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“It went fine,” she said finally,
“Fine,” Bo repeated incredulously. “Gabi. How did it go? Was it that bad?”
She shook her head, dark hair whipping her face. “The coven told me something useful about the killer. Not much, hardly anything really, but it’s more than I had. And Joy told me she still loves me,” she tacked on at the end, as if she hadn’t been obsessing over it.
“And that’s bad?” Her dad peered at her, eyes less smiling. “Shall I assume youdidn’ttell her you still love her?”
Gabi already wished she’d never said anything. She demolished the biscuit with restless fingers for something to do, annoyed when she got crumbs on her tablet. “It’s fine. It’s all just…”
“Fine?” her dad guessed, watching her sadly.
She let out a sound between a sigh and a growl, and jumped when her dad covered her hand with his warm palm, squeezing.
His joking nature was replaced by fatherly concern. “If you love her, you need to be brave, Gabi.Tellher. If she still loves you, there’s a chance at a future there.Do notlet that go just because you’re scared.”
“I’m not scared,” she lied. “I told her … some things.”
It had been timid and vague, and she’d been holding back butstill, it counted.
Her dad just squeezed her hand again. “Come by the house later. I’ll make sure there’s a decent meal waiting for you.”
“Alright,” she agreed because she was already a little tired of toaster waffles and pot noodles. “Thanks, Dad.”
Bo braced his hands on the table and rose, eyes landing on her hand, drumming on the table top. “No more coffee.”
“I’m fine.”
Bo smirked, gripping the table as he came around to hug her shoulders—all he could really get to with Gabi sitting down. “Is that the only word in your vocabulary today?”
She scowled and nudged him away—lightly, aware that he wasn’t steady on his feet. “Now that’s just impolite.”
“Where do you think you got your mad skills from?” His grin was rakish. “I’ve been training you since birth. I’m your sensei in all things sarcastic and cutting.”
Her brows drew together as she gave him a look severely questioning his sanity. “Senseis are Japanese. We’re Chinese,” she said dryly.
He pretended to wipe a tear, grabbing the stick he’d hooked on the back of his chair. “So blunt, so sarcastic. The protégée’s going to surpass the master.”
Gabi rolled her eyes, but she was grinning.
“No more coffee,” he ordered, stealing another hug. “And eat more than a biscuit for your lunch.”
“It would have beentwobiscuits, but a thief stole my other one,” she drawled, ignoring thoughts of that green envelope circling her mind, waiting to pounce.
“Weird, that,” he said, fighting a smile. “How’s the heater working in the Law House? There’s a knack to it. You have to jiggle the little—”
“Dad.”
“Someonehas to make sure you’re taking care of yourself, and if you won’t talk to Joy—”
Gabi pointed at the door, her expression flat with exasperation, her chest warm with love.
Bo snorted and shuffled out of the exit, looking far from apologetic about the biscuit theft.
SEVENTEEN
JOY
An ache had stuck behind Joy’s rib cage and refused to move. She hadn’t quite realised the heartache of losing Gabi had faded until it returned in full, stabbing force. She needed to move past it. Had to find a way. Gabi would have made a move last night if she still wanted Joy, right?
