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It costs me nothing to admit that. I don’t dare tell my parents that I know Mira is my fated mate. I have to believe my parents were happy once. How did my father feel at the beginning of their relationship? Did his heart quicken at the sight of her? Did he sometimes forget to breathe because being around her was too intoxicating?
More than ever, I want to know what happened to them. But I can’t ask without offending. Maybe someday if I could talk to him alone…
“Are you interested in dessert?” The waiter is clearing the plates. My father looks at my mother automatically.
“None for me, but you go ahead. However, we need to wait for...”
She looks at Mira’s empty chair.
“Here she comes.”
We all look. Then I feel my mother’s hand on mine.
“She really is wonderful.”
I look at my father, and he’s nodding in agreement. With a twinge of annoyance, I realize that their approval does matter to me. Mira takes her seat and smiles widely.
“We were just discussing dessert.”
“Well, I’m always pro dessert.”
I reach under the table and squeeze her leg. I can’t convey much of anything with that simple touch, but I’m trying to say a lot.
I never wanted to meet my fated mate, but if I did, I assumed my mother would not approve, anyway. I knew Mira was special. The fact that my parents can see it too fills me with a sense of pride.
My parents leave after dessert. They insist on paying for the meal.
“Even when you win, the competitions don’t pay a lot.”
“It was nice to meet you.” Mira’s response is obviously designed to be diplomatic. I tell her to stay at the table as the Skylights will be starting soon. I walk my parents out of the tavern alone.
“She’ll be good for you.” My mother brushes some nonexistent dust off my shoulder. “And she lives right in town. You need to think about your future.”
“I will.”
Agreeing is always the easy choice, but I hate myself a little more as the words leave my mouth. I go back to my seat. The lights do not delight me tonight. Fated mates. Mother’s incessant, unyielding demands. Am I ever going to live my life just for me?
19
MIRA
“Well, goodnight.” Renxel nods and turns away.
“Do you want to come in?” I sound pathetic.
“It’s late, and I have a big training session tomorrow. I have to get up really early. I, um, wouldn’t want to wake you.”
I wouldn’t mind him waking me. Odds are I could sleep through him getting up anyway, if tonight ends up being anything like our first time.
“Okay.”
I go into my house alone and shut the door. I creep over to the window and peek out the curtain. He is already halfway down the path.
Is he walking fast? His stride is so long he covers a lot of ground even when he’s walking slowly.He must be tired,I think. As am I.
As I get ready for bed, painfully aware that I’ll be sleeping alone, I dissect every interaction bit by bit. His parents seemed to like me. Well, at least they didn’t stand up, throw down their napkins, scream that I am a human, and demand that he not see me.
“That’s got to be good, right?” I ask my reflection.
