Page 89 of A Fate of Ice and Lies
“Whatever,” I muttered, a little deflated.
It wasn’t that I didn’t appreciate him waiting until I was no longer afraid. I did. It was just another tally on the Elias-is-good mark. But the fear that held me wasn’t entirely about him. I wasn’t afraid of who he was as a person or a fae. He,himself, didn’t scare me. It was more that I was afraid of me. Of how much I already liked him. How much I knew I’d come to like him if we continued on this path. Of what would happen to me if he went back to his realm or got bored of me.
“We’re taking our time.”
“He doesn’t think you’re some kind of virgin, does he?” Ryenne went on. “He knows we, our kind”—she pointed toward the three of us—“don’t typically wait until marriage, right?”
“No, he, uh, actually promised to make me ache in places so that every time I walked, I’d be forced to think of him.” I smiled.
While Everly drained what was left in her glass, Ryenne smacked the table hard.
“Shut up!” Ryenne shouted. “Shit.” She fanned herself. “That’s hot, Ted.”
I winked. It was hot. So hot that I still throbbed in places when I remembered those words.
“Girl, you better make sure you’re up to date on your birth control,” Ryenne tossed out. “Unless you want a cute, little half-fae baby.”
“Nope, I’m good,” I said quickly. “Between Tori and the end of the world. . . yeah, no half-fae babies. My three-month prescription came in before this shitshow happened. Daniels is working on getting more.”
And if the prayers of many local women were answered, he’d be able to get some soon.
Everly’s light complexion grew paler. Her eyes stayed wide while she poured herself another glass.
“You okay?” I asked her.
She gave me a jerky nod and took another long drink. “I-I’ve never had female friends before.” She waved a hand in the air. “I wasn’t aware ladies spoke about such things.”
I snorted. “We’re far from being ladies, but we can stop talking about all this if you’re uncomfortable.”
“No, no.” She took another big, very unladylike swig. “I-I want to be part of this. I want to have your friendship, and maybe I could tell you more about me and George?”
Ryenne rubbed her hands together. “Yes, girl. Tell us everything.”
Everly spun her glass slowly on the table. “Do you want to finish what you were saying about Elias?” she asked me, her eyes wide as she tapped the side of her glass.
Although I’d barely drunk much from my first glass, Ryenne topped me off before refilling her glass.
“Not much to tell really,” I said. “We’ve kissed. He’s said these beautiful, incredible things. I know he likes me. I know he wants to go further, and I do too, but he said he can smell my fear and that he wanted to wait until I wasn’t afraid of him anymore.”
“Ted.” Ryenne lowered her glass and stared at me with a look of disbelief. “If he can smell your fear, does that mean he can smell when you’re turned on?”
My eyes widened along with my mouth while my heart kicked up in speed. “No,” I said slowly.
But could he?
“Shit.” I turned a pleading look toward my best friend and Everly. “No, right? He can’t smell that.”
It was Everly’s turn to laugh hard. The wheezing kind of hard, where tears spilled down her face. Ryenne was the first to join her, and although I wanted to hate her for betraying me and laughing at my dismay, I couldn’t help but laugh too.
“He can absolutely smell your arousal,” Everly said between fits of laughter.
“I hate you both,” I said into my glass before I took a small sip.
Ryenne lifted her drink toward Everly, and they clinked their glasses together.
This was why I never wanted to leave my home. There were so many memories in the kitchen. In the living room. In my old bedroom that Victoria now slept in. In the yard and woods.
My cabin had soul and love.
