Taking a slow, deep, even breath, I adjusted my hold on the basket on my arm. “Thank you for the offer but I’m okay. I’ve already accepted help from others,” I settled on, leaving it ambiguous. It wasn’t really any of her business anyway.
“But that’s just the thing,” Daisy chirped, like I just didn’t understand, like I was too stupid to grasp what she was trying to tell me.
Continuing down the way, I hoped she’d drop it but she took up alongside me, walking a little faster to keep up with my longer stride.
My god, take the hint. I’m trying to tell you no nicely, woman.
“I heard you’ve taken up with Dace and she’s been helping you. You really don’t want to do that,” she burst out, like she’d been holding it and it just exploded out of her.
Blunt. Be blunt. When nice just didn’t cut it, blunt wasn’t always best but it was damn effective.
“I don’t see how that’s any of your concern but thank you for caring.” I used my sweet voice, the one Mom joked sounded like I had sugar seeping out of my ears.
“You really don’t want to get mixed up with someone like that!” she called after me.
I kept on walking as she called out behind me. “Is that why Kehlor doesn’t want to be your mate anymore?”
Spinning around, I marched back to her and got right in her face. Anger had me growling down at her, startling the woman, to bare my teeth at her. It never occurred to me just how much I reacted like a beast when I was pissed, probably because back home I avoided it at all costs.“Don’t,”I snarled, scaring the pudding out of her.
Daisy gaped up at me like it had taken her this long to realize exactly what she was dealing with.
Pulling back, I pointed at her warningly and took off. Of course we had an audience. Of course we did. I’m sure I’d hear all about the total asshole that’s rooming with the village shunned before Dace got back.
Making my way over to Dorothy as she stepped out onto the front steps of a well taken care of hut that was more house than anything, Dorothy looked troubled as I stomped my way closer.
It didn’t occur to me that it was probably because of the look on my face until she murmured, “Are you alright?”
“No.” I was past pretending and bullshitting. I was pissed. Enough said.
Dorothy frowned as I handed everything over to her, then held Bia’s key out to her. “I’m friends with Dace. No one is going to talk me out of it. I like Dace. She gets me. I’d like to ask Carrie if she’ll help me still but not if it’ll cause issues for you or her.” Setting the key in the basket atop her things, I dipped my head respectfully. “Dace didn’t do anything to me. I’m coming into this knowing what she did, getting to know the person she is now, not what she did. I’ve got no beef with anyone and don’t intend to. I just want to be left alone. I’m grateful for everything you’ve done for me, for what Bia and his family did in offering up their hut. I’m not about to make waves. I’ve moved out and I’m returning the items you gave me. I mean no offense. I’m just trying to survive, to make the best of a shitty situation, and I’ll be damned if anyone is going to tell me how they think I should go about doing that. Again, I thank you.” With that, I took off for Dace’s, leaving Dorothy staring after me. I knew she was because I could feel her eyes on me. I was sure I had several pairs settled on me, trying to decide how my trying to de-escalate a situation could be turned into an overblown one.
I supposed small towns and villages were a lot alike.
How Sunny and Forest had made a go of it without the town gossipers up their ass with all they had to hide, I’d never know.
Making my way back to Dace’s, I prayed I didn’t run into another being that wanted to talk to me.
My prayers were answered, but I got stared at a lot.
Being the new thing was not my thing, that was for sure.
Chapter 13
It shouldn’t surprise me that Dace knew exactly where to look for me when she returned and I wasn’t at her place.
“Thought I might find you here,” she chirped as she came up on me.
“Needed a minute to think,” I muttered from my hunch in the snow.
“Brought backup,” Dace joked.
Glancing up, I opened my hoodie and lifted my head. It was blue guy. Tipping my head to the side, I nodded in greeting at the tall blue beast Joanie had called her Buu. Buu had multiple sets of arms, I noted as he followed Dace up to me.
Buu dipped his head in a polite nod. “Dace say womens not ‘kay with Dace be friends Pur-drue.”
Pru, Dace softly mouthed as Buu tested out my name and Dace quietly helped him out.
“Prrr-oo,” he tried again.
