Page 12 of Twisted Violet
Just nudges the box toward me and takes a small step back.
My heart pounds, but not in a good way.
Rome is being nice.
Tomeof all people.
Why?
Dallas must have told him how bad it got last night.
How I fell apart in his arms and stupidly misread his signals.
Now Rome is here with donuts and kind eyes like he needs to be delicate with me.
Because he feels sorry for me.
I grab one from the box and rip a piece off with my teeth.
It’s warm, sweet, and way too good for this moment.
“Thanks,” I say finally, not meeting his eyes. “That was…nice of you.”
I force a smile but it feels brittle on my face. “I’m feeling better now. So you totally don’t have to hang around if you’ve got other things to do.”
Rome goes still, just for a second, and then he nods once.
“Right.” He says, his jaw flexing. “Glad you’re feeling better.”
Rome turns and walks out.
The door slams behind him, and I flinch at the sound.
A second later, I realize I’m not alone.
Niko’s standing in the hallway, half-shadowed, with a coffee in hand. He doesn’t say anything. Doesn’t move.
Just watches me.
His expression isn’t sharp like Rome’s or easy like Dallas’.
It’s unreadable.
Still, there’s something in his eyes. Something quiet.Like he sees more than I want him to.
He gives me the faintest nod, then turns and walks away.
I stand there, chewing a donut I don’t even want anymore, wondering what just happened and why the hell it stings so much.
FOUR
VIOLET
The callfrom Atlas came early this morning.
He didn’t give me much detail, but what he said stuck with me.
Stevie’s awake. Not speaking yet, but very much alive, alert, and breathing on her own.
