“Where do you live?”
“Ah, I gotta go. I’ll text you the address tomorrow. Is this number okay?”
“Yeah, it’s a friend’s phone.”
“Can’t wait to see you.”
“See you tomorrow.”
We clicked off, and I grinned into the darkness. It was interesting how I could be so down one moment and incredibly happy the next. I flopped onto the bed with an exhale. My hand hit something fuzzy near my pillow. I brought it to my face.
It was a perfect peach.
16
Roark’s words pestered me the entire ride to the bar. My thoughts were so stuck on his words that I couldn’t hear what Eliza and Camilla chatted about from the front. Earlier, after tossing and turning in bed, replaying his words over and over, I’d finally passed out for an hour. Leave it to him to mess me up more than I already was.
Camilla and Eliza had woken me from my fretful dream. It had been a minute before I registered that they were actually there and not some figment of my imagination.
Their friendship was hilarious, and their back and forth was as entertaining as it had been when we were all chained up in that musty barn. I filled them in on Faerie as we got club ready. They were adamant they wanted to see the castle. It also wasn’t until I talked to them that I realized it was pretty neat to live in an actual castle. I’d been so wrapped up in my pain that I hadn’t embraced the little things. I never brought up the ripple effect unbinding magic would bring and neither did Rosalind. I figured tonight was for fun, and that would put a damper on it.
Thea hadn’t come with us because she had to go straight to her job. It had also surprised me to find out she was interning as a social worker. With her passionate defense of others, it was a fitting profession. She would do fantastic.
“The upside is we’ll look extra hot when we turn Fae,” Eliza chirped. “I mean, look at Rae. She doesn’t even need foundation to smooth out her skin.”
I tuned into their conversation. “Thanks,” I said dryly.
“Stop being insensitive.” Camilla flicked Eliza, who then mocked Camilla’s words.
I couldn’t help but chuckle at their antics.
“I’m serious. When Rae frees magic or whatever, all shit is going to break loose. The only one in this car who won’t automatically start going through the transition is you, Camilla,” Eliza said in her dry, straightforward way.
“Just wait a few weeks, and I’ll be right there with you. Fearing the unknown,” Camilla said grimly.
“You have more trust in me than I do. Who’s to say I’ll even manage that in a year?” I snorted. “Hell, ten years.”
“Positive thinking,” Rosalind said, holding a finger up in the air. The car jostled as the car pulled into an uneven parking lot. Eliza slid into a spot a little crookedly, and the engine quieted.
“You’re croo—”
Eliza cut her off with a glare. “If you say I’m parked crooked, I will stab you.”
Camilla’s hands shot up in surrender. Thank God I hadn’t said anything. Rosalind held out her hand, and Eliza jiggled the keys as she set them in Rosalind’s palm.
“Thanks, DD,” Eliza said, grinning. My lips twitched. Of course, Rosalind was the designated driver.
I looked out the window, and the familiarity of the place struck me. This was the bar I’d been in when my sister had called me—the night I was kidnapped by Sabine.
“Thea messaged,” Camila said. “She said, ‘Tell Rae I said hi, and I miss her. I won’t be home tonight, so I hope she’ll be there tomorrow night.’ End text.”
“She’s probably going to spend the night at her boyfriend’s place,” Eliza sang.
Boyfriend? Thea had a boyfriend? I wondered if it was the same one she’d left behind.
I snapped out of my thoughts as the car doors slammed shut and hastened after the girls who’d left me in the car. I hurried out in my borrowed clothing, feeling odd. I’d gotten too used to the soft, breathable material of Fae-made clothing. I gripped the ends of the beautiful leather jacket Rosalind gave me to ward against the cold.
The jeans hugged me and tightened around my waist to emphasize my butt. The dark t-shirt hugged my breast, actually making them look like breasts. I was thankful Eliza was my size. I would have never fit into Rosalind’s bustier shirts or Camilla’s jeans with those hips of hers.
My wedged flats clicked against the pavement, seeming unnecessarily loud in the night. I now understood why the Fae wore specialized clothes. It was overall comfortable when more movement was allowed.
Even though the material was different, I was comfortable in the familiar clothing. After talking to Annie, I expected to relax, but the muscles at my neck remained tense. I wanted to feel my age. I was tired of the responsibilities, the training… Roark.
Through everything that had happened, Roark had never outright lied to me. Omitted, yes, but he never said anything he didn’t mean for some reason or another.
That’s what had me so spooked. His words and the way he had looked at me sent shivers to my core. How was I supposed to resist him if he was trying to be around all the time? I’d already decided I needed to stay away from him for my own good beforehand, but I’d thought he’d be far, far away, not close enough to tempt me.
There had to be a way to forget him. I automatically thought of Ty and how he had helped me forget, but I pushed it away as we reached the line leading to the bar. I tuned the girls’ chatter out, and I also tried to ignore Rosalind’s concerned glances. My neck itched, and I soon found the cause. A guy around my age had his eyes plastered to me.
My face warmed at the heated look. He caught my eyes and smiled slightly, looking away before
