Page 132 of A Fate of Ice and Lies
When he pulled away, I looked at him, really looked at him, and wasn’t surprised with what I found.
Home. He was my home.
“I’ve missed this,” I said. “Not just this, us kissing, buteverything. I’ve missed talking to you and laughing with you, holding your hand and. . . just you. I’ve missed you.”
“Every day,” he said as if he wrenched the words from his heart. “I’ve missed you every moment of every day.”
I kissed his lips. Once, twice.
His eyes darkened, but it was a different kind of darkness. A beautiful type of black that seemed endless but not foreboding.
“Come with me,” I urged again.
This sigh was more resigned. “As if I could deny you anything.”
Nalari stayed closelike an overprotective mother hen. She’d snarled when I thought it, which had me voicing my thoughts to Elias, who’d given me another forced smile. The smiles he gifted Victoria were genuine, and although I wished he’d grin at me in that easy manner, I was happy to see it existed at all.
Everyone at the market gave us a wide berth. That distance only grew wider when Everly, Brenton, and George came to his side. While Everly and I had formed a new, cautious friendship, it still felt strained. I longed for the ease we’d had not that long ago.
I bumped my shoulder against hers. She stiffened. I wasn’t sure who glared harder at me, Donnie or George.
“What if we skip training tomorrow?” I gave her a small, tentative smile. “And I don’t know, sit on our asses and eat cake?”
Her smile built hesitantly. “That sounds like a warrior’s paradise.”
“Right?” I looped my hand through her arm. “My toilet’s gonna hate me later.”
She snorted.
“I didn’t realize ladies spoke of such delicate matters.” Brenton’s wide grin was relaxed.
“If you think that’s delicate, wait until you hear about a woman’s menstrual cycle,” Ryenne added.
On a groan, Nate tugged Ryenne to him so her back pressed against his chest. “You can’t behave for two seconds, can you?”
She laughed. “You love me, though.”
He nipped her ear, whispering something for only her to hear.
As the sun set, lights that someone had strewn throughout the trees caused a warm glow around us. With Donnie and two other officers’ help, we managed to wrangle everyone out of the food bank to lock up. No one left the area, though, and while the kids played in the open field, many of us stayed to talk and share whatever sweet we’d gotten.
My stomach was bloated from bread and chocolate but that didn’t stop me from grabbing more cookies and cupcakes. Somehow, we still had enough food left over for another market the following day.
The only one who hadn’t eaten, hadn’t talked or laughed, was Elias. He’d followed our group sullen and withdrawn. I was sure it didn’t help that people avoided him. Avoided us.
It was stupid of me to have asked him to come. Stupid to think people would remember the good he’d done.
“I’m calling it,” I said. “Karaoke night at my place.”
Ryenne squealed while Donnie and Nate groaned.
I pointed at both of them. “Shut it.”
Everly unhooked her arm from mine, but before she could take a step away, I clasped her wrist.
“Don’t think you’re getting out of this so easily,” I told her.
“You want me to come?” she asked.
