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I growled at the mention of his name. “Lucille was wrong.”

“Lucille is never wrong.”

I hated it when my siblings threw my words back in my face.

“Well, this time she was.”

My sister chuckled as she filled a kettle with water and placed it on the stove. She moved around gracefully, pulling cups from the cabinets and setting them on the counter next to the sugar. As if my world wasn’t falling apart around my ears.

“It’s not him,” I snarked.

“It is,” she countered. “Go change and we will talk it out.”

“There is nothing to talk out.” I stalked to my room and removed my dress. It was late in the evening, so I grabbed a T-shirt and yoga pants. I would never get to sleep while I was this agitated, so tea was a given to calm my anger.

When I stepped back into the living area, I plopped onto the couch and grabbed a pillow, holding it against my chest.

“Tell me what happened.”

“Don’t you already know?” I asked. I crossed my legs on the couch, bent over, and held the pillow against my face as I screamed again.

“Have you gotten it all out, sister dear? Because if you continue to scream, the man outside who is watching the house will rush in here believing you are in danger.”

“What man?”

“The man Duncan has assigned to watch over you while he takes care of what he came here for.”

“I thought he came for me.”

“What did I tell you?”

I rolled my eyes at my sister and pouted. Full-on, lip sticking out like a child, pouted.

Athena stood in front of me, a teacup in her hand. Tossing the pillow aside, I took the cup and let it warm my hands. Not that it was cold in Louisiana. There was just something soothing about a hot cup of tea when you were all up in your emotions.

I took a sip and closed my eyes, letting the warm water travel down my throat. When I opened them and looked at my sister, my eyes filled with tears.

“Oh, Freyja. I told you it wouldn’t be that simple.” Athena sat beside me on the couch, and I leaned my head on her shoulder.

“But it should have been. We already met and had a connection. This should have confirmed that we were meant to be.”

“It did.”

Lifting my head, I stared at her. “For me. Not for him.”

“Tell me what happened.”

I told Athena everything. From the moment Duncan pulled me onto the dance floor to when I stormed out, angry and alone.

“I don’t understand why he would be angry you were there, and why would he think you were there to meet someone?”

My eyes dropped to my teacup. I could have used the excuse I was trying to read the leaves, but this was regular people tea that came in a bag all nice and neat with no hidden messages at the bottom of the cup.

“Freyja, what did you do?”

I set my cup on the table in front of us and grabbed the pillow I’d tossed aside. Holding it against my face once again while I screamed.

“Just tell me. You’ll feel better.”