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“Mm-hmm.” Something seemed off about her tone, but Ivy was speaking again before she could prod. “Let’s get you out of that bathing suit.” She eyed her up, her attention flicking from the one-piece to the clothes folded on the bench. “This might be a little tricky.”
Darien waited on the other side of the change room door, an arm propped up against it, his forehead resting against the wood.
Standing here like a possessive psychopath might’ve been an overreaction, but Loren could barely walk, for fuck’s sake. And besides that, she hadn’t even been awake for one measly hour. He refused to take chances.
“I know you’re staring,” Darien said. He sensed Jack, Tanner, and Kylar peeling their eyes off him in unison.
Tanner said, “We’re just looking out.”
“And worried as balls that you’re gonna snap,” Jack added.
Darien lowered his arm and turned around to face them. “No one,” he said quietly, “is to tell her the truth about her and I.”
Kylar said, “Isn’t that a bit counter-productive?”
“She’s going to figure it out,” Jack said. An ill-timed smile pulled at his mouth. “You can’t stop touching or staring at her.”
“If she figures it out, fine,” Darien said. “Great. But she’s barely been awake for an hour. Did you see how she reacted to being friends with me? With us? I’m not about to give her a heart attack by telling her she’s fucking me too.”
Jack snorted.
Darien gave him a dark look. “What about this is funny?”
Jack’s smile vanished.
“What about taking her to see a Healer?” Kylar asked. “They’ve been known to help people who suffer from amnesia.”
“If we check her into a hospital, the imperator will know we’re here,” Darien said.
“What about Atlas fucking with the records?” Jack asked.
“I can,” Atlas offered.
“Let’s give it a few days,” Darien decided. “Give her a chance to settle down, see if any memories come back on their own. And in the meantime, keep your mouths shut.” He shot Jack an extra-long stare. “I’m not asking you to agree with me, but I am asking you to respect my decision.”
Tanner offered, “I think it’s a good idea, for now. Her heart already gets all weird when you’re around.”
“And her heart’s already delicate,” Darien said. “So let’s not push it, shall we?”
“Are you ever going to tell us what you traded the Widow?” Jack blurted.
Darien glanced between the three solemn faces of his friends. Tanner had tried asking him this question—once. So had a couple of the others.
Kylar said, “Traded? What’d you trade?” His eyes flicked to Jack and Tanner. “What happened?”
“Now’s not the time,” Darien said. Joyce and Ivy’s voices grew louder with their approach. Darien raised a finger at Jack. “Not a word.” Jack held his hands up in surrender.
The change room door opened behind Darien, and he stepped out of the way.
Loren was walking on her own now, though Ivy and Joyce were still holding hands with her. She wore her favorite hooded sweatshirt—the baby blue one she’d worn to his house that first time—black leggings, socks, and—
No shoes. Shit.
“We forgot her shoes at Roman’s,” Ivy said.
Darien stared—and stared and fucking stared—at Loren. Fuck, Jack was right, he couldn’t take his eyes off her. But she was looking at him too.
This was the best thing that had happened to him in two weeks—her being awake. A part of him feared he was dreaming.
