Page 108 of Saints & Sinners
Piece by piece.
I watched the fragments flutter into a nearby bin, and without another thought, I moved toward Grace.
I’d found what I was looking for.
Her.
Chapter Fifty-Two
I stood beside Joe, my fingers brushing against the smooth fabric of the gown he’d given me. No matter how good it felt or how obsessed I was with it, I couldn’t shake Joe’s sudden silence. He was so happy to see me, but now his posture was stiff, his jaw tight as his eyes watched the crowd like he was preparing for something to go wrong.
I followed his line of sight, and that was when I noticed that he wasn’t watching everyone else; he was looking right at Hunter.
Hunter cut through the hall effortlessly, looking utterly unfazed by the glittering chaos around him. His dark suit looked crisp, fitting him perfectly, yet somehow, he looked like he couldn’t care less about it.
My stomach was a mess.
“Grace?” Joe’s voice snapped me back, but Hunter was already standing in front of us, his hands casually tucked into his pocket while he looked at me with the faintest smirk on his lips.
“Grace,” he acknowledged me with my name rather than his usual nickname. “Mind if I steal you for a dance?”
Joe stiffened immediately. “Yeah, actually, I do.”
My eyes widened, but Hunter didn’t blink. He just tilted hishead slightly, completely unbothered.
“Joe,” I hissed, turning to him. “It’s just a dance. Everyone else is doing it.”
Joe’s jaw tightened. “Do you remember what happened last time you got too close to him? Or did moving dorms wipe your memory clean?”
I flinched. “It’s not like that,” I shot back, lowering my voice. “He’s still my friend.” A friend who was alsonota friend and one I slept with on a regular basis.
Joe didn’t look happy about that remark. After all, he seemed to dislike Hunter after the Riftkeeper situation.
He shook his head, exhaling sharply, and motioned a hand to the rest of the Ascendants dancing. “Fine.”
Hunter’s smirk deepened. “Glad we settled that, sir.”
Joe glared at him as I took Hunter’s outstretched hand, his grip warm, steady, and forever welcoming.
Hunter guided me onto the dance floor just as the harp’s final notes faded into the air, replaced by something softer—slower. An orchestral version ofWith or Without Youbegan to play, haunting and tender, like the song itself had been made for this moment.
We stopped at the center of the floor, the music curling around us like a secret. Hunter’s hands found my waist while my own hands hovered for a second until I finally let them rest on his shoulders.
Everyone else was dancing apart, keeping space between bodies. And then there were us—far too close and aware of each other.
From across the room, I caught Eden staring at us, her eyes narrowed in suspicion. I shook my head as I glanced back at Hunter.
“We should probably try to look less...couple-y,” I muttered.
“Don’t focus on everyone else, Bambi,” he said, keeping hisgaze fixed on me. “It’s just us right now.”
I swallowed, feeling that familiar heat creep up my neck.
We swayed slowly to the music, and for a moment, the chatter around us dulled.
“You clean up well,” I said, breaking the silence.
You clean up well?Who even said that anymore?
