He frowns, then looks toward my door. “Riven and Creed.”
I flinch. “I’m sorry, do you mean my Riven and Creed?”
“How many Rivens and Creeds do you know?”
“Enough with the sarcasm,” I snap, then shut my mouth before taking another breath. “I don’t even know what to say. When and why did you ask them of all people advice on this?”
“Well, I actually asked Riven one day when he caught me in the Goddess of Affection’s section in the Athenaeum. He told me to tell him all about what I was looking for, so I did. Creed just so happened to be looking for Riven and found us both. He naturally inserted himself in the conversation and they both gave me helpful advice.”
“Did they pick on you? Were they teasing or mean about it? I’ll fuck them up.”
I know how much Riven likes to pick about sensitive topics and Creed can be a flat-out asshole. I take a step toward my door, but he blocks me.
“Neither of them did either of those things. They took teaching me very seriously, and I’m pleased to say their lesson paid off.”
Oh my stars.
“For the Valories, Thay, don’t make this a big deal. I’m thirty years old.”
His teasing but exasperated tone has my mouth snapping back shut. I sure as fuck was about to scream and celebrate. I’m proud to say I gather myself together quickly and plaster on a genuine smile.
“So it’s like official, official right?”
“We’ve been official, official, as you put it, since our third week here. We’ve just entered the next phase in our relationship.”
Relationship…my best friend definitely has his first girlfriend.
By the smile on his face, the first and last.
“Well, I want to remind you that I called it in like the first hour.” I chuckle and he rolls his eyes. “Why did you wait this long to tell me?”
“You’ve had enough going on in your ownrelationships.”
That sobers me up.
I turn and stare into my fireplace as guilt rises with my nervousness. The fact that I’ve made him feel like he’d be overwhelming me by coming and talking to me about what he has going on has pain searing through my heart.
“Thay.”
“No matter what’s going on with me, the realm, anything, you can always talk to me. I’m always going to be here for you. You know that, right?”
He gives me a small smile. “I knew the second I said it you’d take it that way. I didn’t mean for it to sound like you’ve been too busy for me. I meant it as in, we’reboth trying to navigate and merge two new lives together. We’re just figuring it out.”
“Figuring it out is the last thing I feel like I’m doing.”
“What do you mean? In my opinion, you’ve handled all these changes pretty well.” I hang my head as the guilt surfaces even more.
“That’s because I’ve been hiding so much of the truth from you.” I take a shuddering breath, then turn toward him. “The guys and I had a conversation yesterday. We’ve decided it’s time I tell you all, meaning you, Yemi, Rose, and Havar, everything that’s been going on with me and some truths about them. I asked if I could do it alone with all of you and they agreed. That’s why I asked everyone to have dinner at Yemi’s. I wanted to get you alone first to see if you wanted me to tell you by yourself or with everyone else. It’s…it’s going to be a lot, Lambrit.”
The corners of his eyes wrinkle as he examines me closely. “Why have you been keeping things from me?”
“Because it’s all dangerous and I didn’t want you to know more than you should, just in case. I didn’t even really want you to come on this quest with us because it’s dangerous, but I also didn’t want to take an opportunity like this from you.”
“You’re lying, Thayla.”
I huff. “I’m not lying. Don’t study me right now, Lambrit.”
He’s already doing it. The calculation is reflecting back at me in the depths of his eyes.
