Page 31 of Darkness of Mine

He squints at me from behind his glasses, doing that analyzing shit. “When Freya came along at least you started showing your pain. I don’t want you to feel like you need to go back to hiding behind jokes.”

I put my plate down on the island behind me. “I’m not hiding, Ozzie. I’m just happy.”

His eyes go to the ceiling, and I know he’s thinking about Freya. “Even though everything’s seriously messed up right now?”

“She’s here, Oz. She’s back with us. That’s all that matters. We’ll figure all the other shit out.”

He sighs. “I hope you’re right.”

I bop him on the nose with my finger. “I’m always right. That’s what makes me amazing.”

Jude saunters into the room and takes one of the stools at the other end of the island. “Statistically you’re right approximately seventy-eight percent of the time.”

I scowl at him. “Good morning to you too, you little shit.”

He looks between me and Oz. “That’s one of those insults that’s supposed to be endearing right?”

I let my head fall forward. “Yeah, Jude. We’re good.” I need to be more careful what I say around Jude at the moment. He’s a little stuck in his head lately, like he’s in the room but he’s not actually present. I was hoping once we got Freya back he’d come out of his funk but no such luck so far.

He physically flinches when she comes downstairs and takes the stool next to him. Either Freya’s too out of it to notice or she just pretends not to.

Oz slides a plate of pancakes in front of her and she offers him a weak smile. “Do you want cream or syrup?” he asks.

“Syrup, please.”

Oz points at me. “See Cretin, this is how civilized people eat.”

I abandon my fork, pick up a pancake, and tear off a bite.

Freya’s jaw drops. “Eli, I love you but eating pancakes dry is just plain wrong.”

Oz smiles but Jude goes tense. His stool scrapes against the wood floor as he stands up and stalks from the room, his hands fisted at his sides.

Freya stares after him, her face pale. “What did I do?”

Oz comes up beside her and tucks a fiery curl behind her ear. “Jude’s just struggling at the moment, Mo Leannan.”

“He hates me,” she says, her voice cracking.

Oz twists her stool so she’s between his legs and tilts her chin up. “He doesn’t hate you.”

Freya’s breath hitches. “I didn’t mean to hurt him. Or any of you. Zach had Layla and I just wanted him to go away. To stop. I can’t lose you.I can’t.” She tugs at her new bracelet and Oz’s fingers close around it, stopping her from hurting herself.

“You’re not going to lose us.”

“Yeah.” I nod. “The tracker bracelet and the locked doors should kind of clue you in to the fact that this is a forever sort of thing.”

Freya laughs through her tears and rests her head against Oz’s chest. “You’re such a fucking idiot, Eli.”

“Made you smile though.” I’ll be an idiot every day of the week if that’s what it takes to bring her back from the edge.

River chooses that moment to join us in the kitchen and Freya brushes away her tears. She straightens up, her back going rigid as she suddenly becomes very interested in her pancakes.

River draws to a stop by the island. His eyes trace over her, taking in the hard, detached look on her face. “What’s wrong?”

Freya doesn’t answer him. Then she takes it further and positions herself so her back is to River before talking to Oz instead. “These pancakes are incredible.”

Oz blushes, his lips twisting into a smile.