Not enough to trust anyone with my Grail wound, but that’s not what we’re talking about.
Her expression gets fierce, and she growls, “You are not dirty. I love you, damn it!”
“I know you do, but so many things have happened. I’m reeling from the feeling that it was all a lie. It was a huge reality check. Would it help if I showed you that nothing today is leaving a scar?”
“As long as there aren’t any I can’t see, either.”
Clever, clever girl.
“There aren’t any fresh scars inside today, either.”
“Okay, show me.”
I hold my feet up in the air, grunting at the stretch but showing her that none of the bloodiness left marks. Once she looks, I hold my hands up and show her the knuckles and the palms. “See?”
“What about the fingertips?” Talia gives me a pointed expression.
“That’s cheating. Those are not from today, and I’m working on it. They weren’t from you, so it doesn’t count.”
“I should never have said that we would not have messed with you if we’d known your entire past.”
I close my eyes, trying to ignore the choking feeling of goo spreading around again. That was the sentiment that really sent me into the tailspin and hearing it come out of her mouth is making my chest tighten. I might even have a panic attack and my defenses are so piss poor that I won’t be able to hide it from her.
“It’s true. There’s no need to be sorry if it’s true.”
She gets up. “I don’t think I can be here. I feel bad inside—like, not a good person.”
Biting my lip, I work to keep myself calm. I’m trying to get out of the hole she dug by mistake. I can’t keep chasing her because she feels guilty.
She pins me with an agonized look. “You had Alistair, and you were healing from Wilde. I screwed that up. He screwed that up.Then you had Taurus to help you stay afloat. Because of me, you lost Sari and Wilde.”
I shake my head. “No. We both know Alistair was an illusion that would have dissipated. Sari and I have been a ticking time bomb for a long time. Wilde—that is not something I’m prepared to discuss. You had nothing to do with losing him.”
“What if it wasn’t an illusion?”
I sigh. “I can see how Rhea and Sari played me back and forth. They were always trying to outdo one another or using me to hurt one another. It was never about me—not even once.”
My mate murmurs low as she looks down at me. “You’re wiped and I’m feeling wrecked. Could we go to your room and talk more in the morning?”
Nodding, I lick my lips as I admit defeat. “I think I can do it, but if we end up with bruised bums, don’t blame me. I did a number on myself with my training today. It’s making everything feel like spaghetti.”
“Okay.”
I blink and nod my head like a genie in a fifties TV show, muttering ‘doink’ under my breath.
“Yes, master.”
Hopefully, that’s just a fun little joke and I don’t start feeling like I’m being kept in a bottle ever again.
Community Town Hall Announcement
Hello, friends and families!
Your intrepid council members—Lily, Deli, and Dona (absent, but not forgotten)—listened to the voices of our community.
Along with the initiatives discussed in recent meetings, we are proud to announce that construction will begin on two new buildings in town. This building project directly results from feedback from you, and it thrills us to get started.
The Resistance Event Hall
