“No, it’s not. It doesn’t mean anything.”
She held up her hand. “I didn’t say it did. I said it was interesting. Cool your jets.”
He leaned against the door. The subject of this talk wasn’t comfortable, but the setting, their dynamic, that was familiar. He and Rhi could have been back in one of their bedrooms in the Kane mansion. “I like her. She’s a good person. It’s... I don’t know what we’re doing together. It can’t go anywhere.” The words tasted like ash in his mouth.
Last night, when she’d cuddled up against him and said those words—I could stay here forever—his gut reaction hadn’t been to run away. On the contrary, he’d wanted to pull her tight, and say even more foolish words back to her. Words like,Stay forever.
The urge had been so strong, he’d gotten spooked. He’d run, yes, but only because he’d been terrified of how little he wanted to run.
You’re supposed to be the uncomplicated one.
None of it mattered, though. As she’d made clear in the kitchen today, she didn’t want anything more than his body. And if Gabe could be counted on for anything, it was always giving a lady what she wanted.
Rhi rolled off the bed. “Huh.”
“What?”
“That’s the first time you’ve ever talked about a girl with even the expectation that it could go somewhere.”
He reared back. “No, it’s not.”
“Isn’t it?”
He frowned so hard Rhi sauntered over to him. “Relax. It doesn’t have to mean something.”
“It is messy.”
“Yeah, well.” She shrugged. “Sometimes good things are.”
Chapter 24
Livvy had nixed an actual rehearsal before the rehearsal dinner, citing her love of spontaneity, though Eve suspected it had been an attempt to cut out any further stressors and potential curse-rearing opportunities.
Eve wished she’d gotten a chance to speak with Gabe before dinner, but between the new guest arrivals, dinner prep, and making sure her grandfather and his attendant were comfortable in their accommodations, there had been no time.
She had stood in front of her and Gabe’s adjoining door for a precious ten minutes after her shower, but ultimately, she’d quietly gotten dressed alone. Had she knocked, she wasn’t sure what she would have said. They weren’t at a place where she could confide her anxiety over her father and expect him to comfort her, were they?
They stood at opposite ends of the living room as they sipped drinks before dinner, Gabe, she noticed, sticking to water. Every time their eyes met, he would smile, and so would she, and she wasn’t sure if her strain was being projected on him, or if he was also tense for some reason, but neither smile felt authentic.
The whole room was some level of agitated, Tani hovering around John as if he might shield her from anything terrible, Jackson his usual level of grim, Livvy and Nicholas leaning against each other. Sadia had chosen to dine with Kareem in their room, citing a headache and wanting rest before the wedding tomorrow, but Eve wasn’t fooled. Sadia was protective of her son and no kid needed to be exposed to Brendan.
He’s not an evil wizard, coming to curse them all.
Or was he?
By the time they took their drinks into the dining room, Eve was a bundle of nerves. When would Brendan get here? Would he come at all?
She smoothed her skirt under her and sat at the table. Rhiannon sat next to her, Jackson and Gabe across from them. She gave Rhi a tentative smile as they picked up their salad forks. She’d try to drown her anxiety in small talk. “How do you like living in California?”
“It’s not bad. Weather’s better.” Rhi dug into her salad. “Nicholas said you’re thinking of starting a ride-sharing company.”
Guess Rhiannon wasn’t one for small talk. Eve shot a glance across the table, but Gabe was engrossed in a conversation with Jackson. Or rather, Gabe was talking and Jackson was staring at his plate. The man had clearly forgotten her advice on how to win Jackson over. “I’m not thinking about it. I’m doing it.”
“Cool. Shoot me your business plan.”
Confused, Eve paused in picking through her salad. “Why?”
“Because I have oodles of money,” Rhi explained, as if she was a simpleton. “And I like to invest it. Especially in other women.”
