Which meant I had to wait to break down until I was back home. “Fine.” I unlocked the door and stepped inside. “Come in then. From what I can tell, the place is stocked.”
Kinsley shut the door behind us. “With all your favorite things.” He gave me a sad smile.
“Yeah.” I turned before he could see my eyes filling with tears. “Make yourself at home. I’ll be out in a little while.”
He went straight to the kitchen while I went to the back to pack my suitcase. I ran my fingers over the freshly painted walls, mourning the gift I would never be able to accept. Every touch in this house was a blend of me and Ethan, every bit of it brimming with possibility.
And in a few minutes, I very well may never see it again.
Life was unfair.
It was even more unfair when your mother was an evil bitch.
Chapter
Thirteen
Ididn’t make it hard on Kinsley. Once my suitcase was packed, I brought my belongings out to the living room. He passed me a cup of steaming Earl Grey tea in a pretty handmade cup. “Ethan purchased this for you. The tea blend as well.”
I lost a few more pieces of my heart. “Thanks,” I croaked. “Just know if I take this, I won’t be giving it back.”
Kinsley snorted. “Honestly, you’d be within your rights to strip this place bare.”
I gave him a thin smile. “Maybe so, but I’d never do it. He built this place thinking of me. Maybe this thing will bring him back.”
Our eyes met, and we both knew it was a lie.
Kinsley and I didn’t know each other well. He’d been Ethan’s Second for several months now, stepping in when the other wanted to move to another Keep. So far, I found him level-headed and grounded, and less growly than the other Seconds I’d dealt with in my capacity as a junior council rep. But we weren’t close, so I was surprised when Kinsley stepped into my personal space and opened his arms.
I blinked in surprise, even as a sob bubbled from my lips. Kinsley gathered me into a tight hug. My arms wrapped around him, and I held on, soaking in the comfort he’d given me.
“I’ll see if Rowan will give me approval to come to his lands soon, so I can debrief you. Hopefully, by that time, you’ll have information for me, too.”
I nodded, my hair sliding against his rough cotton shirt. “Thank you,” I croaked.
“I know all about heartbreak, Moira, but this…” He sighed. “This one’s a sonofabitch.”
I started to cry again.
Kinsley cupped the back of my head and held me tight until I’d exhausted myself. Embarrassed, I pulled away and wiped my face, wincing when I saw the front of his shirt. “Oh gods, I’m so sorry?—”
“Never apologize for your tears, Moira. I didn’t know Sarah as well as some others here did.” He looked down at his feet. “A Keep needs a strong and ferocious lady. I always thought you might be a good one.”
His words both healed and broke my heart. I would never be the Lady of this Keep. Not after this. I pulled out a few travel potions from my bag and handed Kinsley two. “Take these.”
I gave him the instructions for how to use them. “Until I see you again,” I said and uncorked mine. Once I swallowed the concoction, I grabbed my belongings, smiled at Kinsley, and closed my eyes, focusing on my apartment.
A moment later, I was gone.
Evie was sittingon my porch when I shimmered in. She got up and took one of my bags from me.
My friend was always very good at being there when I needed her. But there was no way she could know what happened.
When we stepped inside, Evie kicked off her shoes and set my bag down by the coat tree. I went straight to the kitchen and rummaged through the liquor cabinet.
Evie came to help me. She took out the cold brew I made before I left for Ethan’s and a bottle of Irish cream. “We going caffeinated and booze or we doing sweet booze?” When I didn’t answer, she let out a little breath. “I’m cool if you want to drink straight from the bottle, too.”
I stared at the shit I’d taken out blankly. Evie put her hand on my arm. “How about I take you out to eat and we go get hammered downtown?”
