Page 58 of The Monster's Daughter
I flinch.
She doesn’t sugarcoat it. “Bella, this thing you’re doing? Withholding the truth? It’s not protection. Not for him. Not for her. And sure as hell not for you.”
“I was scared,” I say. It sounds pathetic even to me.
“You’re still scared.”
I nod.
Jexi leans forward, elbows on knees. “You tell him. Tonight. Or you’ll lose both of them. I’ve known you a long time, Bella. You don’t get many good things. Don’t ruin the best one.”
I want to argue. I want to scream. But instead, I nod again.
Dinner is pasta. His favorite. I make it from scratch, even the sauce. My hands shake so hard I nearly slice the tip off my finger.
I set the table.
Tell Natalie gently, “Baby, why don’t you read in your room for a bit tonight? I need to talk to Kage.”
She frowns. “Are you mad at him?”
“No. Just… grown-up stuff.”
She shrugs, grabs her book, and skips down the hall.
I light a candle.
I don’t even know why.
Kage walks in, quiet like always. He takes one look at the table and stiffens.
“Is this a trap?” he says, trying to joke. It dies on his tongue.
“No,” I whisper. “Sit.”
He does.
I push the plate toward him. He doesn’t touch it.
I stare at my hands. My metal fingers twitch. My throat closes up.
“Kage, I?—”
“I know.”
My head jerks up.
He’s staring at me, eyes unreadable. Deep. Sharp.
“Natalie is mine,” he says.
My mouth opens. Nothing comes out.
“You think I don’t see it?” he continues, voice soft but shaking. “The eyes. The way she smells. The way shelooksat me. I didn’t want to believe it. Not really. Because if it was true, and you didn’t tell me?—”
“I was scared.” My voice breaks. “I thought you were dead. And then when you weren’t… I didn’t know how to say it. How to explain.”
Tears burn hot down my cheeks. I don’t wipe them.
