Page 56 of Pretty When She Breaks

Away from it all.

There had been a reason I’d pulled myself out of the peaceful numbness, but it was becoming harder and harder to remember why.

I kept finding myself blinking, unable to find my train of thought. My movements felt sluggish, my body hesitant to respond. My world was narrowing, my thoughts only able to catch slivers of things that seemed important.

Ocean.

I cared about him.

There was an omega, one I hated.

And Finch, he was here. He was helping, right?

Not like me. I was just a burden.

I stared down to where a coffee mug was gripped in my hand. Had I just finished this drink, or was I about to fill it up?

The mug, little bastard, was not giving up its secrets easily. I squinted down, trying to figure it out. There was some liquid in the bottom, but it was water. I could have just cleaned it after using it…or before I was about to use it. It wasn’t giving anything away.

This was a smug mug. It didn’t have a face, but I could tell.

Finch popped up beside me, causing me to jump. He wordlessly poured coffee from an urn into my cup, and then his.

Ha. Take that, smug mug.

I looked up at Finch. I should probably say something. What was it again? Why didn’t my brain work right?

“Thanks,” I said, staring at him. He handed me a cookie.

“Thought we could watch a movie?” heoffered.

Huh.

Finch wanted to watch a movie with me?

Maybe I was dreaming.

Yeah, I must because real-life Finch was leaving me. Real-life Finch avoided me like the plague.

It would explain why everything smelled like vanilla and roses.

Nothing had ever smelled so good in real life.

THIRTY

THE DUCHESS

It was always like a breath of fresh air, leaving the Crimson Palace.

I’d never set foot in the place again if it were up to me, but my freedom was limited. I wasn’t allowed to drive, so travelling was restricted to where my father allowed my chauffeur to take me. Thankfully, maintaining important social connections was something my father approved of.

And much as he hated it, the man I was visiting was extremely important.

I smoothed down my aquamarine dress, hiding my nerves as we pulled up to the gates. It was an outrageously bright shade of blue, but that was appropriate, considering who I was visiting today.

Soren Rosania.

I had met a lot of influential and affluent people over the years, and yet there were very few who I could trust. Soren was the only person who I knew for certain would never tellmy father anything about what we discussed, simply because he didn’t like my father.