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“A lot of us do. I don’t really care about any of that though. If you like someone, why should that matter?”
“It shouldn’t.” I turn back to the stars. “And of course I think she’d notice you. She’d be crazy not to. You’re the one decent guy here.”
“Nah, that’s not true.” Josten now turns to face me. “I know you’ve had a hard time with the people here, but I promise they’re not all bad.”
I stay quiet, running my fingers through the grass at my sides. I used to think there was someone out there for everyone. A person who could see through all your flaws and mold your broken pieces back together. I used to think a lot of things. Love is an idea, not an actuality.
“You should pick her flowers,” I eventually say. “I bet she’d like that.”
“Yeah?”
“Flowers are romantic. It shows her that you were thinking about her.”
“Okay.” He nods. “I’ll do that.”
“You’d better tell me what she says. I want a full report.”
“You girls and your gossip,” he jokes. “If your advice works, I’ll tell you all about it. If it doesn’t, you can find me ridden with humiliation right here. My happy place.”
I laugh, knowing there’s no way in hell it isn’t going to work. Josten is great, and if a guy as sweet and attractive as him showed up at my door with hand-picked flowers, I’d probably marry him. Chivalry at its finest.
“Off subject, but thanks,” I tell him.
“For what?”
“For being my friend.”
Josten looks at me, the corner of his lip tugging up. “Oh, don’t get all sappy on me now.” He grabs my arm, towing me toward him.
“I can’t believe I let that psycho near me,” I blurt out, laughing against Josten’s side. “Why would I even agree to dance with him?”
“Yeah, what was up with that?”
“Honestly, I have no idea. I think I was mostly just trying to piss off Rhenn, which is ridiculous.”
“You think he cares if you dance with his friends?”
“Probably not. He doesn’t care about anything.”
Apart from making my life miserable, of course.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
RHENN
Iget home to find the guest house occupied once again. Sumner sits on the doorstep, soaking in the light of the sun.
Her hair’s in a loose braid, falling over her shoulder in a way that’s slightly undone, as though she’d twisted it back without any thought. A few strands have slipped free, framing her face and catching in the light breeze, brushing softly against her cheek. Her face is bare of any makeup, and she wears an oversized tee. Nothing like the polished girl from yesterday. No layers to hide behind. Sumner in her purest form.
I walk forward, having no choice in the matter. My legs act on their own, pulling me toward her. It’s only been a couple of days since she left, and less than twenty-four hours since the Centennial. There’s an ease in her posture. One I’ve never seen her carry before.
Her eyes are closed, head tilted back. “If you’re here to be an asshole, I’m not interested.” She says it so casually, uncaring of a single thing in this moment.
“Doggy daycare kick you out?” I taunt, rubbing my fingers over my temples, feeling the forceful pull under my core. It’s insane how torturous the shadow can be when it sees her, running frantically through me as though it were trying to break out of my skin to seep into hers.
She chuckles, shaking her head. “I missed the quiet.”
That’s all she needed? Some fucking silence? I’ve been stewing over a way to break up her unwelcomed stay with the pack for two days and all it took was them being their obnoxious selves?
