Page 272 of Sorrow & Strangers

I turn to face him and bend into a stretch. “He’s in love, and there is nothing reasonable about love.”

“He’s still an idiot.”

I nod, laughing. “But he’s our idiot.”

Max nods, and when I straighten, I find him much closer. “You know, I have some time before my next class . . .” He says, placing his hand on my waist and leaning. I sway toward him, but this isn’t the time. Not just because of Rafe but because my head is a bit of a mess from yesterday.

“As tempting as that is,” I say, brushing my fingers down his arm, “I should get Rafe home so Alice can hammer-spank his ass about Mira before class.” I press against him a little, because I do like Max and I don’t want him to feel like this is a rejection, because it isn’t. I’ve enjoyed the last few months with him. The ease of it and how he makes me feel. “Later?” I ask.

“Counting on it,” he says, giving me a sexy smirk and winking at me. He squeezes my ass as I leave the sparring room to collect Rafe, and we head home.

Chapter One Hundred Eleven

Summer

We walk in silence most of the way home before I can no longer stand how loudly Rafe is thinking.

“What’s wrong?”

“Just thinking,” Rafe says, his voice pensive.

“About?”

“Mira,” Rafe says.

I glance at him, and his eyebrows are drawn when he looks at me.

“I have to be patient. Don’t I?”

“Yes, unfortunately.”

“I waited so long.” Rafe sighs.

I slide my hand into his. “But now she’s here,” I say. “It’s not the same, Rafe.” I squeeze his hand because this is different. Mira is no longer in a locked realm across the world. She’s at Avalon, living less than twenty minutes away. “You just need to wait for the dust to settle.”

Rafe rubs his neck. “I just convinced myself to give up too early.”

I shake my head. “No, you didn’t. It was time to move on, Rafe. But Mira found you again.”

“I know it must sound weird, but she makes me feel like my skin isn’t too tight,” Rafe says, giving me a small smile.

“I know exactly what you mean.” It’s how the stranger makes me feel. He is the only person I have ever encountered who doesn’t make me feel alone. It’s why I can’t seem to move on from him. It’s why I’m drawn to him.

We’re almost at the house when I suddenly stop. “You know, I actually have something to do. I’ll see you later.”

Rafe nods and continues on toward the house. The moment his foot touches the porch, I turn around and plunge into the forest. I’m not sure why it surprises me when I see the stranger already there, waiting for me. I was drawn here for a reason.

“How did you . . . ?”

“Is there another reason you wander into the forest?” he asks, the smirk apparent in his voice.

Of course he was watching. He’s always watching, and I like it.

I stop, leaving about six feet of distance between us. “I don’t trust you anymore,” I say, and I don’t, so I am not sure why I’m here, why I can’t stay away from him.

“But you came.” He tilts his head.

I nod. “Because . . .” I consider my words. “I want us to try again at being friends.”