Page 37 of Brambles and Bellflowers
Finn’s face pinched with suspicion, and his glasses slid down his nose. In fact, he lookedalmostcute in that apron.
No! He could not look cute!
A numb sort of horror rushed through my chest, and I shook my head, slapping my cheeks. What in the world was wrong with me? What happened to my sense?
This wasFinn; I could never forget what he’d done to me. This was the man who preyed on my innocent, trusting nature for many years. He’d hurt me—physically and emotionally.
There could be no redemption. Yet. Not until the stakes between us were evened out. Balance existed in nature, and it was not within my right to defy the laws of nature.
And…
He’d already given me one gift, even though it was for my birthday. And he had helped me a lot since then. Why? What game was he playing?
“Go upstairs then,” he said, flipping the dishcloth over his shoulder. He grabbed my almost-empty plate. “If anyone asks, I’ll tell them you’ve gone to bed already.”
He crossed the room, leaving me staring after him in despair, my heart racing like a rabbit and my cheeks growing warm.
What waswrongwith me? Why was it becoming harder and harder to stay angry?
And why—even though I’d finally gained family and friendship in others—did I miss the way Finn and I used to be together?
Darn it.
I hardly hadtime to bask in solitude when a knock sounded at my door. Damen poked his head into my room before I could do more than shove the book under my blankets.
“Hey,” he said, and his attention moved to my lap. “What are you reading?”
“N-nothing!” My voice squeaked. “Just something I found in Miles’s room!”
“Oh,” Damen pursed his lips. He hesitated, seemingly on the verge of a confession, before he shook his head. “That’s nice. Listen. There’s a bag in your closet. You should pack some warm clothing to hike in for tomorrow and then go to bed. You need to get some sleep.”
Hiking? I lowered the blanket back to my waist. “What for?”
“Titus was able to pinpoint the general area Miles ran off to, so we’re going to go fetch him in the morning,” Damen replied.
“What?” I sat up straighter. “Why not now?”
Damen frowned. “Because it’s nighttime,” he replied. “And he is perfectly okay. He ran off to the mountains—probably for one of his rituals. We’ll leave for the trails in the morning and will find him. Okay?”
I nodded, glancing at the window. Why did it have to be so dark?
Damen hesitated at the door, and I looked back at him. “You…” he began. “You’ll be happy now?”
“Yes!” I clasped my hands against my chest. The pressure in my heart was already beginning to lift. “Thank you!”
“Ah,” Damen said, looking away. “Good.”
Titus POV
I leaned back in my seat and rubbed my eyes.
“Are you sure this is a good time to go?” Maria asked, leaning forward and bracing her elbow over her crossed knees. Her usual composed demeanor cracked with concern. “You might lose your traction in the Eric Richards investigation.”
“We don’t have a choice,” I told her, glancing at my phone. Damen said Bianca was already showing signs of improvement just knowing we’d found Miles.
But still, this felt like such a waste of resources. Miles was probably having the time of his life out there—befriending wild animals and frolicking through the forest while whistling his irritating tunes. The idiot probably didn’t even want us to come after him.
It didn’t matter what he wanted though. Bianca needed him—weneeded him. We’d barely had time to come together as a complete quintet before he decided to run off into the wilderness. His timing couldn’t have been worse.
