“No. And he never made me lie. I chose to doit.”
Another brown sparrow perched on our table, emboldened by his friend, and Celeste fed ittoo.
“I love him, and if you gave him a chance, you’d understandwhy.”
She folded her arms and eyed the thin white scar on my neck as though Jarod himself had put it there. “Then I hate him evenmore.”
“Celeste. . .”
She raised her chin and shifted her gaze to the perpendicular hedges hemming in ourtent.
I leaned toward her. “You know what hesuggested?”
“That you ask Asher to burn the wings off your back before they falloff?”
I jerked, my spine hitting the wooden rungs of my chair. She really thought the worst of him. Not that I could truly blame her since there had been a time I had, too. “He suggested I sign off from him, so that you could take himon.”
Her eyebrows dipped as she side-eyedme.
“To help you earn ninety-nine feathers, or whatever’s he’s worth these days.” I prayed it wasn’t ahundred.
“Ninety-six. That’s what he was worthyesterday.”
My pulse sprang at thatnews.
Her arms untightened but didn’t untangle. “That was . . .niceof him, Iguess.”
I smiled at hereuphemism.
“But I still don’t likehim.”
“Your hatred is undeserved and misplaced.” I dragged a fingertip over the condensation beading down my water glass. “He doesn’t want me to stay. He keeps pushing me to earn my last feathers.” I dried my finger on the white tablecloth. “But I don’t want to. It’s hard to explain, but it feels like . . . like my soul is going to rip in half if it leaveshis.”
“You’ve known him for two weeks,Leigh.”
“I’m aware of that, but I’m also aware of how special he is and how special he makes me feel. I don’t mean to sound patronizing, but until you meet someone who becomes more vital to you than air, I don’t think you’ll understand what I’m feeling.AllI’mfeeling.”
Celeste finally unbound her arms. “What if in three years from now, or ten, you fall out of love with him. Whatthen?”
“You don’t fall out of love with your soulmate.”
“There’s no suchthing.”
“There is. And Jarod ismine.”
Celeste’s eyebrows bunched together. “I love you, Leigh, but I think you’recrazy.”
“Maybe a little.” I smiled. “Can you promise to keep loving me whatever decision I make and however crazy I get?” I was still holding out hope that losing my wings wouldn’t make me lose my sanity. Maybe I could seek out another Nephilim. But how would I find them? The Ophanim would probably blow a gasket and leak angel-smoke if I asked them for acontact.
She puffed air from the corner of her mouth, pushing a glossy chestnut lock off her forehead. “Like I could actuallystop.”
The intensity of my smile strengthened, melting her residualannoyance.
“I can’t promise not to give you crap if you’re still around next year,though.”
“I’ll take your crap, as long as it comes with yourfriendship.”
Finally, she released a breath that seemed too large for her lungs. “I still don’t believe in soul mates,though.”
