Page 77 of Savage Empire

“No? You could have fooled me.”

The silence that follows is thick and heavy, surrounding us with suffocating air. Her face shifts from exasperation with me to…regret. For a second, I almost tell her to forget it. I’d rathercontinue to silently stew in my disappointment than watch her appear hurt.

I have no idea why.

But before I can suggest we move on, Rayna speaks up.

“Apollo, I’m sorry,” she says, voice low. “I was only trying to keep Sienna’s secret. And, if I’m being entirely honest, I already figured that it was unlikely you knew. I didn’t mean to accuse all of you of being complicit. I was just so angry and I hadn’t thought out my words before they came flying out.”

My stomach does some sort of funny twist. “Did you just apologize to me?”

Rayna flushes, looking down at her feet and mumbling, “I do know how to take responsibility for when I’ve hurt people. At least when they don’t deserve it.”

I honestly think I’m too stunned to reply.

“You’re still a cocky prick who oversteps and I’m sure you haven’t seen the last of me yelling at you. But I know you well enough now to know that you would have helped. You probably would have forced your help actually. You have the exact brand of pushy savior complex that Sienna could have actually really used these past few years.”

I wonder if those words taste as bitter to her as they would to me. Rayna doesn’t seem like the kind to admit she’s wrong often.

We have that in common.

“Just Sienna, then? No one else you can think of could have used my pushy savior complex years ago?”

Her lips twitch, a hint of humor creeping into her eyes. “Do you need me to say it? Will that end this moodiness so we can move on?”

Yes.

“It might help.”

“Fine.” She blows out an exaggerated breath. “I could have used your overbearing asshole-self to help me years ago too. Butdon’t be too cocky about that, I still would’ve bit your head off then, too.”

“I would expect nothing less.”

Rayna sighs, shoulders relaxing. “So we’re good? I’m forgiven for keeping secrets and sending dinner into a disaster?”

“You’re forgiven,” I concede. “But?—”

Groaning loudly, she cuts me off. “Oh my Christ, what now?”

“But,” I continue, discreetly rolling my eyes at her outburst. “Tonight wasn’t just supposed to be dinner.”

She stills, surprised. “Oh?”

“Yes.” I dip my head in a nod. “I’ve got a surprise for Yordan. Something for his birthday. I know it’s coming up, and it seemed like a good time to reveal it. While everyone is around.”

“You know his birthday?”

“I know yours as well.”

“Wait,reveal?” she sputters. “What kind of birthday present needs a reveal? Did you say while everyone is around? It’s extravagant and excessive, isn’t it? Were you hoping I couldn’t make a scene if your family was surrounding us?”

“Yes it’s extravagant,” I reply, smiling smugly. “But as we’ve seen, you have no problem making a scene around my family.”

“Evidently not.” She glares. “How extravagant are we talking?”

“You’ll see,” I reply cryptically. “And if you want me to forgive you for your secrets and your misplaced judgment, you won’t argue with me about it. You’ll allow me to give him his gift, and you’ll keep your eye rolls to a minimum.”

“You said I was already forgiven!”