“Perfect,” I snapped. I tried to bring my voice back down. I wasn’t angry. I was just … I didn’t know what it was. I reached for my glass and took a sip of my water. “I get it, Lu.”
“I just want to be supportive. I know I’ve never met him before, and he seems decent and all, but … I don’t know. I remember the things he said to you.”
“I remember too.” I remembered every word.
“I know you do.” Lu slumped, conceding to where this conversation was going.
Lu and I were too similar, and if we pressed the other too hard, neither of us would end up happy when this was supposed to be a happy day.
“It would be more supportive if you stopped,” I said softly.
Again, she took a deep breath slowly. “Are you in love with this guy again?”
No.
No, I said in my head more firmly. Of course not. I was not in love again with Dominic Rovnik. Though the words felt uneven.
“You know better than to ask that. You know what he did to me,” I said.
Her face dipped an inch. “You’re right.”
“Hurt you to say that?”
“Only a little,” admitted Lu. “If you are telling me the truth and you haven’t done anything outside of being …cordial.”
I stared at her. How polite we both sounded.
I leaned back against the counter with her. From here, in the quiet, I could hear the roll of conversation and short strings of laughter from the living room. I could even hear the deep rumble of Dom’s hesitant chuckle.
“Don’t,” said Lu.
“What?”
“Just … don’t sleep with him. Don’t even kiss him.”
I didn’t say anything for a moment. “I won’t.”
Her eyebrows went up to her hairline. “You’re lying.”
“I’m not. We haven’t, and we won’t.”
At least we hadn’t slept together. Not exactly.
“Promise?” Lu asked, magic almost tingling within her tone at the word.
I stared at her for another long moment. Who was she even to ask me that? I fought between frustration and being understanding, though either way, I didn’t answer.
She sighed. “Yeah, I thought not. Just remember who you are, Ana. I like who you are, and if he or anyone else doesn’t see how amazing that is, they’re just wrong. And stupid.”
“So is the person who cursed him.”
“You’re also sure,” Lu went on, not hiding her grin at my own call-out. “Powerful. Committed. A strong woman getting her revenge.”
I barked out a laugh.
“What? It’s true, and you don’t need any rude guy who totally deserved what happened to him—unlike you—getting back into your pants,” said Lu, a little amused with herself now for carrying this argument along. “He doesn’t need to take any more of your energy, let alone revel in it. He doesn’t deserve it. Okay? That is all I’m trying to say.”
“I know. You’re right.”
