Page 49 of Solar Shadows

“Your sunlight,” he added, then explained what’d happened.

Now I felt like the biggest fuckhead on the planet. “Ollie…I…I’m so sorry you had to see that.”

The nausea kept coming. I rubbed at the base of my throat, having no right to be so disgusted and guilty in front of the man who’d seen this firsthand. The fake part of the burning didn’t matter. He’d stillwitnessed an absolutely fucked-up event and I wanted to hug him.

“Ollie, I’m…” I swallowed, mouth turning into a sandpit.

“Don’t say you’re sorry. It means nothing.” Whoa, the coldness in his tone hurt like a gut punch.

“Why? Iamsorry. I went off without the facts. I’m an insensitive prick.”

“You didn’t know,” he countered, still with zero warmth.

I shrugged, my pride fractured along with the rest of me. I really should learn to wrangle my mouth into order before it unleashed a stupid tirade of words.

Ollie stared at me for long, agonizing seconds.

“I do get where you’re coming from,” he said. “But this is the world we live in. We have to play by the High Coven’s rules. Until it changes.”

Interesting ending. “Do you think things will?”

“Don’t know.”

I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. “I’ve really shown myself up this morning.”

“Yep.”

I opened my eyes to see his lips quirk into a small smile.

Mine did the same.

His dropped. “Whatever your reasons, take better care in how you say things.”

I guess the tepid moment we’d just shared was over. Rather than answer him, I saluted him.

The hint of a smile resurfaced. “Don’t spend too long out here without a jacket.”

“Do you care if I freeze?” I blurted.

He sighed and returned to the house.

There went my mouth again, winning me friends all over the place.

“Darn it,” I muttered, staying outside until Riley joined me, bringing my jacket with him.

“Thought you might be chilly,” he said.

“You thought right, honey,” I replied, taking my jacket. “Thanks.”

“Are you okay?”

“I will be.” I offered him a bright grin. “Come on. Let’s chase this shitty morning away with some training.”

“Good idea.”

Arm in arm, we went to work.

Chapter 14