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I’ve moved my hand away from his several times, but his fingers always seem to gravitate right back. Eventually, I just stopped trying. I’m not sure why he’s so determined to hold my hand, other than perhaps it’s a werewolf thing.
“Oh.” I try to drag out a recollection from my mind, but the effort is useless. Whatever is making me forget is definitely working. “Why do you think I can’t remember anything?”
Jules wavers. “That’s really hard to say. It could be anything from a spell to a curse. Or, it could just be from trauma.”
I frown. “You think I forgot intentionally?”
“Not intentionally.” His treads with caution. “But I’ve heard of instances where, when a creature witnesses something so traumatically painful, their brain copes with the pain by blocking out the memories.”
“Yeah, stuff like that happens in the Common Realm, too.” In fact, I remember wishing my brain would react that way to the werewolf attack. Unfortunately, the memories only seemed to heighten with each passing day. “A couple of my foster parents took me to these doctors to see if they could figure out why my brain was broken. I think Social Service actually recommended it and paid for it and everything, but it was a waste of time and money because I’m still just as broken as when I was found.”
“You aren’t broken. And I don’t want you thinking you are,” Jules states, scooting closer to me.
Tell that to all my foster parents.
“I didn’t mean me, per se. I meant my head.”
He searches my eyes, and I swear to all the realms he can read the self-doubt in my mind. “You aren’t broken,” he states again. “And as for your brain, us Midnight creatures are more powerful and knowledgeable than the Common Realm doctors who simply study their methods in books.”
“How do you know that’s what doctors do?” I ask. “Earlier, you seemed like you didn’t know very much about the Common Realm.”
“I don’t,” he admits. “But I did cross paths with a doctor visiting here on a traveler’s pass. I was at a bar, actually, and he was drunk and chatted my ear off for hours.”
I giggle. “I don’t know why, but for some reason, I can’t picture that.”
A smile graces his lips. “And why’s that?”
“You just don’t seem like a people person. Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Like what?”
“I don’t know … Like I’m amusing.”
“Because you are amusing. And you’re adorable when you giggle.” He brushes a strand of hair out of my eyes. “And, as for being a people person, I’m actually pretty good at socializing, especially when I’m drunk.”
I’m still surprised he’d just sit at a bar and chat with a human.
“You didn’t seem that way when I first saw you,” I point out. “And you were pissed off at me because Shade pointed out you were smiling. You acted like it was a bad thing, and that it was all my fault.”
“I wasn’t drunk at the club.” His hand falls to his lap. “And that wasn’t about you. Well, not really. I was just irritated because you made me smile.”
I press my hand to my chest, mocking shock. “I made you smile? Oh, my wolves, whatever is wrong with me? I’m the worse person in the world!”
A beat skips by, then Philip bust up laughing.
“She’s an interesting one. I’ll give her that,” he remarks as he laughs his ass off. Then he suddenly grows serious. “You better be careful with her, Jules. She smarts off to the wrong creature like that and she won’t last long in this realm. And she’s currently my collateral, so that better not happen.”
“Nothing’s going to happen to her. I won’t let it.” Violet glints in his eyes again. This time I pretend not to notice.
“Just as long as I don’t make you smile, right?” I tease, attempting to lighten the intensity pouring off him.
He leans in, lowering his voice. “I wasn’t upset because you made me smile. I was irritated with myself because I thought you were a strange, yet very amusing girl who made me smile, something I haven’t done in a long time. And I felt guilty about it.”
“Why would you feel guilty about smiling?” I wonder. “And why haven’t you smiled in a long time?”
He sighs. “You’re so full of questions.”
“Sorry.” Not really.
