I’d covered my face with my hands, embarrassed to break down in front of him again, but his voice sounded close. His warm hands settled gently onto my shoulders, offering tentative comfort.
Without thinking, I slowly leaned forward until my hands and face rested on his chest. His arms immediately wrapped around me.
He held me for a long time without complaint, unmoving.
When I finally pulled back, my eyes felt swollen, and I’d gotten his nice shirt wet. “I’m sorry.” I brushed a hand over it, accidentally touching the skin at his throat as well, doubling my embarrassment.
He swallowed. “Don’t be.” He lifted a hand, and his long fingers gently wiped the tears from my cheeks. “I admire your devotion to finding your family more than you know,” he murmured.
I inhaled deeply, eyes fluttering shut. Without meaning to, I leaned into his hand. It eased a tiny bit of the ache in my chest. “I can’t imagine doing anything else.”
When his hand tensed slightly and he didn’t immediately answer, I opened my eyes, frowning at the strange look on his face, which I couldn’t quite read.
Shaking his head, he hesitated and then said, “I can. I don’t know many who would search as committedly as you have despite the dangers, or even weep if someone went missing. I’m certain my own family never shed a tear for me when my contract to live in the Hollow Court ripped me from my home.”
The ache returned, but this time it was for him.
“That’s horrible,” I whispered. “You deserve more than that.”
A quiet moment passed between us as we stared at each other, though it wasn’t uncomfortable, before his hand slipped away from my cheek.
He cleared his throat, turning. “Do you still want to see my logbook?”
HE DIDN’T WAIT forme to answer, moving around the desk to pull out the book and hand it to me. “For once, this information might prove to be worth gathering.”
“No deal for this?” I asked without thinking.
“Well, if you’re offering...” Soren gave me a teasing grin, holding out a hand like he’d take the book back.
“No, no!” I stepped out of reach, clutching it to my chest. “Too late. I was just surprised.”
A slight wince crossed his face.
I was also an idiot.
Specifically, an idiot wasting precious time.
