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He had?
“We’ll talk about stuff so, yeah.” Dark eyes eased in my direction. “Hope the clothes help.”
He walked away, but I wasn’t sure he would have had my brother not been standing there.
“Tool,” Bru muttered under his lips. He picked up the bags. “But at least he got us clothes.”
I suppose there was that.
I had a thought after Dorian left Bru and me to get dressed that maybe the dark prince had wanted to talk to me. I mean, he could have easily sent up Thatcher or Wells, and bringing my stuff actually sounded like something Ares would do. He’d been the last one to leave last night, but it hadn’t been him at the door today.
I wasn’t completely sure I was ready to talk to Dorian, but I wasn’t sure I would have much of a choice. We’d need to talk eventually and…
Ares waited outside the elevators when Bru and I eventually came down, and it was so freaking weird to see him and Bru today. They acknowledged each other politely, respectfully, but they both had this weird territorial dance about them when they tried to establish who would take which of my sides. Clearly, they were adjusting to whatever this new relationship was between us as well. I mean, they were technically both my siblings.
“Y’all sleep okay?” Ares asked, walking backward down the hall. “I see you got your clothes.”
I’d chosen jeans and a nice top, Bru something similar. I nodded. “Great, thanks.”
“Great.” He looked at Bru. “How about you? You good? Sleep well?”
He was trying here, and Bru shrugged.
“Fine,” Bru said before glancing at me. His look said it all about how weird this all was, and though I agreed, I gave him a reassuring nod. This would be weird.
Especially for me.
I could smell all the food before we even got into the large kitchen deep in the heart of Windsor House. I’d never really gotten to explore the large castle, so seeing the expansive kitchen ready and able to serve Maywood Heights’s elite definitely didn’t disappoint. It had large windows that let the sunlight in, marble countertops, and probably about six or seven fridges. I didn’t know much about Windsor House except that people in the Court got to use it. I assumed it was some kind of a country club.
Wells, Thatcher, and Dorian sat at a table with all the food by the windows, but they weren’t by themselves. Two women sat with them, one significantly smaller than the other. I recognized them both, but only the smaller one leaped out of her chair.
“Sloane!” Bow Reed’s chair actually toppled over she left it so quickly. She rushed at me, and when she grabbed me, I grabbed her right back.
She was shaking.
“Oh my God.” She hooked her little arms around my neck, and I realized I was shaking too. I was and, for some reason, couldn’t stop it. Bow braced me tight. “Are you okay? Are you okay?”
I hugged her back, hugged her hard, and I had my eyes closed. It was like realizing you were missing someone once you had them back, or maybe it was just the connection.
Maybe I just needed the hug.
I felt myself seep into it, squeezing her. “Hey, little rabbit.”
“Hey.” Again, she was shaking when she let go, but she didn’t release my hands. She had her academy uniform on, and that was something I hadn’t missed. School. She shook my hands. “Oh my God. Your face.”
She touched it, and I raised a hand.
“It’s fine,” I said. “I’m okay.”
“You swear?” She squeezed my hands, her round cheeks flushed. “How can you be okay? You’re not okay.”
I wasn’t, but I was trying. “I’m fine.”
Whether she believed me or not, I didn’t know, but right away her arms came around me once more.
“I can’t believe Thatcher didn’t tell me about you.” She let go, looking at me. “He said you came to look for me first.”
I had because, out of everyone, I didn’t know who to trust. Bow and I had our history, but she’d never lied to me.
