quiet. Contained the living, breathing words inside. Kept them locked away behind my door of terror.
Because if I ever let them free only to discover Viol felt differently, I wouldn’t be able to go on.
“It’s getting late,” Viol said as he slowly got to his feet. “We should head down for dinner before someone barges in here and drags us by force. My brothers like doing stupid shit like that.”
Even his irritated comment had a note of fondness in it. That lightened my mood. I stood up, grunting as my body adjusted to being upright instead of curled up on the bathroom floor.
“Are you sure you want me here? I don’thaveto stay for dinner,” I said, fussing with the hem of my sleeve.
Viol shot me a halfhearted glare. “First of all, your friends would rip my face off if they found out I sent you home. Second...” He trailed off and swallowed. “I want you here, too, all right?”
My spirits lifted. “Really?”
“You can’t figure that out?” Viol grumbled. Before I could answer, he marched out of the bathroom, but held the door open as he waited for me. I walked past his outstretched arm, flashing a grateful smile. He blushed and hurried ahead downstairs while never straying further than a few strides ahead.
My chest felt warm as we descended to the main floor together. The tension in the air was mostly gone. Being by Viol was comfortable and familiar; he’d slotted back into place like he’d never left my side. Selfishly, I wanted him to remain there forever. But he was his own person with his own life. I had no right to dictate his actions.
I was just happy to cherish the moments as they came.
11
Viol
With the waymy heart pounded, I felt like a fucking teenager on the first day of school.
My reaction was so embarrassing. Poppy and I were only walking next to each other. No big deal. So, why were my palms clammy? Why was my pulse racing?
What a pathetic alpha I am,I thought irritably.Poppy doesn’t deserve an asshole like me who quakes in his goddamn boots because he’s nervous...
As we reached the main floor, the house came alive. The kitchen sounded busy. Normally, everyone ate dinner at their own pace on different schedules, but tonight the stars had aligned and everyone came together for a big family event. The background hum of voices and laughter was cranked so high that the castle itself felt alive.
I glanced sideways at Poppy, wondering if the chaos would be too much for him, but to my surprise, he hurried ahead with a wondrous look on his face, like he couldn’t wait to be part of the excitement.
A lick of doubt made me pause. I’d always thought of Poppy as fragile and meek, but he was stronger than I gave him credit for.
Besides, it wasn’t like I was the best at protecting him anyway.
