Page 112 of Faerie Hunted

“Mom went down to the kitchen to grab some food. I think it was her way of giving us the privacy we need to talk.”

“I really hate that phrase,” I admitted.

“So do I. Especially since…” He trailed off and worked a hand through his golden hair. “We’ve had some doozies, haven’t we? Conversation-wise.”

He hadn’t turned me in to his father when he learned my secret. My bloodline.

He’d kept my devastating secret to himself, had gone with me and Melia to break into the Bureau office. He and Laina came this far to help with the journey.

I liked to think my heart wouldn't be broken again if we finally decided to trust each other, but the old fear was still there despite my best efforts. I knew no matter where life took us, I’d circle back to him again and again even though I was scared of the hurt.

“We’ve been pulled apart too many times to count,” I finally agreed.

Some people might consider it a warning from whatever higher powers existed. That Mike and I were too different to ever make this work.

Mike stepped closer. “You still consider us friends. Right?”

“Always,” I whispered. “You will always be my friend.”

How could I breathe with him this near?

“What about more than friends?”

My heart thumped. “I’m afraid you’ll walk away again.” There it was, out in the open. Somehow the truth slid out easier than I anticipated.

His moss-colored eyes narrowed. “I do that a lot to you. I know it. Which isn’t an excuse, Tavi. I walk away, and you keep secrets.”

I moved away from him but the distance wasn’t enough to break the spell. Sitting on the edge of the bed, I balanced my elbows on my knees, keenly aware of his presence. My skin prickled and went tight.

“You never made me feel less than average,” Mike went on. “Through the Faerie Trials and the tutoring, through murders and lies and bullshit with my dad and your secret society…you always treated me like I was someone worth knowing and not just because I’m a prince.” He lifted his gaze and pinned me in place. “You know you mean everything to me. Right?”

Oh, damn. How am I supposed to keep my distance and not kiss him?

My arms dropped from my legs and I stood. Mike closed the distance between us and we were close enough to breathe the same air but not touch. Not kiss the way I wanted to kiss him.

“I’ve fucked up,” he continued.

“So have I.” I swallowed hard. “Do you blame me? For your dad? For giving Barbara theImperium?”

Mike took a moment to answer and in the silence, parts of me went numb. “What she chose to do with it…you never could have known. And it’s never been the right time to talk and it’s never been the right moment for us to clear the table, to consider our issues. But I’m not sure how much longer we can keep doing that when we might not survive.”

28

Welcome to my life.

Which wasn’t fair to say, not in the face of the bullshit Mike had dealt with.

It was easy to think he led a blessed life as a crown prince but it wasn’t entirely true. He was under more pressure than I understood.

Too many times, I’d lost sight of that.

He cleared his throat when I stayed quiet. “Can we continue this without you trying to beat the crap out of me?”

His joke lifted my lips. “It was one time, Mike. We were both working out some things.” I knew the way I wanted to work them out with him.

Because the exhaustion didn’t matter. In this room, it was just us, and if I closed my eyes and focused on him, the rest melted away.

“I don’t blame you for what happened,” he admitted. “Well, I did at first. Until I realized it was too easy to play the victim. I’m done with the back and forth, Tavi. I’m done with taking one step forward together only for us to take another two massive steps backwards and apart.”

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