Page 57 of A Fate of Ice and Lies (Fated #1)

I laughed. “They’re joking?” I asked, peering up at him.

He pushed my beanie down to cover my eyes. And that single, playful moment made my heart soar.

“I told you I was bad at cooking.” His grin was crooked with a hint of mischief.

“But food poisoning bad?” I gave Brenton a pointed look. “Does Brenton know what happens with food poisoning?” I teased. “How did his poor, delicate ears handle it?”

Brenton dropped a heavy arm over my shoulders and pulled me to him. “It wasn’t my poor ears that suffered, but my nose.” He fake gagged.

When Javier scooped down to pick up Juanita, Victoria asked me to do the same.

My back protested, but I didn’t like denying her any form of comfort or affection, knowing she’d gone without when her mom was still around.

It’d been almost four months since Collette had taken off.

I just hoped that she was safe wherever she was and nothing bad had happened to her.

“I’ve got her.” Elias knelt to pick her up, and she snuggled in close to him with her arms around his neck.

George knelt in front of Jasmine, helping her up as she climbed onto his back. Once she was settled, he hopped around a few times, making her giggle.

My throat tightened with emotion. One horrible decision to protect and defend me had ruined a huge part of Jasmine, Juanita, and Javier’s life.

As if he heard my thoughts, George peered back at me before he cast his eyes down.

It wasn’t just Elias who lived with that guilt.

I weighed whether they should tell Javier— if I should tell Javier. Weighed whether the cost of telling him was worth lessening some of that guilt we carried.

There wasn’t a word for what happened although I’d once called it murder. It wasn’t an accident and was far worse than a mistake.

But these were all terms I’d use for humans. Not warrior fae, who sought to eliminate who they saw as a threat to Elias’s mate. Who they’d thought had tried to kill me.

It didn’t make what they did right. It didn’t make them monsters either.

At home, Hee-haw greeted us at the door, where he darted outside to do his business. We met in my living room once the girls were in bed.

“Karaoke’s gonna wake up the girls,” I said, wrinkling my nose.

I wanted to do something fun for Elias, though. Wanted him to enjoy some part of today.

“Tell the three foolish males to get out their instruments and play outside,” Nalari offered.

“He’ll enjoy that?”

She huffed. “It’s one of his favorite things to do.”

I smiled. “What’s this I hear about three foolish males knowing how to play instruments?” I raised my brows at them and splayed a hand on my hip. “Why are y’all holding out on us?”

“Does my lady want to dance?” Brenton bowed.

I curtsied. When he took my hand, I let him spin me three times before I went to Elias and tugged on his hand.

Outside, Donnie lit my firepit. This time, it was George who was sullen, hanging back from the crowd. I swallowed hard and went to him. I felt the way Everly’s attention hardened on me, but I forced myself to hold his gaze.

“I’m sorry,” I told him.

He balked, then shook his head.

“I’ve been unfair to you.”

“Unfair?” Air whooshed from his lungs in one long breath. “You saved my life, Teddy.” He shook his head. “What I did?—”

“I understand why you did it.” For something to do, I played with my fingertips.

“This one thing doesn’t define you. It doesn’t make you a bad male.

Out of everyone here, Tori calls you her uncle for a reason.

She sees all the good in you. I didn’t want to see it before, but I do now.

I just—I wanted you to know that. I’m glad you’re alive and here. ”

He blinked. “I see why Everly didn’t want to lose your friendship.”

I nudged my elbow against his rock-hard stomach. “You’re not all that awful yourself.”

He chuckled.

Our exchange wasn’t monumental, but it was a start I wanted to build on.

When I looked back at my friends sitting around the roaring firepit, it was Elias’s eyes I met. Elias’s outstretched arms I went to.

His hand circled around my stomach when I sat on his lap, and he pushed my hair to the side to kiss the back of my neck.

“I love you,” he whispered so low I wasn’t sure I heard him right.

Although I did love him, I wasn’t sure I could repeat those words back to him. I loved him so much, it’d made these past few weeks unbearable. I wanted to say it but found the words stuck in my throat.

“You ready, Elias?” Brenton said, but we chose to ignore him.

Suddenly, a snowball hit me on the leg. Brenton smiled wide at me, so I lifted my middle finger back at him. Not to be ignored, Hee-haw brayed and dug his head against me. I shooed him away but he didn’t listen until Everly called for him. He curled on the ground beside her feet. Traitor .

“Get off your mate so we can play,” Brenton said.

My mate.

Elias stiffened. He held himself so still I wasn’t sure he was breathing.

My mate.

I turned around to kiss Elias’s cheek before I pulled myself off him and sat between Everly and Ryenne.

With his attention solely on me, he pulled out a guitar from whatever mystery pocket his magic allowed him to store things in.

Brenton and George did the same, with Brenton pulling out bongos and George a harmonica.

Brenton started them off with a song I didn’t recognize. After a few beats, Elias joined him. Rather than play the harmonica, George started to sing. His voice was ethereal. Otherworldly and beautiful. Haunting.

Everly bumped her knee with mine, and I gaped back at her.

“I know.” She smiled.

“Oh honey, you don’t know anything if you’re saying no to that,” Ryenne hissed out.

From the light of the fire, I saw the way Everly’s eyes flashed. Hurt marred her expression for one quiet beat.

I leaned my head on her too-stiff shoulders and, not wanting fae ears to hear me, I pulled out my phone to write a quick message that I handed to Everly.

Sometimes love means taking a chance and believing it’ll work out. Believe with me?

When she finished reading, she handed me back my phone and twined our fingers as she rested her head on top of mine.

“Okay,” she breathed.

From across the small space, my eyes held Elias’s.

“I’ll take the chance and believe with you,” she whispered.

Elias’s eyes flared and a beautiful smile stretched across his face at the same time George’s voice stuttered. He caught himself quickly and continued singing as if it’d never happened.

“I think he heard you,” I whispered back to Everly.

She giggled. “I think they both did. ”

Song after song, Elias, my mate, watched me. When Ryenne pulled Nate and me to our feet, I followed, dragging Everly up with me. I forced Javier up as well while Ryenne convinced Donnie. While the three males played and sang, the rest of us danced.

And I wondered—could I undo the harm I’d caused? Could I mend what I’d rejected?

I held my face to the moon and stars, basked under their glow, and wished.

I wanted Elias. Loved him.

Fate knew what it was doing when it bound my soul to his. Now, I just needed to know how to repair my side of the tether that I’d foolishly broken.