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Ignoring the tension coiling around us, I blink at her. Tommy might break his jaw by clenching it. “It was interesting,” I say dryly.
“Are you all better? It’s always so remarkable how much lighter you feel once the acid forces you to deal with your inner demons. I’ve been studying how natural psychedelics can heal trauma—it helps restore the natural balance of things. You seemed like you could use some healing.”
“I felt better when I woke up,” I say, my gaze flicking to Tommy.
She gives me half a smile, knowing exactly who I woke up with. “Good. We were just listening to Tommy’s new song,” Talia informs me and peers up at him. “Why don’t you play your song for Diana, Tommy?”
My eyebrows rise. “New song?” That is our song, the one he wrote when we first got together. A bead of sweat trickles down his forehead, and I smile. “I’d love to hear it.”
He doesn’t respond but gives me that familiar pout—the one that says, sorry, firefly, as his hand slides up her thigh. If I didn’t understand before, I do now.
They’re together.
He picks up his guitar and begins to strum, but it’s a different song, not the one he was playing just moments ago.
Talia stops him after a few minutes and waves her hand. “Lucy, please go inside and prepare some lunch.”
Her mouth pins to a straight line. “But—”
“It’s lunchtime, Lucy. And I think your mother might need some assistance.”
Lucy looks like she wants to argue but doesn’t. Instead, she turns her attention to Remy, hoping he’ll stick up for her, but he keeps his gaze lowered and jaw tight. Tommy and Remy both look like they’d rather be anywhere else right now.
Heat rushes to her face as she rises from his lap, gives me a dirty look, and wipes her pants. “Lunch will be ready in an hour. I hope our guest doesn’t have any deadly allergies.”
I smile sweetly. “I don’t.”
She stalks off into the house.
When Lucy is out of sight, Talia clicks her tongue and says to no one in particular, “She really needs to learn her place. I’ve been too lenient with her recently.”
Remy lets out an aggravated breath and shakes his head.
Talia stays curled up on Tommy. “Diana, why don’t you get more comfortable?” She diverts her eyes to Remy, who is watching me closely. “There is a chill in the air today.”
I give Remy a weak smile and crawl over to him. He invites me in and lifts his arm, and I snuggle next to him. For a moment, I forget how angry I am and forget all about Tommy. That’s what seems to happen when I’m with Remy…it’s just Remy.
Tommy starts to play again, and I sit and get lost in the strumming. I lean my head on Remy’s chest, and he responds by running his hand up my back.
I tilt my head up. “Hi,” I whisper.
His lips tease my ear, and he whispers softly, “Hi, little lamb.”
My heart flutters, and the guitar stops.
“Well,” Talia says carefully as the four of us stare at each other. “Now that we’re finally alone, I feel like we need to clear the air.”
My heart skips a beat, and my palms grow sweaty. I’ve been near death, lived by a rotting corpse for months, slept beside a ghost, but nothing could prepare me for this conversation with Talia.
“I’m happy you stayed,” she says, her eyes flickering.
“Tommy said I couldn’t leave,” I say with a touch defiance, remembering the brief flash of him saying that.
Talia’s not the only one with power here. Clearly, she wants me for something, and that ought to give me some power over her.
Talia barks out a laugh. “Don’t be ridiculous.” She glances at Tommy, whose gaze is cast downward. “Why would you say such things?”
Tommy arches his brows and frowns.
