God only knows why I’ve chosen this moment to fight and die on the hill of my weird abilities. Maybe it’s because those abilities saved Julia, and after seventeen years, she showed up with the proof that what I did that night made a difference. If I hadn’t intervened, maybe the monster and hundreds more like him would have won.
“Agree to disagree,” Donovan says, setting his jaw mulishly. “Are you going to tell me why you keeled over, or not?”
I sit up straight, occupying myself with folding the blanket. “I got some bad news, okay? From someone I hadn’t seen in a long time. Plus, I haven’t had dinner, which, as we’ve already established, makes me woozy. Satisfied?”
The Ice Man’s features soften. “Why didn’t you just say that in the first place?”
“Because. Like you said, it’s private.” I clear my throat, trying to reclaim a modicum of dignity—which isn’t easy, given the circumstances. “Anyway, I’m lucky your date ended early. Otherwise, Mrs. Grant might’ve found me face-down on the porch steps and jabbed me with one of her fancy vibrators to get me to wake up.”
“Her…” He gapes at me, then scrubs a beleaguered hand over his face. “Oh, God, why would you say that? Is this revenge for carrying you inside?”
“Maybe,” I say, grinning. But my smile fades as it occurs to me that his act of gallantry might have had unexpected consequences. Mrs. Grant lives two doors down from me. And as already established, she’s got a phone and she’s not afraid to use it. “Did anyone see you?”
“I don’t know! I was trying to make sure you weren’tdead.Why? You don’t think that damned Facebook group…” His voice trails off.
On cue, my phone buzzes. I ignore it.
“I hate this town,” Donovan mumbles. “Everyone’s in everyone else’s business. You can’t fucking sneeze without someone making a documentary about it.”
For once, we’re in perfect accord. Sapphire Springs is my home, but sometimes I hate it, too.
I pace to the window that overlooks my front porch, suddenly convinced I’ll find the monster lurking there. If Julia tracked me down so easily, then so can he. I’ll need a better security system. Maybe a dog. Or maybe I should move, go somewhere he can never find me.
No, I’m not leaving my home. I refuse to let him take anything else from me. I bested him once; I can do it again. This time, within the confines of the law.
My phone buzzes again, but I don’t reach for it. I have no desire to see footage of myself limp in Donovan’s arms as he carries me across the threshold, like a bride who overindulged on her wedding night. Today’s been bad enough already.
“What’s the matter now?” Donovan’s tone is gruff, but when I turn to look at him, he’s wearing the same concerned expression he had when I woke up—like he actually cares what happens to me. His attitude is giving me whiplash.
“Nothing.” The last thing I want is to drag him into my problems. “Just checking for wayward Sinsters.”
Those laser-sharp eyes of his flick to my porch, then zero in on my face. “We have a project to do together, Rune,” he says, each syllable clipped. “Dishonesty’s not the best basis for a strong working relationship. Also, it’s one of my pet peeves.”
The nerve. “Well, God forbid I don’t behave exactly the way you want me to!”
He draws a deep breath, looking like he wants to snap right back at me. But when he speaks, his voice is calm. “Look,” he says, squaring his shoulders, “we’ve both had a shitty day. Sounds like yours was even worse than mine. I don’t want to press, but you’re acting pretty damn squirrely. Does this have something to do with the bad news you got?”
I shrug, hoping he’ll let it go. But no such luck.
“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but do you, um, want to…talk about it?” The words leave his lips so reluctantly, I almost laugh.
“Thanks, but no.” I give him a tentative smile. “There’s something else you could help me with, though, if you want. Because you’re right, today sucked, and I don’t really feel like being alone right now.” Not with Julia’s words ringing in my ears and that premonition still fresh on my mind.
I take a step toward him, and Donovan’s eyes go wide. Then he retreats, as if he expects me to launch myself at him and defile him on the hearth rug. “I…uh, I really…” he stammers, pupils dilating with panic. “You were just… I don’t think we should…”
“Please, get your mind out of the gutter.” I heave a resigned sigh, reaching for my laptop bag next to the coffee table. “You said you’d take a look at this, to see if the crash did anything to it. Maybe you could do that now, instead of tomorrow at the office?”
A peculiar expression sweeps Donovan’s face—relief, combined with something I can’t quite decipher. “Sure,” he says,blushing furiously as he takes the bag from me. “I’m sorry I jumped to the wrong concl?—”
The doorbell rings, cutting off his apology, and my heart starts pounding.
“Aren’t you going to get that?”
Damn it. I stride to the door, wishing it had a peephole, and crack it open to see Charlotte standing on the other side, a pint of ice cream clutched in one hand and a box from We Knead Pizza balanced on the other.
“Rune!” she says. “I came as soon as I could get away. I’ve been calling, but you didn’t answer. I’ve been freaking out.”
That’s Charlotte, obsessing even though she talked to me after the accident, and saw embarrassing photographic evidence of me and Donovan at the Grille. She’s the only person who’s ever fussed over me this way. I pretend it drives me crazy, but it’s actually one of the things I love about her. Right now, though, I need her to go away. If she comes in and finds Donovan here, she’ll never let it go.
