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“What do you mean not completely human?” I ask. I wasn’t expecting that.
“Jesus, do you mean you’ve not been asking Oracle why he’s been meeting with Grace so much?”
“I was mostly just glad he had talked her into staying,” I answer with a shrug. “I didn’t want to rock the boat and thought she was just clinging to friends for support.”
Leo turns around to face me again, slapping me on the shoulder for good measure. “You made a mistake, but you can’t afford that to cloud your judgment. You must remind her, you’re here.”
“I thought giving her space when she asked for it would be better.”
Leo shakes his head in disbelief. “Women want a man to fight for them, not stand back and wait. That’s not who you are anyway. You’re not patient. You’re the asshole who went on a gazillion dates to find your mate when she wasn’t just falling into your lap. You make things happen so why would you stand back now when you finally have her?”
I frown, taking in what my friend is saying before finally agreeing. I am handling this all wrong. I thought I was giving her space to come to terms with everything, but maybe Leo is right. I mean letting her walk away isn’t really an option. I want to say I could do it for her, but the truth is, I’m just not sure.
In my defense, Leo has never had Ettie have nightmares about him and think of his as a monster. It hurt me, and maybe I let that hurt get inside my head. That has to end. Grace cares about me. I need to just remind her of that. I stop abruptly as I think on everything Leo said.
“Explain what you meant when you said Grace wasn’t human.”
Leo frowns. “Well, she is, but her blood has different properties. Ettie’s does because of who her father was. It’s possible Grace’s parents—at least one of them—wasn’t exactly human either.”
“Does Grace know anything about her parents?”
“Not that I’m aware of, but they had to have something different going on because, apparently, Grace is a real-life Haley Joel Osment.”
“Who?” I ask, completely lost. “What the fuck are you talking about? My mate is unique. Perfect. She’s not comparable to this Haley person. She’s feisty, kind, witty and damn sexy.”
Leo laughs, waving it off. “Remember the movie Ettie made us watch where the little kid could see dead people?”
“I thought that was the Ghost whisperer or something.”
“No, that’s the TV series that Sean likes because he thinks that actress is hot. Never mind, the point I was trying to make is that Grace can see the dead.”
“Like who?” I’m not entirely comfortable with this. I don’t like the idea that she can see the dead. I could literally be with her and still not protect her from them.
“So far she’s seen Oracle’s mate, Luciana—although Grace calls her Lucy.”
Oracle’s mate? No one has seen her. Hell, most of us thought she was a figment of his imagination—a last chance grab to hold onto his humanity. I mean, even a made-up mate is better than none.
“That would mean Grace is like one of us, just a different…”
“Species?” Leo supplies but I curl my nose up at the answer. I don’t have a better word though, so I just shake my head yes and Leo keeps talking. “It would seem so, which is why we’ve been talking about trying to fit into the world more. It may be easier to hide in the world than set ourselves apart living in a bunker in the side of a mountain.”
I nod, pushing the thoughts away. I’ll think about all that later. For now, my mind is made up. Grace and I are going to have this out today. I can’t put it off any longer. I just hope Leo is right, and she will feel the pull between us as much as I do…
I’m dying without her.
31
GRACE
“What’s wrong with you?” Lucy asks from beside me.
We’re in the outside room, in the covered patio and looking up at the lightning in the fake sky from the lawn chairs. Ettie usually joins us, but she felt bed tonight and went to bed early. We like to come out here and pretend that we are out on a girl’s day. Technically anytime we do we are free of the men, but tonight it just doesn’t have the same relief.
The sky feels like a raging metaphor for my life. Everything is fake from the lightning to the recycled drizzle of rain falling down. They’re just like my fake fiancé. Why does everything I think about and do have to go back to him?
“Nothing,” I tell her, hoping to sidestep this conversation before it even begins. I feel like we talk about it constantly.
“Nothing,” Lucy mocks. “Bullshit. I think you’re missing your mate.”
