I can't bring myself to lie to her outright, so I give a shrug instead. Shootingdidaggravate it, but I know that's not the root cause.
"Maybe take it easy the rest of the week?" she suggests, slipping into my en suite bathroom and taking my hand once I've finished drying it on a hand towel. She begins to gently knead the aching muscle and tendons there until I sigh at the relief.
"I can't," I mutter. "You saw my aim. It's not even half as good as Sev's or Atticus's, or even yours."
She snorts. "I'm not that much better than you. It's been over a year since I was at the range with any sort of regularity."
"Well, then I guess you're a natural."
She smirks. "I've been meaning to ask, how's Julian doing? Have you heard anything else from Nancy."
The fact that she remembers the name of his primary care nurse is a testament to how many times she's asked about him since we went to visit.
"Better," I reply. "Back in his delusions, but peaceful, which is good to hear."
"Good. I'm glad. I hope we can go see him again soon."
I can tell she really means it and wonder if she has any idea what it means to me to hear her say it.
I tip her face up to the light, wanting to study it without the shadows.
"You're incredible, Aurora Bellerose," I tell her, holding her gaze. "And I don't deserve you."
A tiny knot forms between her brows, like she might disagree with me, but I kiss it away.
"Wait…Elijah," she says, a hand on my chest. "There's something I need to?—"
"Hey, did you bring that wine up from the cellar for Céline?" Sev asks, poking his head around the bathroom door, looking surprised to see Aurora in here with me. "Oh, hey, Ro. I fixed that, uh—littlemechanicalproblem you needed help with."
He winks at her and I raise a brow.
"Confetti cannon," she explains. "I promised Atticus fifty pounds of dickfetti and I intend to give him every last ounce."
I must make a face because she frowns. "Too far?"
"You're entitled to your vengeance, Angel," I sigh. "Butfiftypounds of confetti?"
"Well, two pounds didn't have the intended effect, so…"
I blink at her. "When did you?—"
"In the office back at the laundromat. He actuallylaughedat me when it exploded. I thought he'd be whining about it for days, but I talked to Sev and apparently he didn't even tell you guys."
This is news.
"I wasn't able to get my hands on the full fifty pounds, but I did score almost twenty. It's going to be epic."
"He laughed?" I'm asking Aurora, but my eyes meet Sev's smiling ones. He nods, knowing exactly what I'm thinking.
We used to prank each other all the time. There was a glitter bomb Sev set off once that we were still cleaning the remnants of months later, but since we lost my mom and my family's collection…and since he left and then returned from the military colder and harder…
"He really laughed?"
She rolls her eyes like that was the last thing she wanted him to do, but I can sense the truth beneath—she's not angry at all. Not really.
"The wine?" Sev presses again. "Céline's asking."
"Yeah, I already decanted the Bordeaux. It should be ready to pour. It's in the dining room."
