FALLON
The next morning, Ariyon returned to eat breakfast with us. I hadn’t slept again, tossing and turning with nightmares, this time of Marissa feeding from my neck and my eyes going black as I screamed and lost my mind.
Ariyon was looking at me oddly, like he knew something was wrong, but said nothing as he exchanged pleasantries with my dad.
After we ate, we stepped outside to get on our horses, but Ariyon stopped me.
“What’s wrong?” His voice was laced with concern.
“Why does everyone keep asking me that!” I snapped at him, and his brow furrowed.
Guilt rushed through me, and I reached for his chest, pulling myself to him as his hands came around my waist. “I’m sorry. I’m not sleeping well since you got back…”
He sighed. “Do you want to talk about it? You gave up your chance at a second life, Fallon. You shouldn’t have done that for me. That might have led to some weird consequences in your body.”
He has no idea.
I nodded, pulling away from him. “Whatever I did, it was worth it.”
He looked gutted, sagging against the barn door. “No, Fallon. If you get hurt, nothing is worth it.” Reaching up, he pulled a black, glossy strand of hair away from my cheek, and my eyes filled with tears. He froze, his face falling.
I should tell him—tell him I think that I’m going dark.Someone needed to know so they could keep an eye on me and lock me up when needed.
“What is it that has you so sad?” Ariyon swiped a tear from my cheek.
“Blair,” I blurted out, the lie coming easily to me. “Your betrothal to her. It’s…unsettling.”
“We arenotbetrothed. My aunt and Blair’s dad try to plan these things behind our backs, but I haven’t signed anything, and she doesn’t have a ring.”
I nodded. “So, she knows you won’t be marrying her?”
He gave me a long look. “I mean, I dumped her for you, so I would hope she got the message.”
I shrugged and then stepped into the stall. I didn’t want to talk about this anymore.
“You don’t believe me?” he called out.
“Let’s just get to school,” I offered and got on Ranger.
We were quiet the entire ride, and I couldn’t stop feeling like I wasn’t myself, like I couldn’t control my emotions, and it scared me. Ariyon was everything I wanted, and he was so sweet to come to eat breakfast with my dad and me. Why was I picking fights with him?
When we got to school, we dismounted, and he slipped his fingers into mine. Instead of going to our first classes, he walked right to the courtyard and called Blair over.
My eyes flew wide. “What are you doing?” I hissed.
He looked at me with blazing silver eyes. “Proving to you how much I care about you and only you.”
My knees went weak at the declaration, and then Blair was upon us. She stood there with her arms crossed and a stink-faced glare. Blair’s skirt was so short that I was worried if the wind picked up, we’d see what color underwear she had on. Maybe I was just jealous; her long, lean legs were beautiful, and I was never allowed to show mine for fear of being touched. Blair’s gaze went to our interlocked fingers, and she appeared surprised. No one else knew we could touch, but it seemed Ariyon didn’t care about keeping that secret anymore.
“What’s up?” she asked Ariyon, her tone suspicious.
Ariyon cleared his throat. “You know how my aunt and your dad are always saying one day we will marry and how they would love for us to have kids before I—”
“Yeah…” Blair cut him off, standing straighter and dropping her arms to her sides.
“That will never happen. I will never marry. I don’t want children, and I love Fallon.”
My mouth popped open, and I could see the moment Blair’s heart was smashed into a thousand pieces. Her eyes filled with unshed tears, and it was clear that she thought that possibility might have been in her future.
