Page 212 of Sorrow & Strangers

Turning my back on Morrigan, I head back to the resort, my hands in my pockets. How many times will it take for me to realize that she’s not someone I can dictate and control? That’s what drew me to her, and what I hated about her at first. She stood toe-to-toe with me and demanded her way.

Morrigan calls out my name, but I don’t stop.

Summer fights me, and every surrender from her is hard-won, but all the sweeter because it is.

I’m a fool.

Chapter Eighty-Nine

Summer

The suite is completely empty, and I’m grateful that the tears haven’t come. I walk into my room and see the bed that I have never slept in.

I walk to it and brush my fingers along the sheets. No doubt they are the same as the ones on his bed, but they feel different. They feel lonely. A tear slides down my cheek and drops onto the silk, leaving a dark patch of despair. I climb into bed and curl into a ball, leaning into the horrendous loneliness.

Was he right? Did I know what I was setting myself up for?

“Sum?” Alice’s concerned voice comes from the living room of the suite, and she comes to my room. She watches me for a moment before kicking her heels off and climbing into bed with me. She wraps around me. “I got you.”

I turn toward her and cuddle close for a moment before I realize how unfair I’m being. I pull back and wipe my tears. “Go back to the party, Al. I’m just going to order room service and watch shitty TV.”

“I’m bored with the party anyway,” she says with a careless shrug, and while I’m not convinced, it’s not because the lie is blatant. It’s because this is the party of the year, and it is extravagant. Alice was beyond excited about this weekend, and I know she doesn’t really want to spend it in our room.

“Really, Sum,” she says again, and I nod. Climbing out of bed, I change out of the costume and into a pair of pajamas that belong to Alice, since all my clothes are still in his closet.

When we’re back in bed, cuddled together, I order a mountain of food. We spend the evening in silence, watching a trashy show that I honestly couldn’t tell you anything about because my mind is so preoccupied with the stranger. His words circle through my mind over and over.

I am helpless against you. I will take any fucking scrap you give me.

Then why kiss me? Why do anything with me this weekend? Why give me a taste and then act like it’s nothing?

I also can’t forget the way his voice deepened when he growled mine into my lips, and how much I liked hearing it.

Did I know what I was doing? Did I know he would demand what he did?

Alice fell asleep around an hour ago, and I glance at her before climbing out of bed to push the room service cart outside and get some water.

“What are you doing here?” Rafe asks, entering the suite as I leave my room.

“I could ask you the same question,” I say, grabbing one of the glass bottles of water.

“I’m about to go meet Mira. I was just going to change into normal clothes,” Rafe says, eyeing me warily with a small frown.

Mira . . . So that’s her name. “Surprised you let her out of your sight.” With the absence of a smile, the words sound sharper than I mean them to.

“You’re one to talk,” Rafe flushes a little.

I sit on the arm of the couch.

Rafe glances at the door to his room, but then walks toward me. “Why are you here alone, Sum?”

“I’m not. Alice is sleeping in my room.”

Rafe lifts an eyebrow. “You know Alice isn’t who I’m talking about.”

“Rafe,” I say, looking at him, “go get your girl.”

He hesitates for a moment, but then he moves in closer and pulls me into one of his rare hugs. I relax against him for a moment before pulling back.