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“It’s okay,” I said, a little too harshly.

Her face crumpled as she held up the Harlequin novel. “I'm sorry. I shouldn't have touched them. I didn't mean to. They were just sitting here and...” She began to pack the books into the crate.

I moved faster than I could think. “Stop,” I said, grabbing her hand.

Her eyes were wide with fear, and I was disgusted with myself for putting them there.

“I'm sorry,” I apologized softly. “I didn't expect you to be reading them. They were my sister's.” I didn't offer any more explanations, but she seemed to realize it was a touchy subject.

Surprisingly, she let the book fall to the ground with a thud and stepped into my space. Her tiny hands wrapped around my body—barely—in a hug. She placed her head against my chest, against the hard, thudding mess it had become.

“I'm sorry,” she said. “Whatever happened to her, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry.”

I should step away from her, but my hands betrayed me, moving on their own accord to hug her back.

“It’s okay. I said you could go wherever you wanted.”

We stayed like that for about a minute. Until she had enough sense to pull away, picking up the book she'd let fall to the floor.

“I didn’t know you read,” I said, mainly to dissolve the tension.

Her lips curved. “I didn’t know you noticed things.”

I ignored that. “What are you reading?”

She looked down. “Lost to the Desert Warrior.”

I blinked. She smiled.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

“You looked surprised.”

“I am.”

“Why?”

I shrugged.

“You don’t look like someone who reads classic novels.”

She gasped dramatically. “Excuse me?”

“I don’t know. You have all these romance novels surrounding you. I thought that was what you were reading.”

She placed a hand over her chest. “I’m offended.”

“You’ll survive.”

She laughed. And there it was again. That sound. It made my house feel less empty. I looked away.

“Now, don't get me wrong, I love romance novels too. They're a personal favorite of mine.”

My lips twisted in a wry grin. “What else do you like?”

The question left my mouth before I could stop it. Wren looked surprised.