“Yes,” I eventually answered. “The second time.”
Her eyes bulged. “It’s happened more than once?” Eagerness dancing over her face, she planted a hand on the table. “When did you two first do the dirty?Tell me.”
“When we were camping and slept in the same tent.”
She gawked. “This is extra. I can’t believe—wait, that happenedweeksago. How could you not have shared it with me, your best friend in the whole entire world?”
I tossed her an impatient look. “I’ve known you for, like, a month.” We’d grown up in the same settlement but never spoken during that time.
“Thirty-seven days, to be exact. But some people become besties in an instant. That happened with us.”
“Then why did you tell Nakoa she was your best friend?” I challenged, feeling my lips quirk.
“That was last week. A lot can change in that space of time.”
“But you just said that you and I instantly became—”
“Stop picking at words.” She tugged on the sleeve of my tunic. “Why didn’t you tell me about you and Talon?”
“I’m telling you now.”
“Under duress.”
I rubbed at the corner of my brow. “I don’t want anyone to know—too many people would twist it; insinuate I thought it would help get me a place in the Order.” I grabbed my tankard again. “He doesn’t want anyone to know either. Acts like it hasn’t happened. Not flattering.”
“Maybe so, but that he broke his no-sex-with-candidates rule for you? Flattering.”
“Doesn’t change that he seems to begrudge having broken it.”
“Which didn’t stop him from doing it twice,” she pointed out, raising her index finger.
“I can see you’re hopeful this means something. It doesn’t. It won’t matter whether I’m a candidate or an officiate, he’ll still behave like it didn’t happen. He admitted as much when I accused him of that and he didn’t deny it.”
Frowning, she sat back in her seat. “That doesn’t make any sense. Why would he want to hide it?”
“I don’t know if it’s a matter of hiding it or just not wanting to acknowledge it,” I replied before taking another sip of my drink. “I told him not to touch me againunlesshe was willing to stop being so weird about it. I refuse to be someone’s dirty secret.”
Realization dawned over her face. “Ah. He doesn’t like that you’ve withdrawnyour interest despite not wanting to do something about your little attraction. I suppose it isn’t surprising that he wouldn’t take kindly to youtrying to tune it out. Who would?”
Sodone talking about him, I said, “On another note, Bevan warned me that I need to watch my back.”
Her brows snapped together, anger stirring in her gaze. “He threatened you?”
“No, he gave me a heads-up that he thinks Atticus might do something dumb.”
“Which would be highly characteristic of the little shit,” she pointed out. “If he tries anything, I will personally fuck him up.”
“If he tries anything, he’ll be dead.” I’d take him out before anyone else had the chance—it’d be a matter of self-defense, so I wouldn’t be punished for it.
She straightened in her seat, her expression brightening. “Now let’s get back to the topic of Talon.”
I grimaced. “Um, let’s not.”
“But I have questions about his bedroom habits. Lots and lots of questions.”
“Sounds like your issue.”
Her brow puckered. “Oh come on, my curiosity needs satisfying.”
