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The only response I have is to roll my eyes. “Ugh.” Standing, I head inside. I am not even going to entertain her.
***
My body is being shaken awake. “Astera, what time is it?”
“It’s past noon, sleepy head. What are you doing in Rowan’s room?”
“I don’t want to get into it. But you are getting married today,” I plant a smile on my face.
She is giddy with glee, and it makes me smile because if anyone deserves happiness, it is her, and at the same time, it brings tears to my eyes because I’m not sure I will ever get that.
“Becca is putting out a big breakfast for everyone so you should come and eat.”
“I’m not really hungry.”
“Fine. Then you have to explain to me what is going on with you and Hayden.” She scoots against the headboard, and I move to sit across from her.
“He just got a little rough last night.” I can’t look her in the eye.
“Ah,” she says as if she knows something I don’t.
“What?”
“I’ve heard rumors about him liking rough sex.”
“From the whores here?”
She nods. “It could be rumors, you know how these women like to gossip and make shit up.”
“Well, I don’t think it is gossip. But I think it has something to do with him losing the fight, and he took his frustration out on me.”
“And Rowan hasn’t killed him yet?” she laughs in amazement.
“No. I had to lie and say it was nothing. That I needed space from Hayden. Don’t worry, he was ready to murder him.”
Astera and I share a laugh.
Then I admit, “I did slap him across the face after. Because the las thing he is going to do is treat me like a whore.”
“Fuck yeah.” Astera raises her hand for me to high five it. “Now, that’s my girl. He can’t dish it out without suffering the consequences.”
“So, you don’t think I over reacted?”
“No! Your feelings are valid, Claire.”
“Right now, I definitely do not want to sit at the table with him there.”
Smiling, she scooches off the bed and flashes me a wink. “I’ll bring you a plate.” She is out the door before I can protest.
Keeping my head up, I make it my mission to walk past everyone to grab a set of clothes without even looking his way. He will not break me, it’s already been done, and I’ll be damned if I let Hayden do it.
A chair scraps against the tile floor, but I refuse to look behind me for fear it is Hayden. Instead, it’s Astera with a plate in her hands. “I saw the way you showed him.” She grins wide. “And he never took his eyes off of you. And I heard Rowan scold him, whatever is going on, that he better fix it.”
I laugh because that sounds like Rowan.
“Thanks for the plate. I’m going to eat this and take a nice hot shower, alone.”
“You are still standing up with me, right?” Astera confirms.
