Page 219 of Whispers of Wisteria
The waiter left.
Titus gently pressed his foot over mine and I looked at him. His expression was softer when he said, “You didn’t hear him.”
It wasn’t a question.
My face burned and I stared at the bowl of fancy bread on our table. “I—” My voice was smaller than I liked, but it’d been that way since I’d gotten back.
“It’s fine,” I told him. “I’d—I’d normally be okay. But—but I’m having a hard time…” I touched my head, still dizzy. “I can’t f-focus right now.”
He pushed my foot again and when I glanced up, he said, “Look at me.”
I did, and he held my gaze.
“You don’t feel safe,” he said finally.
My face burned. “I’m not afraid of you.” I was quick to reassure him. I didn’t want him to get the wrong idea.
“I know,” Titus replied. The tight feeling in my chest began to loosen, and he added, “But even withmehere, you still don’t feel safe. You’re constantly scanning your environment for threats. Is it because we were taken together?”
“Oh,” I began.That.
“No.” I squirmed. “Maria told me a-about your game. I know it—it was on purpose… at first. This is…” I took a deep breath. “This is normal.”
“Normal,” he repeated evenly, bracing his arms on the table. He linked his fingers under his chin. “There’s no fear in your scent.”
“You need to pretend. You—you can’t let them smell it,” I explained. “Then they’ll know.”
He looked at me, silent.
“You guys w-watch everything too,” I pointed out.
“Yes,” Titus agreed, tilting his head. “But we also don’t think we’re prey.”
The word hit harder than I expected.
“I…” I started. It felt like I was suffocating. “I don’t mean to. I’m—I’m sorry.”
“You don’t apologize for that,” Titus said, voice sharper. His eyes burned. “Ever.”
This time I saw the waiter appear in the doorway. Still, when he looked at me, asking for my order, I flustered.
“I—” I hadn’t even looked at the menu. I wouldn’t know what to choose anyway. I didn’t care—as long as it wasn’t fish. “I guess…”
Pick something! I glanced down.
There weren’t even any pictures! I didn’t have time to translate all this.
“She’ll have lamb,” Titus interrupted.
My heart began to calm. Normally I’d be offended that he’dpresume—
But, right now, I was thankful.
“I’ll have the same.” He handed the menus to the waiter.
Titus waited until we were alone before he spoke again. “You don’t need to pretend,” he said. “Not with me.”
“I know…”
