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“I’m sorry for the way I acted,” he said.
Charlotte lifted her head to look at him, placing her phone down beside her.
“Or rather, the things you felt coming off me. I knew you could feel it, and I still couldn’t control my emotions enough to make it easier on you. For that, I’m sorry.”
Her lips drew in, and her nose screwed up adorably, eyebrows smashing together. “I just don’t understand it.”
“What?”
“What has you on edge?”
“It’s nothing serious.” He squeezed her leg.
“That’s not what I wanted to know. Serious or not, if it’s bothering you enough that your emotions are that intense, I want to know.” She wriggled and her toes curled on his thigh. “I care about you. You can talk to me, you know that, right?”
“I know.” He laid his head back against the wall and rolled it to the side to look at her, resigned to admit to her his problems. If he expected their relationship to flourish, he needed to not be so rigid in his control and let her in. “I had another nightmare last night, then saw the phone message. I didn’t sleep much because of it all. I think it didn’t help the way I responded.”
“Is there anything that makes it better?”
“The nightmares?”
When she nodded, he said, “Sleeping next to you.”
Her mouth parted.
“When we touch, they tend to lessen.” His hand slid to her foot again, massaging the heel. “At least, more so since you’ve come to the academy.”
“Maybe we should start sleeping together, then.”
“You move like a contortionist in your sleep,” he said, laughing at the incredulous look on her face. “You do. I think for my own physical safety, we should have a bigger bed first.”
She leaned forward and smacked his arm. “You’re mean,” she said with a pout. “Fine. I’ll just sleep all by myself. More room for me.” She smiled brightly, all her teeth on display. He loved seeing her smile.
He grabbed her chin with his forefinger and thumb before she sat back and gave her a soft kiss. When she sat back, he asked, “Do the others know now?”
“I told Blaire, Layla, and Riley what the headmistress said when I went by Riley’s room last night after dinner. Blaire and Riley said they’d talk to Lukas and Seth. Dom probably knows by now from the headmistress. Blaire didn’t know a James either.”
“We’ll have to ask Dom if he knows anyone important by that name.”
He didn’t get angry that she talked to them. Riley already knew. It didn’t bother him if the others knew about the situation, or about Noah. Before he knew the full story, the only thing that bothered him was thinking she kept in contact with Noah after she learned who he was.
He hoped by letting Noah in, she didn’t end up hurt again.
39
UNEXPECTED ALLIES
Charlotte hadn’t visited the library on the top floor of the main building of Blackthorn Academy before. With classes still not in session, she had no reason to until now.
Floor to ceiling bookshelves filled the massive library’s interior on all the walls except for the far wall lined with windows. The windows of the library weren’t stained glass like the front of the building. Arching into elaborate points with decorative circular shapes along the upper portion of the window, the windows maintained their tracery design, but the panes of glass were clear, allowing students to view the horizon.
Their group, composed of Aiden, Blaire, Riley, Seth, Lukas, Dominic, and Headmistress Velastra, sat at a long table away from the windows near an archway leading away from the main chamber near a couple of freestanding bookshelves.
Charlotte looked up at the beautiful chandelier overhead. Spherical and teardrop-shaped sparkling crystals covered the many tiers, refracting the light from their faux candles and casting the room in amber ambient lighting.
She jolted when Blaire touched her arm, giving her a questioning look.
She shook her head, offering a smile.
