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“Hey, Seer.”
I look up to see Evanesce settling on the empty barstool beside me. “Ma belle,” I greet her with a small smile. “Look how bright you’re glowing. Congratulations once more on your engagement.”
“Thank you, monsieur,” Evanesce replies with mock courtesy. I shake my head at her, unable to hold back an amused chuckle.
Evanesce throws a meaningful glance at the half-empty glass of vodka in my hand and flashes me a bright, teasing smile.
“What’s with the sullen look?” she asks, arching her eyebrows at me as if to stress the question. “One would think you’re nursing a heartbreak.”
I try to put on my best face of amusement. “What? That couldn’t be any farther from the truth.”
Evanesce snickers in response. “What’s the truth?” she asks, tilting her chin slightly toward Victoria. “Her?”
“What about her?” I ask with what I hope is passably nonchalant.
Evanesce chuckles. “You like her.” It isn’t a question.
“You don’t know that,” and even as I said that, I still didn’t seem to be able to take my eyes off her.
“I see how you look at her,” Evanesce says in a gentler tone. “It’s exactly how Knix looks at me when he thinks I’m not looking. It’s the way a man looks at a woman that he wants in his corner.”
“You must be mistaken.” Even I could hear how unconvincing that sounded.
“Me?” Evanesce laughs. “Never. I’ve been in this love business for ages, and I can tell you I’m no slouch.”
I watch Tory place the book in her hands aside, dropping her legs to the ground. She arranges her pretty green pleated skirt around her legs and stands up. I watch her walk quietly toward the front door. And even after she slips out the door and closes it gently behind her, I still can’t seem to take my eyes away. I like back at Evanesce to see she’s been watching me the whole time.
“Go after her,” Evanesce says softly.
With a resigned sigh, I returned my attention to her. “I don’t know,” I shrug helplessly. “I don’t know what this is. I don’t even know if I’m good at it.”
”You have enough time to figure all that out. But this,” she waved her hand in a general gesture. “Whatever this awkwardness is between you two, you need to sort it out and kiss the tension away or something.”
“Nesce!”
She shrugs innocently. “What?”
“Will you stop planting ideas in my head, please?” I huff, rolling my eyes playfully at Evanesce. Now, I’m imagining my fingers in Tory’s wild red curls as I pull her in for a soft sensual kiss, escalating the pressure until it becomes a savage clash of tongues, teeth, and lips…
Damn.
“Ideas?” Evanesce asks, giving me a knowing look. “Don’t be ridiculous. Now, go. You don’t want whatever misunderstanding is between you two to drag on for too long.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I reply with a mock salute, sliding off the stool.
Somehow, I knew I’d find her by the alligator’s pond–a lone delicate figure that perfectly blended with the elements of nature around her. Damn, she’s beautiful. I can tell even with her back turned to me. Her skirt sways gently about her in rhythm with the evening breeze. She seems to have sensed my presence because she turns her head to face me. My heart begins with that familiar but uncomfortable fluttering. She watches me close the distance between us with the same contemplative expression she’s worn since the previous day. I wish I could know what she was thinking right at this moment.
“Hi.”
“Hey,” she responds, her lips pulling up in a tentative smile.
“I’m sorry, Victoria,” I whisper. There is no reason to beat around the bush. From a slight tilt of her head, I can tell she understands what I am apologizing for. I can also tell she’s waiting for me to expand. “I’m sorry for being defensive. You were absolutely spot on, and hearing you say those words just made me angry.”
Victoria sighs softly. “I didn’t mean to….”
“Not at you,” I blurt. “I was never mad at you. I was mad at myself. At Edward. At our father, who shook the very foundation of our childhood and tore us apart.” I pause, allowing myself a few seconds to align my thoughts. “But I was mostly mad at myself for being such a coward,” I continue quietly. “I always have been, and even now, I’m a bigger coward, it seems. So hearing you point that out stung, even though it made me realize who I am and what I need to do.”
Victoria turns to face me and raises her face so she’s staring deeply into my eyes. “I’m sorry if I hurt you, Seer. I should have chosen my words more carefully.”
