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“Hi,“ she says.
“Hi,“ Luke says, a smile on his face as he looks into her eyes. “Did you have a good night?“
Maybe it’s my imagination, but it looks like Trine is blushing. Misha holds her closer, just a little bit, and I glare at him. I’m trying not to be too angry, but it’s hard not to be jealous of him.
Trine smiles at him finally. “Great,“ she says. “Slept like a rock. Can’t wait to get started today.“
“You’re not nervous?“
“Scared,“ she says. “But hey, the sooner we get this over with, the sooner I can’t go back to my life. And honestly? I can’t fucking wait.“
TRINE
Iknow I’m supposed to keep a dream journal, but it’s hard for me to remember everything that happened. It fades into nothing and it stops feeling like such a big deal the longer I’ve been awake for, the discomfort of the night nothing but a bad memory.
But the night was real. The fear was real. The way I woke up, with Misha’s arms wrapped around me and his breath hot against the back of my neck, that was all real.
Misha drives, Luke and Rei in the back. I keep an eye on the neighborhood as I double-check the address I have for my mother on my phone. It’s been years. I’ve never been to this house, I haven’t met her new husband. I only know she’s married from social media.
I don’t really know anything about her.
Not anymore.
We drive past a large yellow house with a wraparound porch and my phone chirps on my lap.
“We’re here,“ I say in a whisper. I’m surprised at how quiet I sound.
Misha whistles in appreciation as the other two look quietly at the house. The house really is gorgeous, much bigger than any one of the houses I grew up in. The railing on the balcony is a bright pearl white that glimmers in the Florida sunshine. I take a deep breath as I look at the wooden stairs coiling up toward the French doors.
“Do you recognize the cars?“ Rei asks from the back.
I shake my head. “No,“ I say. “There’s nothing about this that I recognize.“
Silence falls upon the car as Misha pulls into the parking space next to the house. A windchime sounds on the porch, despite the air feeling entirely still.
It’s hot as fuck as I step out of the car, but even then, I feel a shiver down my spine spreading through the rest of my body until my extremities go numb.
I look at my outstretched fingers, confused, until I feel someone’s hand fall upon my shoulder. “Trine,“ Rei says.
Misha and Luke are both hanging back. Makes sense, letting the pro handle this.
“Are you okay?“
I laugh. I don’t mean to, and I’m about to apologize when he waves me off.
“Stupid question,“ he says. “Breathe.“
I do as he tells me. I watch him as he breathes in and out, in and out, until I feel like I’m not going to faint anymore. He brushes a strand of hair back over my shoulder and I meet his gaze, his eyes dark behind the reflective lenses of his glasses. “Thank you.“
“You don’t have anything to thank me for. Do you want us to hang back?“
I nod, my cheeks suddenly red. I’m about to go knock on my mother’s door, and showing up with three strangers who say they’ve exorcised me might not be the right way to help with our estrangement. “I’ll come get you,“ I say.
“Okay. Take your time.“
I nod again, this time standing on my tiptoes before I walk over to the door. I plant a soft kiss on Rei’s cheek and a smile tugs at the corner of his lips, though I watch as he works to look composed instead.
I fist my hands at my sides, walking over and knocking on the door. I don’t have to look back to see where the guys are–I know Rei walked back to the car, I could hear him going down the stairs. If I look at any of them, I might falter.
