Chapter 28 #2
Deciding that quick was the way to go, I chugged the rest of the hot chocolate, trying not to notice the tangy, bitter syrup mixed within the chocolate water. Once finished, I shuddered and slammed the mug down. “There. Done. No turning back now.”
As though listening to everything, Kaelan, Wylen, and Arelis returned to the meeting room. “Finished?” Kaelan asked.
“Yes. ”
“Huh, I didn’t think you’d actually do it.”
“Arelis is a good cook,” I said with a smile as my mom stood and turned away from me.
Kaelan laughed, and the vampire cleared her throat. “Um, you may feel a little different soon.”
My heart started pounding. “How?”
“Just…invincible. You’ll feel better than ever before. Don’t let that fool you. It is temporary.”
“Got it.”
“Will it help her concussion?” my mom asked.
“Definitely,” Arelis said with a smirk, a slight peek of fang slipping out. “Fae blood is different than ours, but it still has a lot of the same healing properties.”
How could she possibly know that unless…
My mother swallowed and quickly averted her eyes from Arelis.
“Great, then you can actually sleep tonight.” Tris looked tired himself, and the prospect of having to keep me awake all night seemed to be a burden. But I understood. He was pretty beat up, too, and must have been exhausted.
“I’m going to go,” my mom suddenly said as she jumped to her feet. She stepped toward me and wrapped her arms around my back. “I can’t…” She sucked in a few deep breaths to hold back her tears. “Just come back home to me.”
As she kissed my cheek, I grabbed her hands and held her close. “I don’t want to fight with you, Mom.” This was a conversation I didn’t want to have in front of everyone, but she wasn’t giving me much of a choice.
“I love you, Sosasia. Please call me when you get back.” With one more kiss, she walked toward the door without saying another word.
Delicia was standing in the threshold, and I sent her a silent thank-you when she escorted my mom out of the club.
Maybe she’d tell her about Grandma Dorith.
Maybe she’d find out more about why my mother hid so much from me.
We definitely had a lot to talk about once I got back.
If I get back.
Tris squeezed my shoulder, knowing where my thoughts were going and helping to pull them back to the things I needed to tackle now.
“Here are your tickets,” Kaelan said, handing me a pile of paper and giving me a slight smile like he also knew what I was thinking. “You leave tomorrow evening.”
“An overnight?”
“It’s all they had.”
I stood, already feeling like every ache in my body was on the verge of disappearing. Wow, this stuff was good. “Thank you for purchasing these, Kaelan. Let us know what we owe you and?—”
He waved his hand to cut me off. “The club paid for it. Gil would insist.”
“Thank you,” I said again.
Tris stood and guided me toward Wylen. “How about we all go home now?”
“Sounds good.” I made my way around to the table to give both Kaelan and Arelis a hug. They had instantly become a part of my inner circle, and I knew that when I got back, I would be spending a lot more time with them.
“Stay safe,” Kaelan said.
“Come back to us,” Arelis whispered in my ear, almost making me cry.
Tris shook hands and gathered our things. “I guess we’ll see you again in a few days.”
“With Gil,” Kaelan said, voice shaking.
“We will get him back,” I promised.
And as we left the club, I really believed we would. Gil was a fighter. I had a strong feeling that they wouldn’t take him all the way back to Ashtabulah just to kill him. No, the queen had some type of plan, and with any luck, Wylen and I would be able to figure it out.
As we stumbled into my apartment and Tris mumbled something about taking a shower, I used my newfound strength to get the couch ready for Wylen. “Will you sleep tonight?” I asked him.
“Yes, I think I will.”
That scared me more than anything else he’d ever said. “Are you all right?”
He smiled at me, but it seemed to require a lot of effort. “I will be fine. Just a few more hours and I can recharge.”
Recharge? Interesting choice of words. I grabbed a set of sheets and a light blanket from my closet and got to work.
Wylen stood silently in the kitchen, looking out the window and humming softly.
I think he really missed his home. And while I was super excited to see it, I was also glad that he would be safe again. I guess he’d kind of grown on me.
“Okay, ready.” Stepping away from the couch, I watched as Wylen pulled off his sneakers and collapsed on the cushions. “Good night, Wylen. And thank you.”
He tipped his head forward again in a bow. “It’s my honor, Sosie. Good night.”
I turned off the lights in the kitchen and walked to my bedroom. Tris was still in the shower, the steam seeping out under the door. Without giving it another thought, I stripped out of my bloodied and dirt-covered clothes and slipped into the bathroom.
He must have heard me because he pulled back the shower curtain and wiggled his brows. I wasn’t sure how he didn’t wince in pain since the shiner looked darker, and he now had two cuts on his forehead. “Coming in?”
“Yes,” I breathed, letting him help me into the tub and loving that he turned us so I could let the hot water massage my back. Leaning my head against his chest, I wrapped my arms tight around him. “Let’s not fight anymore, okay?”
“I would love to make that promise,” he said as he kissed the top of my head. “But fighting is part of this. We’ve been doing it since we were kids. ”
“True.”
“How about no more lies? That might be an easier promise to keep.”
“That sounds perfect.” I leaned away from him so I could see his face. “Are you going to keep fighting?”
“I don’t know.”
“Tris…”
“I’m not lying to you. I really don’t know. I have to do some thinking.”
“Fair enough.” I stood on my tiptoes and kissed his swollen lip. “You look like shit,” I teased.
“I’m fully aware of that.”
“Does it hurt?”
“Yes.”
“Does this hurt?” I pushed my hips into him and pressed against his already excited state.
“Nope.”
“How about this?” Rubbing my hands over his back, down his thighs, and then up his middle, I enjoyed the way he shuddered beneath me.
“Not at all.”
“Good.”
Tris suddenly tensed and pulled away from me a little. The distance felt like a cavern had opened between us. “I don’t like being mad at you,” he finally said.
“Then don’t be mad at me.” I snuggled up against him again, for the warmth, but also to make sure he wasn’t going to walk away from me.
“We almost died tonight.”
“Yes,” I breathed against his chest, listening as his heart raced beneath his skin.
“I can’t lose you, Sosie.” When I sucked in a breath, he wrapped his hand behind my head and held me tighter against him. “How would I get through all of this without you?”
Despite the water sprinkling on me, I knew I also had tears running down my cheeks. But Tris wasn’t done .
“I wish I could go with you to Ashtabulah.”
“Me, too.”
He kissed the top of my head and brushed his fingers along the side of my face. “I mean it, Sosie. I don’t want to do this alone. Razi is…well, someone who can help, but none of this matters if you aren’t by my side.”
Was he trying to tell me something more? Trying to say those words we’d both avoided speaking to each other for a long time?
I love you, too, Tris , I thought.
“I just…” he continued. “I just need you to promise that you’ll come back to me. All in one piece. Not crazy.”
With a chuckle, I looked up at him and started running my hands over his body again. “I thought all guys liked a little crazy in their girls.”
“A little, sure. But not Morningstar-level crazy.”
“Got it,” I said as I grabbed him and did my best to focus his mind on a much more primal need.
He grabbed my face and tilted it toward him.
With an intense look, he bent forward and gave me one of my new favorite things about him…
those kisses. Tongue darting around in a way that melted my knees, I was all his.
I knew I’d do whatever I could to get back to him.
He was my person, my rock, my partner in every way. I loved him. I really did.
So, I let Tris know just how much I cared for him in the shower and then again in the bedroom.
Careful not to touch all his injuries, we managed to reconnect in a way that solidified our relationship.
We were no longer just friends. This thing between us was forever changed, and I knew I wouldn’t want anyone other than him by my side.
As I drifted off to sleep in his arms, I hummed a familiar tune while running my nails over Tris’s stomach. He’d fallen asleep almost instantly, but I had a bit too much on my mind. Plus, I was feeling really good…just like Arelis had said.
With notes going up and down in a repetitive melody, it took me a moment to realize that I was humming the same tune Wylen sang to Saoirse…right before he snapped her neck.