Page 49 of November Reign
The Truth
Thyme
I knew our bubblewas about to break when Oak lied to me. It was such an obvious lie too. He’d tensed even before he began to read the messages, telling me they could only be from one person: Basil. His expression grew stormier as he continued to read. His fingers tightened on the phone so hard I feared the device would splinter.
The worst thing was the lie.
No, maybe it was the tears I saw him push away. He wasn’t fine. He wasn’t close to being anything near fine.
After the last few days, I really thought we’d made a breakthrough in our relationship. This felt like the most real thing I’d ever had. I truly thought he might have deep feelings for me. That he might love me like I loved him.
During our little hideaway in my room, I’d been dreaming of a future with Oak by my side. Was everything we shared just smoke and mirrors? Was he using me?
While Oak slept, I watched him and fretted. I briefly contemplated opening his phone to check his messages. It was possible they were still on there. At one point, I even got out of bed to go get it. Oak had stirred, so I’d scurried off to the bathroom instead.
Guilt ate at me for even thinking about invading his privacy. Then I got defensive at that mental voice because there was so much more at stake here than just hurt feelings.
Eventually, I reasoned myself into settling next to Oak and finally getting a few hours of sleep. When I woke, it was to Oak brushing my red waves from my eyes.
“Are you okay? You were frowning in your sleep.” He caressed the frown lines, smoothing them away with his gentle touch.
“You lied to me last night.” I hadn’t meant to say the words, but they weighed so heavily on me, I just had to get them out.
He let out a gusty sigh. “Yeah. I kept waking up last night thinking about it. I should have told you right then and there what was happening. It’s stupid, I just wanted to have one more night of peace with you.”
“It’s that bad?”
“It’s Basil.”
“Ah.”
“Yeah.”
Oak sat up with another sigh. “I’m going to tell you this now so you aren’t blindsided later when we tell the others.”
Was it ridiculous that I got a flutter in my belly when he said we? Probably. Didn’t care. I sat up too, fully alert.
“Okay… what’s wrong?”
“Let me start off with saying I was never going to go through with it. I was always going to tell you and the others.” The open expression, the honesty in his voice let me know he was sincere.
“You’re worrying me now.”
“You’re right to be worried. Basil… he’s unhinged. He sent me back here—“
“Sent you? But the attack! Your injuries!”
“All to make the coven take me back. To see me as a victim.”
“But youarea victim!“ Goddess, I was furious! “Those injuries weren’t fake! You could havedied.“ I could hear my voice getting shrill with my anxiety.
“True. He had to make it authentic.” Oak’s careless shrug hurt me. To think he valued himself so little that he accepted what Basil had done to him so easily sickened me.
“He wants me to bring him Damon and the book.”
My stomach dropped.
“Fuck.”
