Page 81 of Bound By Song

“I don’t know,” I hesitate, my mind already racing with all the things I could say, all the things I couldavoidsaying.

Blaise leans forward, a playful glint in his eyes. “Come on, Evie. It’s just a game. Nothing to be scared of. We’ll start easy.”

I look at him, at the others, and feel the weight of their attention, but there’s no pressure in their gaze, no judgment. Just...care.

“Alright,” I say, trying to project more confidence into my tone than I feel. “I’ll play.”

They exchange glances, then settle back into their places, making room for me in the centre of the nest. I settle back into the blankets, feeling the warmth of their attention on me.

Blaise is the first to speak. “Alright, here’s an easy one: What’s your favourite colour?”

I blink at him, surprised by the simplicity of the question. It catches me off guard. “Lavender,” I say without thinking. Then I hesitate. “No, it’s not. I don’t even know why I said that. I panicked.”

Blaise raises his eyebrows, clearly amused. “Really?”

I nod. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to lie. My favourite colour is actually pink. But my Grams always said…nevermind. It’s pink. Honestly.”

If they think my outburst is weird, they’re too polite to say anything, thankfully. Instead, Blaise just nods and smiles at me. “That’s good to know.”

I chuckle softly, the ice finally beginning to crack.

“Okay. What’s next?”

The questions continue, lighthearted at first, but I can feel the shift. They’re not just asking questions – they’re getting toknow me. And, despite my initial hesitation, I’m starting to open up too.

The game continues, a slow, steady rhythm that allows me to speak without feeling like I’m giving too much away all at once. I find myself answering more honestly, more comfortably, than I expected.

Eventually, I find myself relaxing too, the tension in my shoulders easing with every question. They don’t push me, don’t make me feel like I have to share everything all at once. It’s just small, safe steps.

I answer their questions, and they answer mine. And in the quiet moments between the questions, I realise something.

I’m actuallyenjoyingtheir company.

I’ve spent so long running, hiding, trying to convince myself I didn’t need anyone. But now, with the guys here, it’s harder to ignore the truth. I feel safer with them. More grounded. Less...lonely.

“Do you have any pets?” Xar asks thoughtfully.

“Only the chickens. We all really wanted a kitten growing up but we weren’t allowed pets. The chickens were practical because they gave us eggs but we weren’t allowed to treat them like pets. What about you guys…do you have any pets?”

Blaise shakes his head. “Nah. We don’t stay still long enough.”

“What he means is, we don’t have a permanent residence at the moment. We’ve been on tour for so long that it wouldn’t have been fair to have an animal during that time.”

“That makes sense. Must be tiring being constantly on the move though,” I muse. I’m a home girl. I think. I neverreallywanted to leave like my sisters. I mean, as a child I had dreams of growing up and seeing the world, but Grams scared that out of me.

“It’s exhausting. We’re all about ready to settle down and put down some roots now,” Xar replies.

“Okay, this isn’t a new question because it’s linked to the last one,” Blaise interrupts. “If you could have any pet you wanted, what would you get? Would you still want a kitten?”

I laugh and shake my head. “No. I’d get a couple of goats.”

“Goats?”

I nod, beaming at Blaise who’s scrunched his face up in confusion. “Pygmy goats. They’re so cute.”

“I thought for sure you’d say a puppy or a kitten or something fluffy.”

“Goats are fluffy. But they’re intelligent and practical too.”

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