“I don’t care.”
The tension between them is thick and awkward. I can see how sorry Sofia is, but she’s also still in that blissful honeymoonperiod, and her alphas can’t do any wrong yet. I transfer my gaze to Felix.
“And how did your date go?”
Felix comes around Gale and leans against his shoulder, stroking the horse with long, elegant fingers.
“Good. He got scared on the first photo shoot, stumbled back into a table, managed to break it, slipped, then vomited and fell in said vomit, before hitting his head and passing out. The whole thing was live, so as soon as he came to, he took off, swearing never to come back. Last I saw, he was going viral. I may or may not have made sure that his audience got a perfect view.”
Felix shrugs with the same cold nonchalance he always has.
“No loss,” he says coldly.
I stare at him. One day, someone’s going to crack that wall that keeps all his emotions hidden, and he’s going to explode.
“But we’re all here for you,” Felix says with wry amusement.
I snort, not at all surprised. “Well, what do you want me to say? It was fun and funny, and they are all very….” I stare at them. I was about to say how much I liked them, how much I enjoyed the date, except I am not ready to admit that yet.
That won’t work.
“Nice. They are nice.”
“Nice?” Sofia wrinkles her nose. “You think Seb is nice?”
I huff and roll my eyes. “Sure, he’s nice.”
“You and Sebastian are like tinder and a match, like a grey sky and rain, the ocean and the tide. Cordelia Lake and Sebastian Sol don’t do nice. You do powerful, magnetic, passion.”
I pack up Gale’s stuff and watch as he lets out a neigh and trots off, bucking and rearing while a magpie circles overhead.
“Can I ride him today?”
I only just suppress a shriek. When I turn, I find Imogen a foot from me.
“You want to?”
“Yes. I love Gale. I’ll exercise him so you can go on another date with Seb, though why anyone would want to baffles me.”
I guess it would be hard for a fifteen year old to find her brother dating interesting.
I blink at her, unsure what to say, but when I look up, my friends are staring at me, waiting for me to answer.
“Well, because he’s nice,” I say weakly, knowing I’m never going to hear the end of it.
Asher lets out a buzzer sound and shakes her caramel mane of hair.
Even Imogen stares at me like I’ve suddenly grown a second head. I turn away from them all and stomp back to the house. They follow, making themselves at home. Sofia puts the kettle on, while Imogen sits beside Felix and tells him wild stories with massive arm gestures.
It’s the same and not. So much has changed.
I go upstairs and get changed. I glance at the picture of Gale and shift it, staring at the books. There was a moment last night where I was lying in bed wishing I’d never written the books. And I hated that because the books are mine. It’s my secret, but it’s given me confidence and security. In a way, it’s helped me connect to the world, and I’m not so afraid that I will live in Sunshine Cove until I’m moldering away. My books are my legacy, my stamp on the world.
And my message is love.
I’m not ashamed of that. I just don’t want to share it with everyone either.
I nudge the photo back and pause, looking at the bed, where I’ve left Seb’s jumper lying on my pillow. I walk over, my fingers flexing, and pick it up, bringing the material to my nose and inhaling deeply. It’s not as strong, but it’s enough to bring the anxiety down and leave me with a warm, gooey feeling insideme. I set it down, patting it, before I tear myself away. I’ve got missed messages and emails from him, too.
