Either she didn’t believe I’d keep my word, or she just prefers my door, I don’t know, but she escorts me through my room and doesn’t actually leave until I disappear into my bathroom.
I take the realm’s quickest shower. It saved me a lot of time skipping the hair washing bit.
In my eyes, I still kept my side of the agreement.
My outfit choice of the day is armor. The one we’d wear if we were entering the Abandon. Venturing there isn’t a part of my plan, but you can never be too careful.
The empty, quiet house strikes me like a blade across my chest. A numbness that I both embrace and can’t stand comes over me as I make my way to the kettle.
“Do you have a cup of that to spare, little troublling?”
“Shit,” I hiss as the hot liquid splashes against my fingers, then I whirl around, glaring at Derivius. “A warning you were awake would’ve been nice.”
He smirks and I’m tempted to throw my mug of coffee at him.
“I apologize. An explanation as to why I woke up on your couch would be nice as well.”
I arch a brow at him, then gesture for him to fix his own damn drink. My hip leans against the counter as I watch him stumble toward the stove, then tilt back the piping hot cup of black coffee.
Gross.
“What all do you remember about last night?”
“Well,” he hums, taking another sip, then he tightens his lips as he thinks. “I went to my temple and chased out some creatures who were making a home there. Apparently, we all forgot to shut the stone the last time we were there. Then I vaguely remember you showing up and yelling at me.”
“I didn’t yell at you.”
He chuckles. “I’m pretty sure you did.”
Whatever.
“You passed out and I had V starshoot you here so you didn’t sleep in that chair.”
“What chair? There are no chairs there.”
I huff and roll my eyes as I grab the plate Yemi left covered for me on the counter. My ass plops down into my seat at the table and I stab my fork into the eggs.
Any other time, it’d taste divine. Right now, it tastes like nothing.
“You were sitting in a chair by the time I arrived. Surrounded by empty bottles of booze.”
He grimaces as he takes the seat across from me.
“That explains the headache.”
I hum.
“Did…” he trails off, staring at me. “Did I say something that upset you last night?”
“No,” I say before diverting my gaze behind the rim of my mug. I set it down gently and link my fingers together on the table. “It’s time for you to go, though.”
“Go?” His head jerks and his forehead furrows in confusion. “I need to talk to you about some things, though. The boys—”
I lift my hand up for him to stop.
“Not right now.”
We hold each other’s stares for a long, uncomfortable moment.
