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“I don’t appreciate the sarcastic way you said that.” I laugh. “And it was nothing. Just smiling about you and your lemonade.”
“Good. Then it’s bringing you just as much joy as it’s bringing me. Ever since this lemonade has come into my life, I’ve been walking on sunshine.”
I’d bet her very fulfilling sex life has a lot more to do with her sudden joy than lemonade, but I keep my thoughts to myself.
Since we’ve seen each other every single one of the last four days, there isn’t much to talk about. Jorden and I sit and look out on the lawn. At the butterflies fluttering around the marigolds. At the hummingbirds hovering near the feeder at the edge of the patio.
Locked away in my stepfather’s house, I forgot what it felt like to justbe. To sit in silence without plotting or planning. To enjoy the fresh air.
“How are you doing?”
I startle at the sound of Jorden’s voice.
“Sorry,” she laughs. “Did you forget I was here?”
I wave her off. “It’s okay. I was just thinking.”
“About…?”
“Nothing.” I shrug. “Everything. I’m not sure. I’ve had a lot of time to think recently.”
She frowns. “Is that a good thing or—”
“It’s not bad. Ivan is letting me rest. He wants me to relax. And I need to. The last few weeks have been a lot. I’m happy to have a second to breathe.”
“But…?” Jorden presses, eyebrows raised.
There are pros and cons to having people around you who can read your every facial expression. I’m not sure which one this is. “I guess I feel like I should be doing something,” I concede.
A male voice calls over, “As far as I’m concerned, youaredoing something.” I turn around to see Yasha strolling across the patio, his eyes fixed on Jorden.
“Oh, yeah? What’s that?”
He reluctantly turns to look at me. “Ivan has been in a helluva good mood since you came back. Thank God, too, because I was about to smother him in his sleep.”
“I didn’t really have todoanything for that to happen, though,” I argue.
Yasha snorts. “I disagree. The two of you ‘do’ plenty.”
“Ew! Like you can talk.”
“We’re talking about you, not me,” he corrects sternly. “But Francia is also gone. That was all you. The household staff is in love with you for it. Ask four of them to carry you around on one of those beds that royalty use and I bet they’d do it.”
“A litter,” Jorden says.
Yasha turns back to her, his eyes going starry. “What?”
“A litter,” she repeats. “That’s what the bed thing is called. I sometimes fall asleep with the History Channel on.”
“I wouldn’t have pegged you for a history buff.” He takes a step closer to her and I can already feel myself fading out of their notice.
She smiles, her cheeks tinting pink. “I like to watch the conspiracy shows about ghosts and aliens.”
“I’ve never seen those. Maybe we can watch them together. When are they on?”
“Late,” Jorden says softly. “Reallylate.”
They are looking deeply into each other’s eyes when I clear my throat. “Well, I’m glad the staff still likes me. After everything, I thought maybe they’d think I was more trouble than I was worth.”
