“I was beginning to forget what you looked like,” she prompted when I didn’t move or acknowledge.
Looking at her quickly, I touched my temple in greeting. Taking a sip of the elderberry and thistle beer that had been a trial brew last year, I deliberately refrained from talking. I wouldn’t let her sucker me into another fight.
I was done fighting.
I would extract the debts, bide my time until all of this was mine, then get the final requirement out of the way.
Final requirement?
Her death, you mean?
Scowling, I took another sip. The concoction actually wasn’t toobad. Standing stiff and remote, I stared at nothing, wishing she’d just leave.
Her presence gave no hint of how she felt about me. I couldn’t tell if she hated me, desired me, or nursed vengeance deep in her heart.
I expected all of that and more. I expected to be slapped and told to never go near her again. I tensed for a spark in the tinderbox of emotions we stood in, just waiting for this crumbling truce to annihilate both of us.
What Nila didn’t know was, if she struck me, I wouldn’t retaliate. I would permit the slap with no spike of heartbeat or temper and walk away. I would stay my distance until the next debt was ready to be paid.
Because I was done.
I’d found peace, and I didn’t want to enter the chaos of fighting with her again. It was too fucking dangerous.
“Where have you been?” she asked, moving closer and watching the staff drive a large firework peg into the ground. They fumbled around trying to set the fuse alight.
I didn’t say anything. Just took another sip of my beverage.
The hiss and fizzle of the fuse was the only warning before the firework shot into the sky and rained over us with sparks and thunder.
Nila’s face lit up with the glowing atoms, dark eyes wide with appreciation.
Once the night sky was no longer polluted by fake sunshine and the cloud of smoke disappeared, Nila frowned in my direction. “Are you going to say something?”
I shrugged. Why? What was there to say? Nothing of importance and I’d done enough talking. Enough fighting. Enough fucking masturbating over the girl I was destined to kill.
Why was she talking to me? Shouldn’t she be avoiding me at all costs?
I stilled as Nila placed her hand on my forearm. Her feminine heat seeped through my tweed, reminding me of the last time we’d been together and what I’d done.
I stepped sideways, breaking her hold.
“Jethro—I—” Her voice tugged at my unbeating heart. I risked a glance at her. Her eyes glowed with onyx intelligence.
“Is this a different kind of torture? You no longer deem me important enough to even talk to?” The hurt in her voice dove under my skin, igniting my blood despite my will.
Locking every muscle, I said, “Don’t flatter yourself. I have nothing to say, and you have nothing I wish to hear.” Turning my attention back to the fireworks, another explosion wracked the atmosphere, disintegrating into not one but three different sunbursts of colour.
“You are the most confusing man I’ve ever met.” Irritation twisted her voice.
A small smile twitched my lips. “Thank you. That’s the second nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”
“What was the first?”
That you don’t understand me.
My secrets were safe as long as I confounded her.
I sipped my beer, deliberately ignoring her.
