Page 38 of Drown My Sorrow

“Tell me.”

“I was sitting there thinking about you guys-”

“We’re going to circle back to that in a minute,” Beau purrs.

“-and I was thinking about you and where you were headed. What was going to happen. And it just came out.”

Beau hums. “This is a true reading.”

I jerk my head, looking up at him. “What?”

“This card happened. It’s real.”

“It’s not real. I depicted you as demons. It’s offensive and, no, just let me tear it up!” I cry out angrily.

Beau snatches it off the table. “We are demons. We’re your demons. We know what we are, Aspyn. There are no illusions here. This is us.”

“But-”

“No, one day I’ll explain what happened last night, but, rest assured, the Daane belong to you. This card shows it.”

I stare at him, confused and uncertain what this all means, but his eyes are fierce, and his low tone is ringing with honesty.

“I don’t understand.”

“I know, and it’s all right.”

He picks up the fork and starts feeding me again.

“What are Shale and Keagan doing?”

Beau looks away, which gives me a horrible sense of nerves.

“Beau, what are they doing?”

Beau stands up and takes the empty bowl away. I get up and step after him, but my leg just collapses, and I go down fast. I’m fully waiting to thump into the ground when I realise I’m suspended in mid-air.

Beau pulls me up and stares into my eyes. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, sorry.” My face is scorching hot.

“Did it hurt?”

I frown. “No, it just suddenly collapsed. I’m okay,” I mutter and shift, trying to pull back from him.

He doesn’t let me go at all, just holds me until he gets sick of it and picks me up.

I let out a squeak and throw my arms around his shoulders. Which brings me close to his neck and allows that ginger scent of his to fill my lungs. I love it so much.

Beau adjusts me and sits on the armchair, pulling me firmly into his lap. With one enormous hand, he starts kneading the tightened muscles of my injured leg. It’s moments like this that crush almost all my resistance.

“I hate it when you guys touch me there.”

“I hate it that you care so much that we want to make you feel better.”

I snap my mouth shut and sit silently, trying not to moan as he slowly works out all the painful parts of my thigh. I snuggle closer and rest my head on his shoulder.

The ginger relaxes me, but it makes me think of Gael. He left so quickly. He didn’t stay. Was I supposed to beg? Or cry? Was I supposed to explain my whole sordid life and ask that he take me as I am?

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