No, that wasn’t what I meant. My cheeks heated again. Just because he was sort of attractive and not a killer didn’t mean I was into him. He still embodied so many things I disliked about the Marked society. He was too full of himself, too determined to push me away because I was a witch, and too bossy.
Eventually, Darcy put his cell away, and the room went completely dark. The distant toll of the church as it pealed midnight mixed with the slow, steady cadence of Darcy’s breathing.
I glared at him for a second. How could he have fallen asleep so quickly?
I forced my eyes closed, then matched my breathing to his, trying to get his comment about my bewitching eyes out of my head long enough for me to fall asleep.
Chapter 11
Sunlightstreamingacrossmyface woke me in the morning. I raised my arms over my head and stretched, then a slight tug on my hand had my eyes flying open.
Oh no.
Everything that had happened yesterday came crashing back, and I jolted upright. It wasn’t just the binding on our wrist that had tugged at me. Darcy and I were holding hands! Had I done that? Had he?
Tingles swept over me, and I released his hand like it was an open flame under a cauldron.
Darcy sat with a groan and rubbed the stubble on his chin. His hair was a tousled mess. “What time is it?”
I glanced at my watch and tried to smooth my braid without him noticing. Had he realized we were holding hands? “Half past seven.” My stomach dropped, and I cursed. “I have to get to work.” With everything that had happened yesterday, it had completely slipped my mind.
“You’re going to work like this?” He held up his hand and blinked at me sleepily.
“I need to at least show my face and let my boss know I came in. Then maybe Riley can cover for me.” I bit my lip, thoughts whirling. With a promotion dangling in front of me, now was the wrong time to be skipping, but after discovering the truth about Darcy, I didn’t have a lead anymore. I needed to regroup and go over what I knew. There were too many possibilities and not enough information. Maybe now that Darcy and I weren’t enemies, he could fill in some of my gaps about Easton—and himself. Darcy was a brooding mystery wrapped in a riddle, and today I’d start peeling away the layers for no other reason than to figure out what happened to Easton.
We got ready in silence. Charles dropped off a bag of clothes and toiletries so I didn’t have to do the walk of shame out of here. He’d already swung by to see Jane thismorning. After I changed, I squeezed my eyes shut for Darcy, though the rustle of clothing and the way my arm reacted to his movements made me acutely aware of what he was doing.
We brushed our teeth side by side at the sink, then I undid my braid. It hung to my waist in soft waves, and I brushed it out with long, sure strokes before glancing up to meet Darcy’s gaze. His attention snapped back to his reflection while he shaved. Now that he was so pointedly not looking at me, I could study him without fear.
His dark green eyes were narrowed in concentration, and I couldn’t help but notice the flecks of gold in them. Clearly, he wasn’t the type to go out not looking his best. Maybe he overdressed sometimes, but he wore his outfits well.
Our eyes met in the mirror again, drawn to each other like lodestones. Remembering his comment about my bewitching eyes, I dropped mine to my hands. I was an idiot for letting it fluster me, especially since I wasn’t sure if that was how he really felt or something he’d said simply to catch me off guard. Whatever Darcy’s reasoning, that was one puzzle I didn’t need to solve.
After a quick breakfast of pumpkin scones and tea, we were on our way. The same man drove us into town and dropped us off near Main Street.
“You can drop us off on Main Street since the parking lot is under construction at work,” I told the driver.
Darcy held out his hand again once we got out of his car. My stomach dipped as I remembered we would have to go around town holding hands, that or keep getting yanked around by each other all day.
I put my hand in his much larger one, and we walked down Main Street. The sunlight from earlier had disappeared behind dark storm clouds.
Ms. Bates bustled down the street, a bag of groceries on her arm and a pumpkin in the other. Her face lit up as she took in Darcy and me.
“Oh, Lizzy. Good morning! It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it? And, oh my, who is this gentleman you’re holding hands with?”
“Good morning, Ms. Bates. This is Darcy.” Unsure what else to say, I left it at that.
“What a delightful surprise. I can’t remember the last time I saw you holding hands with anyone. And he’s sucha handsome fellow too. Very strong. He looks like a perfect gentleman.” She gave Darcy an approving look and nodded her head.
Darcy somehow maintained a serious expression, but amusement flashed in his green eyes.
“I’m sorry we can’t stay to chat, but I’m afraid I’m late for work.” I pulled on Darcy’s hand, urging him down the street.
Ms. Bates gave us a cheerful wave, then pulled out her phone and made a call as she walked off.
“So much for anonymity,” I muttered with a sigh.
“What?”
