Page 85 of Reflections of Peonies
“What do you mean?” Why did Julian suddenly seem amused? I thought Miles was the direct, honest type.
“Julian…” Damen’s voice had taken on a warning tone.
“Relax.” Julian frowned at the other man, then returned his attention to me. “Miles has it coming.”
So… Was he helping me or not? I was so confused. And why, with every word out of his mouth, did it seem my initial conclusion about Miles not sleeping here tonight was incorrect? “What are you talking about? I don’t want to pick on Miles.”
“Don’t worry,” Julian replied. “Miles likes someone who can keep up with him.”
Then Julian laid out his plan, and my mouth went dry. Why would I ever want to put poor Miles on the spot like that? But now it was too late to back out of the plan. And even more importantly, I was suddenly nervous. I hadn’t exactly planned for the sleeping arrangements to work out this way.
I could try it out, but I wasn’t sure—would it be a problem?
Even though Icomfortably curled under an afghan on the couch in Damen’s living room, my turning stomach made it difficult to focus onThe Hobbit.
Guilt twisted in me, a twinge of anxiety. But under it was something else.
Julian had said this might make Miles feel special. Was it true?
I did want to help them.
Brayden and Miles watched sports on Damen’s television while Bryce and Damen played chess by the fireplace. However,neither man seemed to be enjoying the game. In fact, they spent more time narrowing their eyes at each other than moving their pieces. I wasn’t sure I approved of all the glaring. It was a strange strategy.
Or maybe they acted this way because neither seemed to be good at chess. It was painful to see, and I’d been trying not to watch the whole evening.
If Julian or Titus had been around, I might have challenged one of them. I had the feeling that both men knew what they were doing.
But alas, Julian had a night shift, and Titus was…somewhere.
I could have, technically, played with Finn. He was a semi-decent player. But I had avoided talking to him. For some reason, he was here—leisurely lurking in the corner of the room as he played on his laptop.
What the crap was this all about? I had no idea Finn was staying here. Why had no one warned me?
No, I was not pleased with Damen Abernathy at all. Besides ripping up my room, he had also betrayed me. Just because I didn’t want Finn todiedidn’t mean he had to be hovering about.
I glanced at the clock, noting the time. I couldn’t put off the inevitable much longer before it would become too late to get a decent night’s sleep. I got to my feet and brushed my hands over my ankle-length linen nightgown. My heart raced in anticipation—Julian had said this was the best way, but my nerves still pulled at me.
I would have to trust him.
“Bianca?” It was Brayden who noticed me first. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s time for bed.” I nodded toward the stairs. I tried to ignore my pounding heart and sweaty palms.
“Right.” Damen swiped his arm over the chessboard, endinghis game in a dramatic tantrum. Then he ignored Bryce’s protest and stood, touching the neck of his crew shirt.
“Well,” he said nervously and held out his hand. “Your room will be ready by Sunday. If you want, you can—”
“Come on.” I turned to Miles, who’d been sipping his tea. I wasn’t sure what Damen was going on about, but he knew the plan. Was this a last-ditch effort to get on my good side? “Let’s go to bed.”
The witch choked.
“What are you talking about?” Brayden asked, the humor falling from his expression.
“I can’t sleep in my bedroom,” I explained. “So Julian said I could sleep in Miles’s bed.”
Miles’s face turned redder.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea. Why don’t you sleep in a guest room?” Brayden asked. “Lord knows there’s enough of them. You don’t need to sleep in someone else’s room or, heaven forbid,withsomeone.”
