Yemi, Iric, Sevryn, and Doren avert their gazes from me as Rose rises from the table, collecting our plates.
“I’m going to step outside for a moment, then I’ll come back in and wash these up.”
“You don’t have to do that, Rose,” I say, focusing on her.
“I don’t mind at all. I’ll be back in a minute.”
She hurries from the kitchen and out the front door in a breath. I lean back in my chair and cross my arms as I stare the other four down.
“Obviously, tensions are too high for her. What are you four scheming?” I ask, narrowing my gaze on them.
“Will you three give us a minute as well, please?”
“We’re leaving in like two minutes, Yemi,” I say.
“I know. This conversation will only take a second.”
I grit my teeth as her guys leave, and she pins me in place with her stare.
She’s so annoyingly observant. I knew this conversation was coming.
“You put up another emotional barrier, Thayla.”
“So?”
“Why? And with who this time?”
I tear my eyes from her and glance off into nothingness.
“No, Thayla. The guys?”
“I don’t want to do this right now.”
“Please talk to me.”
A long, slow breath falls from my chest despite my battle to hold it in. Her soft plea slices me across the chest, though.
The next one I put up will be toward her.
Okay, no, I won’t, but still.
“The guys and Derivius.”
“I knew I sensed it this morning but couldn’t tell if your Chaos was playing tricks on me. Why? I warned you that emotional barriers—”
“I know what you warned me but…” I jump from the table and run my hands through my hair as I pace behind my chair. “It isn’t like the one that’s up for Mellcom. Even his isn’t working right.”
“Sevryn told me you hit him so hard this morning, you sent him through the barrier to the Abandon.”
I snort before I can stop myself.
“Okay, yes, I did do that, but I still feel emotions toward him. I still get angry and hate him when I look at him. The guys…”
My hands grip the back of the chair as I bow and shake my head.
“I had to do something. The hell I wanted to unleash.” I squeeze my eyes shut. “If I didn’t put the barrier up, I wouldn’t be able to focus. All I would think about is them, and thosethoughts and emotions would run the show. I can’t allow that right now. They need me. I can’t fall apart right now.”
Her chair scrapes across the floor and I don’t open my eyes as she stands beside me and runs circles around my back.
