Page 6 of The White Enchantress

“Oh, I slept great. Woke up in the middle of the night realizing I was wearing the clothes I traveled in and smelled like ass. I fell right back asleep once I tossed them off. That bed is so fucking comfortable.”

“Glad you think so. I’ve replaced all the beds in the house since I arrived. Well, at least the mattresses. Did you try changing any of the settings?”

“Settings?” Josh mumbles with a mouthful of bacon.

“It’s a Sleep Number.”

“I’ll play around with it before my nap after this feast. Unless you have plans this morning that involve me?”

“No, get your rest. I have an exciting week planned. It will not be so fun if you are still jetlagged.”

“Lovely.” Josh stuffs an entire maple-soaked pancake in his mouth. “I’m so excited to be here with you, Guin,” he manages to say after aggressively chewing the massive amount of food he had stuffed in his mouth. I smile back at him, admiring how his dark curly hair is perfectly tousled on top of his head.

“I’m thrilled you are here. But I’m sorry for asking you to come on such short notice. I know I’m rarely spontaneous. Very unexpected of me. But I’ve been so happy here, at home.”

“England is your home too.”

“I know. But it’s not the same. I have so many happy memories here with my mom. I don’t know what I would have done if this house wasn’t mine to keep. When I moved to England, I was so worried my dad would sell it, thinking I’d have no need for it anymore. The thought never crossed his mind to do such a thing. He wanted me to keep my home, to have a place to go if I ever wanted to return. Ed surprises me sometimes.”

“Speaking of Ed, what did he say when you told him about Wes?”

“I haven’t told him that Wesley and I broke up.”

“What? Guin, he needs to know.”

“I know…I mean, I hinted at it in my letter to him. I’m sure he knows.”

“Have you not spoken to Ed since arriving here?”

“I asked him for space. I told him I needed to think about my life and what I wanted.”

Josh slaps his hand to this head, dragging it down his face in frustration. “Ed deserves more than a letter, Guin.”

“I know. I’ll give him a call soon. I just don’t know how to tell him that I failed him.”

“Bollocks! You did not fail him. You did not fail at anything. You were fake dating a complete gobshite. Ed will understand there was no love between you two. Love is fundamental to Ed, as I’m sure you know.”

“Sometimes you talk about my dad like you guys are old pals.”

“We’ve had some conversations you don’t know about.”

“What does that mean?” My eyes narrow at him, boring into his mind for answers.

“Fuck. Okay, you are bound to find out anyway. Your dad found out about our gigs. Leo had felt uncomfortable keeping such a secret from his lordship. He wanted to make sure Ed was fine with you performing at pubs and cafés with my band. Please don’t jump down Leo’s throat just yet. Ed wanted to hear you sing.”

Josh pulls me back down in my seat, stopping me from locating Leo to give him a piece of my mind. “Ed would hang out in the back, out of sight, and just listen to you sing with us. The first night he approached me after a set, I thought I would get a beating. But Ed just wanted to share a drink or two. He wanted to make sure you were happy. And also interrogate me about us.”

“Us?”

“He thought we were secretly dating.”

“Why didn’t he ever ask me himself?”

“Because he thought that you didn’t fully trust him and were afraid that he would make you change your lifestyle to fit the one he brought you into.”

“Bullshit!” I shout. Josh stares at me, eyebrows raised, patiently waiting for me to acknowledge my stubbornness. “Okay, so yeah, maybe he was right. I didn’t trust him. And I am still afraid that he wants me to be this picture-perfect lady with a rich husband and frivolous hobbies. But why would you keep all this from me?”

“Ed made me promise not to tell you. I’m sorry, Guin, I hated keeping this from you. But you both need to just fucking talk to each other. So fucking stubborn, the both of you.”

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