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“I know that. I’ve watched you train all my life, but that doesn’t mean the anticipation doesn’t get to you. It’s okay to be a little bit like the rest of us mere mortals and have feelings, Addi.”

“Hmm, maybe,” I mutter, not wanting to get deeper into the subject with her. Embracing my feelings goes against literally everything my father spent all that time teaching me, but she doesn’t know that because I ensured she was taught the complete opposite.

“Something sounds different with you.”

My eyes widen as if she can see me and I shake my head like it makes a difference.

“There’s nothing different with me,” I defend, but the slight lilt to my voice gives me away and I know it.

“Bullshit.”

“Nora—”

“I’m switching to a video call,” she interjects, and I pinch the bridge of my nose to try and calm the growing fluster that tries to take over me.

“Nora, there’s no need for?—”

A notification makes my cell phone vibrate, and I don’t need to look to see that it’s for a video call.

“Either switch to the video, or I’ll head toward the academy,” she warns, making my blood run cold.

“You will not. It’s not safe,” I bark, rushing to a sitting position at the edge of my bed. My brain is already calculating the easiest and fastest route home from here.

“Then take the call.”

I sigh but relent, as she knew I would, clicking the button to switch over. A moment later, her face appears on my screen.

She smiles at me with the sweetest expression in her arsenal. Her heart-shaped face, big blue eyes, and rosy pink cheeks gleam at me, and it warms my heart, making me forget anything and everything that weighs me down.

“Ah, it’s a boy,” she assesses with a wink, making me scoff.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I grumble, unable to look at the cell phone as I lie.

“It’s amusing to me that you don’t think I know these things. The glint in your eyes reminds me of when you used to go and see that guy in the village. Josh?”

My nose scrunches in distaste. “He was an ass.”

“Yet you still continued to let him put his peen in your?—”

“Ew, that’s enough, Nora.”

She chuckles, loving the way she gets under my skin so effortlessly. “What? Don’t worry, Dad’s not here.”

“Where is he?” I question, rising to my feet as I start to pace back and forth at the side of my bed. “You shouldn’t be alone.”

“Fuck off, Addi,” she mumbles, narrowing her eyes at me through the phone.

“Did you just cuss me out again? That’s twice in a short span of time.”

She rolls her eyes at me as she purses her lips. “I’m nineteen, not nine. Do we need to recall what you were doing at nineteen, or have we covered it enough with the mention of Josh?” She cocks her brow at me, all sure of herself, leaving me with no choice but to concede again.

“Fine, but you really do need to prioritize your safety. Dad knows that,” I point out, and she smiles.

“I know, and so does he, but he needed to restock groceries. He won’t be long. And now you’re deflecting instead of talking about the boy causing that shimmer in your eyes.”

Of course she would find a way to turn the conversation back to me. “There’s no one to talk about.” Technically, there’s more than one, so I’m more omitting than lying, but she still sees right through me.

“Are we keeping secrets now? I’m lonely without you, Addi. You have to entertain me in some way.” She flutters her eyelashes and sticks out her bottom lip, knowing full well that I can’t say no to her. I don’t think I’ve ever found someone who can.