What? After weeks of nothing, he thought he could just walk into my house and tell me that we were leaving? Where had he been all this time? Where was he when I was in that room?
Everett’s eyes narrowing ever so slightly. “You’re angry?” His eyes softened. “No, irritated. It’s an emotion, that’s good. You’re doing good, Olivia.”
And despite my anger towards him, I felt my heart skip at his little ounce of praise.
I worked my jaw and pulled my hands into my lap, looking at Merlin instead. Fuck him. He broke his word, didn’t he? He had left. I know what the others had said, what Emily had said, but they had to be lying. Everett wouldn’t waste his time sitting by my bedside, and if he did, I would have seen him. I would have remembered him, I know I would have.
He had left.
If he ever came to visit at all.
“Was it the collar I put on you last night or Baily’s visit that helped you start feeling again?”
My breath caught, my eyes finding his again. He put on…
I had always been able tofeel. Always, but I was suddenly unable to control it less, that was all. It was fine, so long as the anger didn’t come out, everything would be fine.
But there was no one who brought out my anger like he did.
When I didn’t respond, he gestured to the door again. “Let’s go.”
I searched his eyes. It wasn’t quite an order. His words were softer than that. It was almost like a suggestion he was hoping I would take. Should I take it?
Spending the day with Everett?
I glanced at Lucy, her eyes on me.
It would be dangerous, spending so much time with him knowing what he did to me, but what else would I do? Sit here and shop online? Sit here and sit in this feeling?
Maybe going with him was the best option.
“We’re taking the Chevelle,” he told me as if thinking that’s what I was worried about. The bike.
But it wasn’t that, it was so much deeper.
I should go. Not just for me but for him. For Lucy. Maybe even for Merlin.
I found his eyes for only a moment before I pushed myself to a stand. This had to be the best option. It had to be. I picked up Merlin, and headed for the doorway, leaving my bowl on the table and Rover in his spot.
My heart beat louder the closer I got to him. I could smell him. The real him, not just the smell of his clothes, buthim. I could smell our time in the woods. Our time in the park. The memories slammed into me like a train that I needed to stop. I had to stop it.
But I remembered how his touch felt. Good and firm. Sometimes gentle, but mostly secure. His grip on me never wavered. It never faltered. Not once, not even a little.
A warmth spread across my skin, my breathing picking up, my steps slowing as I reached that large doorway.
I found myself slowing against my will, and finally pausing right beside him, my eyes closing of their own accord, my throat closing as I stood in his presence. In his death aura. The aura I thought would come find me if I was just patient enough.
The aura I had counted on.
Seconds ticked. “Please talk to me,” I heard him say suddenly, his voice a low whisper of a plea. “Please, pup.”
I worked my jaw, tears burning my eyes. I couldn’t. I just…Icouldn’t, not yet. Not until I fixed this. Not until I could get rid of the crack those people had widened within me.
It took more strength than I cared to admit to walk away from him.
I still couldn’t close the door behind me, so I ordered Lucy to guard the door while I changed into a pair of joggers, a tank top, and his hoodie. I pulled my hair up into a ponytail and pulled on some shoes before finally heading back into the hallway, ready to do whatever it was he wanted me to do, Merlin secure on my shoulder.
Everett was waiting at the door, his eyes unreadable. “Is Merlin going to be secure up there?”
