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The pillow behind my back ends up clutched against my chest. “When’s the date?”
“In one month.”
“And after I can…I can leave again? You won’t hate me for it?” I slowly inhale through my nose with the new wave of rising panic. Evie’s hand lands on my bouncing knee.
“I won’t hate you for it, no. But I hope by then you might have a reason to reconsider.”
“I won’t,” I state with finality. Nothing’s changed even after a few hours of rest.
She shrugs. “We’ll see. One more thing.”
With a huff, I throw my curtain of hair over my shoulder. “What else?” I’m starving for food after not eating for most of the day, but at this juncture, I’d be happy with falling back into another ignorant sleep.
Evie sinks her teeth into her lower lip in a clear warning I won’t like what she’s about to say. “You’re both needed for the wedding party. At first, I just needed you as my maid of honor, of course, but seeing Ophelia playing with Tommy, ugh, you should have seen them, Cait. They’re going to make the cutest flower people.”
I wrinkle my nose. “Flower people? Isn’t he supposed to be the ring bearer?”
“I’ve already given that job to Ghost.” Her smile brightens at the mention of her sweet deaf, blind pit bull. “I figure Tommy would be a good example to Ophelia on what to do.”
I lose the pillow in my lap in order to cross my arms over my chest. “How long exactly have you had this planned?”
“Three years,” she deadpans.
Of course. While I’ve been stuck in a Groundhog Day scenario, lives went on, even if I wasn’t actively partaking in one. I’m grateful she can’t see the tears pricking the corners of my eyes.
“I’m sorry you’ve been on hold for me. I’ll be there. We’ll stay until after the wedding.”
Evie sniffles quietly in the dark. “That’s all I’ve wanted. I’ve missed you.”
“I’ve missed you too. So much.” If only I could tell her how much, but she wouldn’t understand. With the corner of my sleeve, I dab my eyes. “What happens now?”
“We get you settled somewhere.”
I run my hand over the duvet to ground myself. A lot of big decisions happened in the last five minutes. “I’m not hard on money, but I don’t think I can put us up in a hotel for an entire month. Eric would’ve had a conniption if I wasted money like that.” The joke feels like a pinch more than a jagged dagger.
Evie giggles. “You’re not wrong.” She waves her hand between us. “Doesn’t matter. Rhett and I moved back into the main house ages ago, so you can have your pick of the tiny houses on our property.”
The sudden intrusion of light from the door flinging open temporarily blinds us both.
“They’re staying with me.” Dane’s deep voice accompanies the burst of light.
“Holy crap, Dane.” Evie recovers first to chastise the man responsible for the rude interruption. “I thought you were an intruder.”
His stormy gray eyes are steady on mine. “You’ll be safest here.”
All my words stick behind a swollen tongue.
“What are you talking about? They’re definitely safe with us,” Evie chimes back in, ready to defend her and Rhett’s abilities.
“I want them close.”
Evie opens her mouth to argue again, more than likely on my behalf, but Dane cuts her a glance that has her jaw shutting again.
The irony is they aren’t far off. I should stay where I’m safest. Not that I think the man texting me could actually find me here.
“Not my circus,” she mutters and stalks out of the room. She pauses at the door to peer up at Dane with an expression I’m not privy to. Their silent communication snaps me out of my temporary muteness to fight on my own behalf.
“I’m not staying.” I dig my heels into the mattress to scoot myself toward the edge of the bed.
Dane steps into the belly of the room. “You are. You both are.”
Ignoring the wave of dizziness that washes over me takes effort. It’s like my brain wants me to be afraid of every sensation. “We aren’t,” I bite out.
He tilts his head. “I don’t remember you being so intolerable.”
“I don’t remember you being so demanding.”
Dane strides the two steps separating us until we’re mere inches apart. His eyes sparkle in the light seeping in from the hall, and his smirk turns downright sinful. “Well, I do.”
I bite my cheek to stifle the gasp his words provoke. Not touching that with a hundred-foot pole, I change the subject. “I’m hungry.”
“I’ll feed you.”
“I’ll stay at Evie’s tonight, and we can meet to discuss this tomorrow.” With my chin held high, I stomp past him. I misjudge the space between his rock-solid body and the bed, and our shoulders brush. One simple touch, but now that I’m not bogged down in panic, I feel that touch everywhere. Even more so when five fingers wrap tightly around my bicep and bring me to a halt.
“I have a better idea. Evie brings Ophelia to her place for a sleepover, and you and I can talk tonight.”
“You won’t stop me from leaving first thing in the morning and staying at Evie’s for the rest of the time I’m here?”
Dane gives nothing away as he holds my stare.
I mull the option over. He can’t physically force me to stay here, and I don’t get the impression that he would. I can’t blame him for wanting answers as soon as possible, and he’s already been patient for most of the day. He probably wants to know what his new reality looks like as much as I do.
I nod. “Compromise. After I've had some food, I’ll talk to you, then I’ll settle in at Evie’s when we’re done.”
“I have a feeling you won’t want to.”
“I’m not here to play house with you.”
“You sure about that?”
My mouth dries. I twist the vial I wear around my neck on a gold chain. “It’s not you that I want.”
“Tell me she’s not mine.” His eyes darken. I struggle to maintain the connection.
“You know that I can’t.”
The muscles surrounding his mandible bulge.
“I’m sorry.” I squeak the first of many apologies to come.
His hold slips from my arm. “Save it. Food is ready.”
Without waiting for my response, if I could even come up with one after that exchange, he stalks from the room.
