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He sighed sadly, seeming so...disappointed. “You’re still missing. I’d been hoping...but I suppose I’ll have to wait a bit longer to find you again.” His gaze met mine, the look of the somber, unconfident Darius I wasn’t accustomed to. “But I won’t give up, and when you return I’ll be here waiting.”
My heart flared to life, an almost painful feeling after having been dormant for so long. The emotions I’d worked to keep hidden burst free from their safely contained prison beyond my control, causing Darius to once more eclipse every thought and secret wish of my locked-away heart with no way for me to stop it. This warm need was too dangerous; I struggled to smother it until the numbness slowly returned, a fierce relief.
Darius’s expression crumpled as he witnessed this process take place. He severed his gaze, as if whatever he saw within mine was too painful for him. His forehead puckered as he looked around. “I’m surprised I haven’t been pelted by dangerous morphed objects by your loyal cloud after making you distressed. Where’s Glitter Ball?”
All my previous efforts to once more harden myself past feeling cracked. Pain burned through me at the mere mention of Stardust’s name, her abandonment too fresh. My lip quivered.
Concern filled Darius’s eyes. “Oh, Eden.” His tone was so incredibly tender, an attack on my weakening barriers. “I know how difficult things have been for you. I would give anything to make it better.” He took a step forward, as if he meant to embrace me, before firmly keeping his hands behind his back.
I pressed my hand to my mouth to smother my strangled sob. “It’s been awful, and seeing you again is only making it worse.”
“I’m so sorry, Eden. It’s never my intention to hurt you.” He took another small step forward to lightly brush my arm. I shuddered at his soft touch before flinching away. He sighed. “You’re still determined to push me away?”
I avoided his eyes, knowing one look into his own would shatter my resolve to stay away rather than fall sobbing into his arms like I ached to. I nodded stiffly.
“Why?” Emotion wrenched his voice.
“I’m not strong enough to survive being hurt by you again.”
He was silent for a moment before he murmured, “I never meant to hurt you.”
I finally met his gaze and lost myself in his green eyes, full of his fierce pain, whether for me or for himself I wasn’t sure. “I’ve hurt you, too.” I’d known that losing dream dust would cause him pain, but only now did I realize that the fact of my betrayal hurt him even more. “It’s too late for us.”
“Never, Eden.” He finally closed the distance between us to softly cup my cheek. “It’s never too late. I refuse to let it be.”
Once again I lost myself in his gaze as the emotions I’d repeatedly tried to suppress overcame me once more. I leaned against his hand and embraced the warm, fluttery feelings rippling over me, allowing myself tofeelall I’d once cherished yet had lost. If only I could stay in this moment forever.
It shattered as we were interrupted by an overly cheerful, “Hi, Darius! Hi, Eden!“
I tore myself away and spun around to find Shade beaming at us, one of the pockets of her cobra dress steaming. The warmth Darius had caused me to feel evaporated instantly, replaced by sharp annoyance.
“What are you doing here?” I snapped.
As usual my sour tone was completely lost on her. “Meeting Darius, of course. Isn’t this fun that I get to see you, too?”
Meeting Darius? I should have known. My jaw tightened. “How...lovely.”
Shade’s smile widened. “Isn’t it?” She skipped over to Darius and wrapped him in a side hug, giving him an affectionate squeeze that made me want to hurl. He grinned down at her, me entirely forgotten. How could his affections shift so quickly?
“Are you ready to go?” he asked.
She gave an eager little bounce. “I’ve been looking forward to it all day.”
I yearned to ask her whatitwas before I realized I didn’t really want to know, especially if it turned out to be something sickeningly romantic.
I scowled at the couple. While my dark look was naturally lost on Shade, it wasn’t on Darius. He frowned. Good, let him know I was annoyed. Hopefully it would stir something in his dormant conscience.
“I’m sure you two will have...fun,” I said stiffly.
“Of course we will; everything is fun with Darius.” Shade hugged him again. His puzzled look brought on by my moodiness vanished and he chuckled at her exuberance. While normally the sound would have caused me to warm, instead I felt nothing but coldness.
I was just beginning to calculate the steps in my revenge against the woman who possessed Darius’s affections when Stormy suddenly appeared beside me. I gasped and staggered back; perhaps purchasing an invisible cloud hadn’t been the wisest decision.
“I’m bored,” Stormy said with a very Stardust-like whine that prickled my heart. “This park has too many frightening things. I want to leave.”
“Excellent idea. Obviously, Darius and Shade have somewherespecialto be.” I glared at him. His brow furrowed in bewilderment before he frowned at Stormy.
“Who’s this?”
