Page 15 of Our Deceptive Heat

She stands stiffly, and then her body relaxes. It’s as if, for the first time since she saw me, she feels safe.

I hate it.

I wish Mako had just stayed on the other side of the room and ignored her like the rest of us. Instead, I get to be jealous that he’s hugging her, and I have to stay mad.

“I missed you, little fish,” he murmurs.

I snarl, but everyone ignores me.

Ryn looks even more beautiful than she did when we last saw her. Her dark hair hangs like a waterfall down her back. Her blue-green eyes still have the ability to strip me raw. Accidentally running into her four months ago at Alpha Labels was the best and worst thing to have happened. Seeing her showed me that whatever was between us all wasn’t done, and we needed to sort it out. We deserved a clean end to this. It’s just too bad she never looked up and spotted me watching her. It might have made things happen sooner.

She just vanished.

Why?

Why appear and disappear?

Why ghost us?

I have so many questions.

“I thought we were friends.”

I don’t realise I’ve said it out loud until the room gets still, and I look up and find everyone staring at me.

“We are friends,” she says regretfully.

I think it’s the first lie she’s ever told us.

Fine, if she wants to be like that. I clench my teeth until they ache. “You owe us a song.”

She lifts her chin, it trembles, she finally nods. “You’re right. I do owe you a song.”

“So, you’ll stay-”

She flinches, and I wonder about that finch. What happened? Mako puts an arm around Envy and watches us.

It doesn’t matter; we need that song. We’re going on tour, and we need something. I can’t write, I can’t create without her. Everything comes out flat.

“Shall we get started?” I ask sweetly.

She grips her hands in front of her and stares down at the cream carpet, the same one that’s got a thousand memories of us. I can almost hear her brain racing. I wait, ignoring the small sound of frustration and disgust that Digs makes.

“Okay, let’s get started, then,” she concedes.

“Excellent,” I snarl at her and turn away. “I need a minute,” I say and stalk out of the room and into the small kitchen.

I don’t know what it is, but now she’s here, now I have her here, I don’t want her anywhere near us. I just want her gone.

“Happy now?” Digs growls at me as he shoves me.

I grunt back as he presses his chest right up against my back and growls in my ear.

“You had to go and get her. You had to drag her back. Has it helped?”

No, it has done nothing but make it all worse. “Shut up, Digs.”

“Ah, but we’ll have a song. I hope it’s worth it.”

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