“You… You what?” A splutter of a laugh left me.
“I know! I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to meddle!” Dace rushed over to the table and slipped into the seat Joanie had vacated. “I won’t ever do it again!”
“I’m not mad.” Realizing that’s what she thought, I wanted to fix that straight off. I was surprised, definitely, but not mad. The more I thought on it, the funnier it was. Trying to imagine Dace doing just that, for me, I stood, came around to her side of the table, and gave her stunned butt a hug.
“Thank you.”
“You’re not mad?”
I couldn’t help but laugh at this point. “You did exactly what I’ve wanted to do since Kehl sent that Ufful guy over to me.”
Dace went from eyeing me worriedly, then her eyebrows shooting up in shock, and finally to smiling bashfully. “I just thought, after all you’ve done for me, you need me now, why couldn’t I do this for you, you know?”
“I didn’t do anything.” Not really.
Dace shook her head. “But you did, you just don’t know it.” Wrapping her arms around her middle, she looked like she was squeezing herself as she confided, “Lolly said hello when I walked past, and I got a wave yesterday when I waved at Louisa as I passed. They never would have acknowledged me at all before.”
“Maybe it has nothing to do with me. Maybe they’re just coming around,” I challenged.
Dace just shook her head. “It was you.”
Standing, Dace walked over to the counter and began cutting bread and getting it ready to serve. The last thing I felt was hungry, despite the gnawing feeling in my gut.
“Want to work on translations some more?” I asked.
“Sure,” Dace chirped, then ran to her pillow to retrieve her book.
We got pretty far before Dace realized I hadn’t eaten any of the bread she’d been munching on. “Aren’t you hungry?” she asked.
“Not really,” I muttered as I studied the options for this next part of the book.
“I’m going to be busy the next few days,” Dace told me as she doodled little pictures next to the symbols she’d learned, to help her remember, she said. It could come in handy for future use, should someone else wish to learn as well.
A dizzy spell hit me as I worked on the next string of words. Helping myself to a piece of bread, I took one bite and bile rose in my throat. Setting down my writing utensil, I set my elbows on the table and rested my head in my hands. “They weren’t wrong. Something is wrong with me,” I admitted. “I don’t feel right. I can’t sleep, then when I can I don’t want to wake up. I feel so… lost.”
Wetness dribbled down my hand and I realized I’d started crying.
A knock sounded at the door then and Dace stood. Grabbing a cloth for me to wipe my face on, I shook myself out, trying to get a damn grip already. When I was ready, I nodded and she cracked the door open.
Turning to me, Dace announced, “So I have something to do that I forgot about. I’ll be back tomorrow, though. See you bright and early in the morning, friend!”
Tomorrow? What was she even talking about, and why was she being so loud?
Racing around the room, Dace grabbed a pillow, blanket, stuffed her feet in her boots, had her coat half on and half off, and was running out the door before I could ask her what, for the love of all that is fuzzy, she was talking about.
Realizing she’d left the door cracked open upon her exit, I sighed and stood to walk over and close it. Before I could reach the door it began to creak open.
Tensing, a scowl pulled at my lips and I was ready to snarl and lob a chair at any would-be intruder when a familiar mop head popped through.
“What the hell are you doing here?” I bit out.
Kehl slipped inside the hut and closed the door behind him. My ears pricked as it snicked shut and he engaged the lock. Eyes narrowing on him, I gave a disinterested sniff and turned to face away from him. Folding my arms over my chest, I hoped it hid the way I was trembling at his nearness.
“My Purr-roo ‘kay?” he rumbled out softly.
“What’s the matter, Awful didn’t tell you?” I spat.
“Ufful say Kehl stupid, has bootiful female that only wants Kehl touch her.”
