Page 20 of Sloth
Sloan stared at her new short, sparkly nails. Somehow, she couldn’t keep the truth from Misha. She was family. “I think it’s my power. Stupid as it is. I feel pain when others do. Sometimes I bleed. Not all the time… but… yeah. I think it’s some sort of empathic ability. I’ll be holed up in my room forever at this stage. I mean, I can’t even go to the salon without hurting myself when someone else does. This is hopeless.”
Tears burned in her eyes. It was too much.
Misha’s hand came over hers and squeezed. “Why haven’t you told anyone? Your family can help.”
“Have you met my brothers?”
“What about your mate?” When Sloan kept silent, Misha understood. “It’s Max, isn’t it? It’s Max and you hate him.”
She couldn’t hold it back any longer. Tears spilled over. “Why me? Why do I get the asshole? Why do I get the power that hurts so much? And why do I give a shit?”
It’s bad enough she had to prove she was as good as her macho brothers… but now this?
Misha’s face crumpled. Tears welled in her eyes too. “You’re making me cry.”
“I’m sorry.” Sloan wiped her eyes, but couldn’t stop. This breakdown was a long time coming.
“Let it out, Sloan. Just release it all,” Misha said, nodding emphatically. “You’ll feel better. Go on.”
She was right. Sloan had this pressure building inside that she’d been holding onto for so long. She needed to let it out. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then… just released.
Something weird happened.
Invisible energy whooshed from her body, lifting strands of her hair.
Angelo started crying over the hair of the customer next to them. Then the customer started crying. Like dominos, everyone in the salon teared up.
The entire salon was crying.
Shocked into silence, Sloan’s jaw dropped.
Misha whispered, “Oh my God, you’rereallymaking me cry. You’re making all of us cry.”
“Wh-what?”
“Come on. Deep breaths. In. Out. You need to calm down.”
Panicked, Sloan did what Misha said. Refusing to focus on her blotchy face in the mirror, she forced herself to breathe. Misha came to stand behind her and gave her shoulders a massage, coaxing her to relax.
“That’s right Sloan, focus on your breathing. This will help you anytime you feel overwhelmed. Inhale the future, exhale the past. That’s right. Keep doing it.” With each intake of air, Sloan felt her strength returning. With each exhale, peace eased into her body, spreading to loosen her limbs. When she was done, Misha locked eyes with her in the mirror. “Do you know what this means?”
“No.”
“You can affect the emotions of others. And… if you can bleed when others bleed, you might be able to make them bleed. Sloan. You have to tell your family about this.”
She shook her head. “No. I’m not ready. If I do, they’ll piece together about Max, too. I don’t want him to feel that pressure. I don’t want him to know.”
Misha’s phone pinged for the millionth time, but she ignored it.
“It’s probably Wyatt,” Sloan pointed out.
“He can wait. I need to say something first. It may be none of my business, but I think you shouldn’t write Max off without speaking with him. For the record, I don’t think he hates you. You should find out what happened to him. Get the whole picture about his cold feet and then make a decision. I’m not saying you have to be with him, but… I know how having a lifemate helps Wyatt, and it’s more than just having the powers. Our connection keeps him sane. He visibly relaxes when he steps into my orbit.” Misha’s eyes softened. “You’re sad, hon. You shouldn’t be. Maybe this thing with Max was a misunderstanding. Maybe he thought you did something.”
“Why? Has he said something to you?”
“No. I’m just thinking aloud. The whole situation is just a little bizarre, you know? Why work for the very people you hate?”
“Maybe he’s working for the enemy, and he’s spying on us.”
