Page 34 of Once Bitten, Twice Mine

“I know how to breathe.” She had already coughed up the last of the soup, so she wasn’t forced to face the indignity of wheezing her defense. “You startled me because you slink around this house and only pop up when I least expect you.”

“You make it sound like you want to put a bell on me.”

“Don’t tempt me,” Caroline snapped. “If you had a bell, I might actually have a chance of finding you when I need to.”

“Were you looking for me again, cara?”

“Yes, and you weren’t in your room when I looked for you. Again.”

Valeria sighed. “As I told you, I like to take walks⁠—”

“No,” Caroline interrupted, “I went to check on you this morning, and you weren’t in your room. Don’t tell me your sun sickness has suddenly been cured.”

Valeria’s eyes flashed before her sly mask slid back into place. “You’re so desperate to watch me sleep, but how would you feel if you woke up to me staring down on you?”

A tendril of fear snaked through her, but the heat that shot through her was stronger. Valeria was trying to scare her, and she knew she should be afraid of this threat—especially since she could be in actual danger—but she couldn’t find it in her to be truly scared of her.

“At least if you watched me sleep, I would know where you are.”

“Why does it matter what I do when you’re not around?”

“Why do you refuse to tell me?”

They glared at one another, both refusing to be the one who backed down. Caroline couldn’t afford to. Not when Valeria could be a threat to her household. To the very people she was supposed to protect.

Finally, Valeria huffed. “I slept in another guest room last night. I spent too long walking in the garden, and it was nearly dawn by the time I got inside, so I went into the closest room to hunker down for the day. I didn’t think it would be an issue.”

Caroline’s eyes flicked to her bowl where she absently stirred her spoon in the stew. She felt better knowing that Valeria was here during the day. She could get to town and back overnight, but it would be difficult—especially since she wasn’t familiar with the area. Caroline only hoped she wasn’t grasping at any small chance that Valeria wasn’t the monster she was looking for.

“It must get quite boring being stuck in this house with only me to talk to.”

“I don’t mind because I happen to be quite fond of the company.”

Caroline blushed intensely before lowering her head and shoveling stew into her mouth so she didn’t have to think about what to say.

“I love that even after all of these years, I can still make you blush so fiercely,” Valeria continued.

“You’re not making me blush. I’m naturally red,” she snapped, her cheeks heating further despite her clunky lie.

Valeria laughed; it was a deeper sound than what lived in her memory, but it made her heart flutter all the same.

“You forget I am used to looking at you.”

“It’s been a lot of years since then.”

“And I could still draw you perfectly if I was blindfolded.” Valeria paused, her eyes shifting between Caroline’s. “I didn’t think it would be like this. It had been so many years, and after hearing you were engaged to Mr. Andrews, I was convinced you had changed.”

The stew felt like glass in Caroline’s throat as she swallowed. She felt the same as she had always been, which felt like a bad thing next to someone as exciting as Valeria. Even when she was barely older than a girl, she knew there was a gulf between them. She was so worldly and daring while Caroline’s dreams had always been about staying at home.

“How did you think I had changed?”

“I thought maybe you had become someone who would be a good match for that man,” she said, nose wrinkling. “I’m glad to see you haven’t lowered yourself to his level, cara.”

Caroline stiffened. “He’s a good man. I could do far worse.”

“You could also do better.”

Caroline’s eyes fell to the table. She hated how small her remarks made her feel when she was only trying to do the best not just for herself, but for her family as well.