Page 10 of Moonlight and Mischief
Seeing her like this, my heart rate is not slowing. She’s always making sure everyone else is comfortable and happy, but I can see sadness beneath her sunny smile.
“So what’s up?” I ask, hooking a thumb into my pocket.
Her fingers curl around the strap of a backpack thrown over her shoulder. “I sort of got in an argument with my grandma.”
“That sucks,” I say cautiously.
“It’s fine,” she says, “It's just… There isn’t room for me in her cottage. And she’s so focused on her work, she doesn’t give me any space. I’m tired enough after a day of teaching, I can’t be her assistant when I get home. It’s too much.”
“That does sound like a lot.” My hands travel to her upper arms, steadying her as her words spill out of her like a damn breaking.
“And today she called me selfish! It’s not like I was sitting around doing nothing all day, but she expects me to jump to whatever task she thinks of at all hours of the night. There’s been times lately when I can’t even open up my sofa bed because she’s packed the room with her projects. I don’t think I can wait until I save up for my own place.”
By the end of her rant, she’s deflated, gaze on the ground, lashes wet.
“Marigold, I’m sorry. That’s really unfair.”
She sniffles. “Thanks.”
“How can I help?”
Those blue-green eyes meet mine and her tongue swipes across her lips. “Well…”
“Anything.” And I mean it.
“Can I stay with you tonight? Until I figure something else out?”
My stomach flips. “Really?”
I expect she’d have potential housemates fighting to have her. She’s wonderful. The idea of sharing a space with her is unexpectedly exhilarating.
“Never mind, it’s rude of me to just show up.” Her face closes off.
“No!” I blurt, “I was only wondering why I’m the lucky person you asked.”
“Oh,” she answers, hesitating, “Well, my brothers like having their own rooms, so I don’t want to take mine back. Not to mention I don’t want to face my dad over this. And I first thought of staying with Hazel. But..”
“But she and Slate are all over each other,” I finish for her. “I wouldn’t want to stay with them either. Who knows what you’d see or hear?”
She giggles, pressing a hand over her mouth. “That’s about right. So that left you.”
Nodding, I cross my arms. “Sounds like I’m your last choice.”
Her brows furrow. “I think my last choice would be the twins. I can’t deal with that much Onyx.”
She says nothing about Cedar, but I’m not an idiot.
“I can go, don’t worry about it, Jasper.” She shrugs, turning toward the door.
No way am I letting her go.
Taking a wide step, I place my palm against the door so she can’t open it. “Why would you do that?” I ask, putting on an air of confidence I don’t feel.
“Cause you don’t want me here,” she answers.
“Absolutely not true. I would love to have you. I have an extra bedroom and you’re my best friend,” I say, “one of my best friends, I mean. You should stay here as long as you need to.”
She flings her arms around me in a hug, her face pressed into my chest. For a moment, I’m floating, a wonderful friend who smells like lemon and rosemarysnug in my arms. The instinct to protect and provide surges in my chest.
