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Someone passed me on the stairs, giving me a weird look when they heard the guard thing.
I forced my feet to start moving again, carrying me up toward my old apartment. I was uncertain if my legs would actually make it up before my knees buckled, but they kept moving.
“What do you mean, why? Didn’t August tell you?”
“Tell me what? I thought we were good. He made it sound like he planned to stay last night—but when I woke up this morning, he was gone.”
“He didn’t say goodbye?”
“No.” My voice cracked a little.
I wiped a few new tears away with a trembling hand.
“Shit. Want me to kill him for you?”
“I don’t think he wants anything to do with me, so there’s no point in that.” I finally reached the apartment and unlocked it. It was the middle of the morning, around 10 AM, so Randa would be at school and Vi would be asleep.
“That’s bullshit if I’ve ever heard it. My brother’s an asshole, but he’s not a liar. If he didn’t say goodbye to you, it’s because he plans on coming back. The thunder took him away this morning.”
“It’s sweet of you to lie for him, but I’m not that delicate, Eli. I can handle the truth. The thunder might have taken him to prison, but he’s not coming back for me.”
Eli growled into the phone. “He specifically asked me to keep you away from other men, El.”
“Sure he did.”
“I’m serious. I’ll prove it, too. Where are you?”
“Don’t worry about that.” I sat down on the comfortable-but-weird-smelling couch my best friends and I had gotten the day after we’d moved in. It should’ve felt homey, but it didn’t.
It felt wrong.
Smelled awful with my dragon’s sense of smell, too.
“If you don’t tell me, I’ll be forced to eat the rest of the donuts I bought you while I track you down.”
“How are you going to track me down? And why do you assume I want donuts? I thought you brought pastries? Are donuts considered pastries?”
“I don’t know, but you just survived heat without giving in. You should be hungry.”
I was. I’d just ignored the hunger in the whirlwind of my emotions.
“I’ll buy myself donuts if I want them. Go home, Eli.”
“I promised my brother I’d protect you, remember? That means until he’s back here to keep you safe himself, I’m going wherever you are. Starting as soon as I find you. Give me your location, or I’ll figure it out myself.”
“Good luck with that.” I hung up the phone, dropping it on the couch beside me.
Another text lit up the screen a heartbeat after the device landed.
Brynn
How are you feeling? Did the thunder pick August up yet?
My eyes burned.
If they had, he hadn’t let me see them do so.
I erased the message from my phone’s screen, then stuck it between two couch cushions so it couldn’t bother me.
