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“He wouldn’t do that,” Owen said quietly, both of us knowing we couldn’t trust Dylan like that anymore.
Or maybe we never should have.
“I had a breakdown.”
“I know.”
I swallowed loudly and petted Mudbug, focusing on the puppy as my heart beat in my ears. “You knew.”
“Yeah, I heard about the thing with the vampires as Sloan and you had a meltdown.”
“And you didn’t contact me?” I asked, trying to make my brain put the pieces together.
“You were fighting ancient demons for fun on Christmas and ignoring me when I tried to talk to you, so—whatever, we all have meltdowns,” he answered. “It couldn’t have been a big deal then.”
“Jesus, you win for most selfish asshole,” Stevens muttered.
Yeah, and if his friend was the one who said it of all people, I felt a bit better.
I met Dylan’s gaze. “Elijah and Mason had to break into my condo and found me unresponsive. It wasn’twhatever, and if you stopped thinking about everything in terms of being aboutyou, maybe you’d get that. You didn’t try to talk to me. You just stared at me. You waited for me to forgive you like I have before because it’s difficult for me to have people upset around me.
“I get overwhelmed with people’s desires to be forgiven or to not be upset anymore, and I do it because it stresses me out then too. But I didn’t this time because you went too far and kept being an asshole. So your answer is just to show up again on New Year’s Eve? Just watch me like a creeper until you wear me down? How does—”
“I’m not a creeper and I don’t—”
“Is that really all you heard from what she just said?” Owen asked as he moved in between us. “You need to take a good look in the mirror, mate. Everyone here is upset withyouon how you’re even handling this conversation. For fuck’s sake. You didn’t even ask if she’s okay now.”
“Clearly, she is,” he snapped. “She’s playing around adopting puppies with you and being—”
“I can’t keep doing this,” I whispered, giving Elijah a look. “I can’t. Go sleep and let me know what’s decided. I’ll talk to Melissa.” I closed my mouth and then shook my head, pulling Owen with me to the portal.
“No, I’ll stay and—” Owen tried to argue.
“Don’t talk to him about me,” I interrupted. “I ended things. It’s done. I said more than I wanted to and just—every time I see or talk to him, I feel worse. Don’t give him more ammo. Please.”
“Okay, I won’t,” he whispered. “Let’s go.”
I activated the portal and went through… But Owen didn’t come for another minute. He shook his head that it wasn’t worth it when he did, and I could only guess. I didn’t have it in me to ask.
And I really didn’t care what Dylan had done now. I just wanted less Dylan in my life. Honestly, it had been better when he’d been ignoring me.
Sort of.
I messaged Melissa and made sure Mudbug was settled before I headed out. Owen stopped me at the portal and gave me a soft kiss.
“What was that for?” I asked, liking the way he was running his fingers over my neck as if checking… I wasn’t sure. He was hard for me to read like all elves.
His eyes said I was too good to be true.
“How about dinner when you’re done? Just us and something quiet. We can walk Mudbug for the night and then…”
“Adult time?” I chuckled.
“I was thinking more I have a book I really want to read if you can do some of your computer work on the couch? Is there anything you can review on a tablet or something like that?”
I bounced that around. “Not normally. Maybe we could figure out something.” I shrugged when he raised an eyebrow. “Kyle and the guys set up stuff by an overstuffed recliner. Maybe I could have a few screens at the end of a loveseat and or something. I don’t know.”
“I’ll talk to Mason. It’s a good compromise. Otherwise, maybe I could just read in a desk chair next to you.”
