If there had been some improvement, they wouldn’t have had anything to say; it would be obvious I’d done the rightthing. At this point, I’m questioning my own sanity, and I have no clue how to defend my actions.
I drive straight to the museum, hoping to talk to Trina or Sadie. I’m surprised to find all of them out front, and as I approach, the air seems to grow heavy, as if a storm is about to break loose.
Looking at Trina’s face, I don’t think that’s far from the truth.
The girls respond to me immediately, and the flirting takes me off guard. When my words come out a bit short, I soften them up with a smile and take off my sunglasses, raking a hand through my hair as I do.
Lacey practically drops her pants on the spot, and Robyn’s jaw almost hits the ground. The funny thing is, when I reveal I’m there for Trina, and she confirms we’re an item, it only excites the girls even more.
The sisterhood, alive and well. Good to see.
I make it Trina’s choice to take my hand, but offer it in such a way that it would look odd for her to refuse. As we walk up the path away from the museum, I keep her hand in mine so she’s forced to walk beside me.
“Okay,” she says as we turn the corner. “They’re well behind us now. Do I have to keep holding your hand?”
“It might look weird if you don’t,” I say, just a bit teasingly. “Anyone could see us. We should put on a good show.”
“I’ll give you a good show,” she mutters.
“What?” I ask innocently.
“Nothing,” Trina answers. “Look, I need to go back to my place to grab some things. You really can’t expect me to move to your house without bringing any of my belongings.”
“I suppose that’s fair,” I agree. “I’ll take you over there now.”
“I don’t need your help,” she protests.
“I don’t care. I’m going to make sure you don’t take off again.”
Trina’s mouth twists as if there’s a curse poised on her tongue, but she doesn’t speak it. “Fine,” she mutters. “Let’s go.”
I walk her across to my car and head towards her place. Trina keeps her face turned away, her arms folded across her chest.
Talk about closed body language.
“Did you have a good day?” I ask, feeling hopelessly inadequate, but not having anything else to say.
“It was great, except for being uncomfortable in someone else’s clothes, and knowing I was going straight home to my kidnapper after.”
Anger spikes in me, but I hold it back, letting my feelings simmer under the surface as I try to suppress my irritation.
I know stuffing my feelings down isn’t healthy, but it’s got to be better than screaming.
By the time we turn onto Trina’s street, I’m beginning to seriously doubt my decision from the night before. I left the council in a bad way, came straight out here on a whim, and I bound her to me immediately, without any advice from someone else.
I should have asked Sadie, at least. Have I made a terrible mistake?
When we reach the house, Trina gets out and slams the car door hard enough to make the frame rattle. She strides quickly up the path, and I follow along, thinking how different this place looks in the light.
Last night, it was magical. Now it looks like an overgrown, neglected cemetery.
“Thankfully, the door blew shut,” Trina says as she reaches the porch. “I was afraid I’d find it wide open—since I left without locking it,” she adds, emphasizing the last words.
“Yes, I agree that wasn’t my finest moment,” I reply.
She looks over her shoulder, her expression a mixture of astonishment and disgust. Even though she’s pissed at me, I can’t help but admire the shade of her eyes. Last night, it was too dark for me to really notice, and I’d never looked at her closely before, but being near her now, I can see they are shimmering, blue-green pools. Like a bay in the Caribbean Sea.
“I won’t be long,” she says, turning around so fast that her long, honey-blond hair swishes around her like a silk curtain. She walks up the hall, and I follow closely.
