Page 72 of Brambles and Bellflowers
“You slapped me!” Miles sounded shocked as he cradled his cheek.
“Did it hurt?” Titus asked, genuine curiosity lacing his voice.
“No. Not really.” The witch frowned at Titus, and my skin bristled. “You could barely feel it. But why—”
“Outside of the fact that Bigfootdoesn’t exist,” I hissed through my clenched teeth. Miles gasped, pressing his hands to his heart at my statement, but I continued, “you can’t just leave me behind with only a note!”
“She’s so much more violent!” Miles’s voice shook. “What in the world happened?”
“She’s always been this way,” Titus replied. “It’s not my fault some of you are in denial.”
Miles glared at Titus. He narrowed his eyes. “Do you think I’m stupid? I know that she’s likely plotting a million ways to dispose of her enemies—”
I gasped, but they ignored me.
“—but I don’t care about that.” Miles frowned. “I want to know why she’s upset! This has nothing to do with me. What the hell happened?”
“Damen’s starting ‘therapy,’ ” Titus responded.
Miles groaned, rubbing his hands over his face.
“Don’t act like I have no reason to be mad at you.” I squirmed in Titus’s hold, freeing one arm enough to point at him. “How could you just leave me after everything that happened?” I asked, pushing away from Titus again, and he let me go this time.
Miles held his arms up, and the forward momentum of breaking from Titus caused me to fall into his embrace.
The fight drained from me the instant his arms wrapped around my shoulders. All my anger—at his dramatic letter, at him chasing mythical creatures, at him leaving without really saying goodbye—had been masking something deeper, something that made my chest ache.
He’d abandoned me.
I pressed my face into his chest. It was selfish of me to feel this way. This wasn’t about me at all. He had his own life to live—his own goals to achieve. And I knew, logically, I couldn’t expect everyone to put their lives on hold for me.
“Mon rêve.” Miles sounded uncertain. “What—”
“Please don’t do that again," I whispered against his shirt, my fingers curling into the fabric. Maybe if I held him, I could somehow prevent him from disappearing again. His heart raced beneath my cheek, slowly calming my frayed nerves.
He was here. He was back. And I was so, so tired.
These boys were going to be the death of me.
“O-okay?” Miles sounded bewildered, but his arms tightened around me. “If that’s what you need.”
It was what I needed, at least for now. But I noticed he still never said he was sorry.
Damen did not seem overlyexcited at Miles’s safe return.
“There you are,” he’d said, lowering a copper travel pot. “About time. Julian needs food.”
Miles glanced at the necromancer.
Julian didn’t seem enthused to see him either. He briefly met Miles’s eyes and, with an expression smooth as glass, muttered out a welcome. I might have missed it if I hadn’t been paying attention.
I bit my lip, glancing between the two of them. I’d never noticed any conflict between them before.
I wanted everyone to be happy.
Titus—who’d returned to his dragon form during the walk back—shifted back into a human and, before slipping off in the direction of his clothes, touched my shoulder and told me, “That’s between them. Let them figure it out.”
I blinked at him. Damen had said my thoughts were written on my face, but I had no idea it was that obvious.
