Page 94 of Reflections of Peonies
I nodded. That seemed like a silly thing to be afraid of. I certainly didn’t fit that description.
“It does explain quite a bit,” Titus mused. “Though some of it might be more about personality. You always did straddle the lines between the courts.”
“Hey!” I pushed my hand against Titus’s chest, glaring up at him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing.” Titus stroked my hair, and for an instant, time stopped. The adoring look in his eyes caused my heart to race and my cheeks to heat. “You’re perfect the way you are. You understand me.”
“Oh, gag.” Brayden stomped past us. “It’s bad enough whenit’s Damen, but we laugh at his expense. But this is nauseating. You’re not supposed to know how to flirt.”
Titus grinned.
“How did Kieran die?” Bryce asked, returning to the original topic.
The question cut through the air, and Brayden stopped mid-step, turning to glare at Bryce. “She already said she didn’t know,” Brayden snapped. “Do you not understand anything about sensitivity?”
“She said she didn’t see his body,” Bryce countered. “That’s not the same thing. But fine, I’ll drop it.” He glanced at me, his gaze lingering on my closed fist. “In the meantime, put the ring on,” he added. “It’ll help discourage unwanted attention when you return to campus.”
My attention turned to my fist, and I opened my hand to look at it. “Why would this discourage anyone?”
There was a pregnant pause, and I glanced up. Titus was eyeing Bryce.
“It works,” Bryce argued, shrugging. “Unless you have a better idea.”
Titus narrowed his eyes and glanced at me. His expression softened slightly. “No,” he said, raising his hand to touch my cheek. “It’s better than nothing. I dislike the idea of her going on campus in general.”
“You don’t want me to go to school?” This was surprising. He had been most insistent about my attending classes.
“Miles’s idea is actually brilliant. Right now, the more visible you make your ‘marriage,’ the safer you’ll be.” His mouth curled in the corner. “No one there is going to risk angering Bryce. I dowantyou to go to school. This is a good solution, and things will get worse before they get better.”
“It is going to be a pain in the ass,” Brayden agreed. “No matter what.”
Despite his words, Titus’s eyes were still conflicted. The look made my heart twist guiltily. I was making him worry.
What was I doing?
Of course, there was a solution that would resolve his fears about school. But should I suggest it?
I wasn’t sure.
All I knew was that if I went that route, I would have to rethink everything I’d planned. But considering the changes in my life lately, would that be the end of the world?
15
Miles was alreadydeep asleep by the time I mustered the courage to leave the bed. I couldn’t go through the door—light from the hallway seeped in through the gap at the bottom, and Julian might come home any minute. I liked him, but right now, I needed to be alone.
That left only one option: the window. It was heavy, but Miles didn’t stir. I grumbled, my mind drifting to thoughts of how to get back at Damen.
Structural integrity, my butt. There was no thought behind this disrepair. I knew the method behind his madness—he was too lazy to update his home. Hopefully, though, the roof was sturdier than it appeared. With my luck, it would cave under me, and I would land directly on top of someone’s head.
The tiles felt rough under my bare feet as I edged out the window. The waning moon provided just enough light to see, and I carefully made my way across the roof to the ledge.
I noticed that Damen’s bedroom light was still on, and I intended to give him privacy. But I was close enough to glimpsehim through the shadows. He stood before a floor-length mirror, his reflection clear in the dim light.
Fury burned in his eyes, and an eerie, almost demonic aura surrounded him. The angles of his face looked sharper, and the darkness on his face had deepened. And, if I wasn’t mistaken, he seemed to be having a heated conversation with himself.
My brows furrowed, concern lacing through me. I would have to help him with his personal crisis later.
With that thought in mind, I pressed from the roof, trusting the branches below me to break my fall. When I successfully landed, I hurried away from the house.
