It was true. I’d caught sight of myself in the window’s reflection and even through the grime, I was able to see the dark circles under my eyes.
“Just didn’t sleep well,” I told him with a quick grin. “Someone here snores, so I went out to sleep in the hammock to try and cover the noise.”
Roderick let out his booming laugh. “The night is too quiet otherwise.”
Lochlan elbowed his way through the front door and put a couple bags of food on the table. “Who’s hungry?” he asked.
“I’m always hungry,” Peter informed him, coming over to help unpack. “I didn’t think the market opened so early in the morning.”
“It doesn’t. I’m just friends with a few farmers,” Lochlan said easily. “But when the marketdoesopen today, Gil and I need to be there. Important purchases, you know?” He and Roderick exchanged smug smiles and I fought to feign indifference. Itmight only be a few hours until I had enough information to plan to intercept the pixie blood.
“Ah yes,” Roderick said. “We can’t miss that drop. Now hurry up. Pan isn’t the only one who’s hungry. I could eat a horse.”
“Gil, come help me,” Lochlan said, waving me over while he unpacked the last few supplies. “Let’s get some water.” He picked up the bucket and turned expectantly at the door.
I followed, ignoring the persistent throbbing on my side.
The moment we were outside, Lochlan whispered, “How are you healing up?”
“Fine,” I said automatically.
“You weren’t in bed last night. I came back and you were gone.”
I shrugged, trying hard to ignore the fact that Lochlan must have been looking for me. He had noticed my absence. Had he been thinking about me? “I just needed some fresh air. I’m not built to be cooped up.”
“When did you get back? Peter said he saw you sleeping in his hammock outside this morning, but I checked last night and you weren’t there.”
“Like I said, I needed some fresh air. I got back late and didn’t want to wake anyone, so I slept in the hammock. Peter wasn’t using it.”
Lochlan hooked the bucket onto the end of the well’s rope and began lowering it down. “You really shouldn’t be pushing yourself. Your body needs more time to recover.” He shot me a look. “Recover in a bed for at least a few days, not in an old hammock covered in dirt and insects.”
“If I said I couldn’t do anything for a few days, how understanding would Roderick be?” I challenged. “I don’t imagine he’s the type to patiently wait while someone rests in bed.”
Lochlan’s mouth twitched. “No, he’s not that sort.”
“And if I say I’m ill and need to sleep all day and night, he’d kick me out.”
“He likely would.” Lochlan pulled on the rope to lift the bucket, now filled with water. “Do you have anywhere else to go? I don’t like the idea of a woman being vulner?—”
I let out a choked gasp and flapped my hand at him to get him to keep his voice down. “Don’t shout about me being a you-know-what,” I ordered in a venomous hiss, jabbing him in the chest with my finger. “Just forget that I’m anything other than a young teenage boy.”
He gave me a baleful look. “I can’t do that.”
I skipped a breath. “You have to.”
“Maybe I don’t want to.” Lochlan leaned over to grab the bucket and rested it on the side of the well. There was a dark, intense look to his eyes that I didn’t know how to interpret. “So what should I call you? I’m guessing your name isn’t actually Gil.”
“Sure it is,” I told him.
Lochlan didn’t scoff, but he pulled an expression that clearly showed his disbelief. “Did you know that when people lie, their pupils dilate slightly? I can always tell.” He unhooked the bucket and rested it on the well wall. “Benefits of having medical training, you know.”
I reached for the bucket, but Lochlan pulled it away so quickly that some water slopped over the side. “I’m not going to force an injured wo—a young, injured boy to carry a bucket of water. It would be heavy for you.”
“I have a scratch; I’m not incapable. Why did you have me come with you if I’m not allowed to help?”
“So I could question you in private. I said I’d keep your secret and I will.” He gave me a crooked smile, and I couldn’t tell if it was meant to be comforting or something more akin to blackmail.
I was going to be torn apart inside because of how Lochlan was acting. He’d left me at the hospital and didn’t seem concerned that Roderick might throw me out, but he was also keeping my secret and tended to me when I was hurt. He was conniving and secretive, but also kind and protective. Could I trust someone so duplicitous? I supposed if I was forced to trust one of the three men I was living with, I’d likely have Lochlan as my first choice. If only being around him was easier. I constantly found myself fumbling for words and getting tongue-tied around him, and that never happened with anyone else.
