Page 92 of Hidden
This was more important. I didn’t understand why this girl felt familiar, or why I couldn’t get her voice of out my head. “Were you stalking me? Why don’t I remember seeing you?”
Her mouth twisted, but it was Bryce who responded. “Kayla doesn’tstalkanyone. She’s too proper.” He watched her with something akin to respect.
“She doesn’t,” Julian agreed. “Instead, shelurksand lies by omission.”
“Lurks?” A flicker of annoyance crossed her expression, and Kayla turned her narrowed gaze on Julian. “What do you—”
“This isn’t over,” Julian interrupted, holding me to him tighter. “Before the next week is out, I’ll be meeting with you, Anthony, and Du Yun. I fear you’ve been given a bit too much leeway.”
Kayla blanched, Hanah shot the other woman a sympathetic look, and Bryce only made a tsking sound under his breath.
“But in the meantime, I have plans today,” Julian continued. “And I’m not going to let you lot upstage them.”
Yes, shopping. Shouldn’t we be nearly finished at this point? I’d already changed into one of my new outfits, purchased on loan from the man beside me. And Julian and Bryce both had some bags on the floor by our feet now.
None of that included the items that Julian hadsentto Damen’s house. As if people of the world existed to do his—or our—bidding.
And again, I was reminded of how out-of-touch I was with this world.
Then I was pulled out of my spiraling spiel of self-pity, noticing Bryce frowning down at a ring display.
Which reminded me of another slight I’d suffered.
“Bryce,stay.” I pointed at him. He glanced at me, the frown deepening as his eyebrow rose. How dare he look confused. “You can catch up to us later. I want to be alone with Julian.” Besides, this would be the perfect opportunity for him to perform his husbandly duties. Lord only knew that he’d been terrible at them thus far. “I wear a size five.”
“You want to be alone with me?” Julian asked, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly.
I grabbed the front of his shirt, pulling the fabric until he lowered his face near mine. “I want my ring.”
“Ah.” Julian blinked in understanding, the grin fading slightly. “Jewelry. And shoes. So you do have weaknesses.”
“This has nothing to do with weaknesses. Bryce and I have an agreement. That’s how marriages work!” I growled. “This isn’t complicated. I’m a simple creature with simple needs.”
“Does he even know what you’re expecting?” Julian asked, raising his eyes to my fake-husband. Bryce might not be able to hear us, but clearly he knew we were discussing him. In response to our attention turning to him, he bristled slightly, trying to look innocent.
Lies, all of it. “It’sobvious.” Bryce was smarter than he looked. I, begrudgingly, would admit to that.
Julian nodded, his lips pursed.
“Maria wasn’t kidding. And Julian, you’re no help. You can’t agree with her all the time.” Kayla stepped from behind the counter, gliding gracefully to the two of us. She held out her hand toward Hanah. “Give me her phone.”
“Kidding about what?” My face heated—had I done something to Maria? I thought we were friends.
“Despite my vow to stay out of the way, I cannot help myself. You need some girl-time in your life,” she said, snatching it from Hanah’s hands. “Don’t worry. I’ll steer you in the right direction. We can’t let Maria have free-reign. If it were up to her, she’d get you drunk just for laughs.”
“Why would it be funny?” Her words had taken on a sense of foreboding. I’d known public drunkenness was a rite of passage, but still… There was nothing humorous about throwing up on a bender.
She was typing now and responded without pause. “It wouldn’t be. But someone has got to protect you.”
“That’s not nice.” Hanah frowned. “Maria isn’t all that bad.”
“You’dsay that. You’re a bit biased,” Kayla said, holding my phone back to me. “But you haven’t heard about herplans.”
“What plans?” Bryce’s voice wavered.
“Girl stuff.” Kayla shoved the phone at me after I’d made no move to grab it. “Don’t worry about it. Now didn’t you say you had stuff to do?” She glanced toward Julian, who watched her with barely concealed surprise. “I’m actually working here. Leave me be.”
Julian’s surprise turned to contemplation, then resignation. “Having you around withherwould make me feel better.”
