Page 36 of Starfall

“I’m going to use your bathtub,” she announced too loudly. “Anything I can wear to bed?” My mouth fell as she gracefully glided to the bathroom door before looking over her shoulder at me expectantly. “Elias?”

How could she act so put together when I felt on the verge of falling out of my damned chair?

I’d gone from having one of my immobilizing episodes to kissing the hell out of her. In the past, when I had those visions, I rode them out, living that day of pain on a loop. This had been the first time someone else pulled me out.

I didn’t want to have this conversation, but Ari continued to gaze at me.

For a fraction of a second, her cold mask slipped, and her brows furrowed as though she were concerned for me.

The idea unsettled me the most. How could she feel such tenderness when she’d seen the true me?

She hadn’t cared that I wasn’t always nice or gentlemanly.

If I’d been anything but polite at times.

I didn’t fake it with Ari, yet she still seemed worried.

It took every bit of concentration I possessed to get up from the kitchen chair and make my way to my dresser.

Yanking out my favorite white button-down shirt, I closed the distance. “Here,” I said, handing it out to her. “I just cleaned this one.”

I sounded like a fool, but I sighed when she accepted my offering. She didn’t spare me another look as she dipped into the bathroom and closed the door behind her.

An image burst to life of Ari wearing my clothing. The shirt would probably reach her upper thighs. In my vision, she’d left the top buttons undone, her long silver hair flowing over her breasts, shielding?—

“I’m losing my damned mind.” I sucked in a sharp breath.

I stumbled over to the bed and sat down. Scrubbing my hands over my face, I wondered what the living fuck had come over me. But the messed-up part was that I already knew. And I detested myself for thinking about knocking on that door at that very moment.

“It was only a dream,” I repeated, grabbing a pillow and blanket.

The sound of the tub filling echoed in the apartment, and I glared at the closed door before lowering myself to the ground and shoving the pillow beneath my head.

The damned blanket made me too hot, so I cast it away and rolled over to my side.

By the time she emerged, I pretended to be asleep. Even when she stomped around the room and turned off all the gas lamps before finally climbing into bed— my bed.

I didn’t fall asleep until nearly dawn.

The smell of eggs woke me. Peering over my shoulder, I found Ari in my shirt, the hem barely covering her bottom. I considered pretending to sleep all day. Last night…last night confused the hell out of me in ways I didn’t want to name.

“I know you’re awake!” Ari singsonged. “Your snoring stopped. Thank the Eternal.”

I frowned. “I don’t snore.”

“Oh, you so do.” I flipped over. She stood barefoot in my kitchen with two plates of scrambled eggs. “Now get up and eat before this gets cold.”

She took her seat and dug in, not waiting for me. Warily, I got to my feet, still fully clothed from yesterday. I probably appeared a mess, but Ari…she beamed in the morning light as it slanted through the windows, her silver eyes flicking up to meet mine. They, too, shone brilliantly.

Assuming my seat, I picked up my fork and shoved some eggs into my mouth. If I focused on the damned eggs, I wouldn’t focus on last night.

Which was a lie. Even as I chewed, the memory haunted me.

Ari watched me the entire time, her hands framing her face as she waited for my opinion. “Well?”

I hid my grimace at the crunch of broken eggshells. “It’s, um, perfect. Thank you.”

“You’re nice when you’re fed.” She smoothed down her— my —shirt and resumed eating. Apparently, she didn’t care if her eggs came with a crunch.

“So,” I began, gripping my fork so tightly I feared it would bend. Act like normal , I chastised myself. I had to pull my shit together. “I didn’t forget about the man you told me about. I wanted to ask you to tell me if he returns.”

Ari hummed and crossed her legs, her face scrunched in thought.

Don’t look at her legs, don’t look at her legs…

Shit. I looked at her legs. Her soft thighs pressed together, my shirt barely covering her sweet core. Before she caught me ogling her, I forced another mouthful of the eggs into my mouth.

She eventually nodded, seeming to not have noticed my obvious discomfort. If she peeked beneath the table, she’d see just how uncomfortable I actually was. “I will. I need to find out for certain if it’s the Eternal testing me.”

The bastard seemed to like doing that. He’d already shown his lack of empathy by forsaking Ari and her sisters; his own damned creations he was supposed to protect.

“I thought the same, that he could be testing you,” I admitted, shifting in my chair.

My body refused to cooperate. “But we need to be on alert should he return. If it’s not him, then we have to uncover his true identity.

I don’t like the idea of another… being approaching you in a dressing room.

” The sheer possession in my tone shouldn’t belong there, and we both knew it.

Her chin lifted, and the intensity swimming in her stare stole the air from my lungs. The metallic shade reminded me of Lake Sian. I practically grew up there hunting with Father.

“And uh…” I stumbled, looking at my plate rather than into those haunting eyes. I knew I should tell her the next part, but for some inane reason, I hesitated.

“Yes?” She gulped down some water she’d filled from the sink. For all appearances, she seemed unaffected by what transpired. Maybe she was, and I was the one losing my head.

“I saw Grace yesterday.”

Ari put down her fork, the metal clattering against the ceramic plate. We sat three feet apart, but it suddenly felt like a mile. Garnering the courage, I lifted my chin.

“And?” she pressed, her lips thinning.

“She saw me.” My throat constricted at the memory. “She was in her carriage, but she saw me through the window. I think she mouthed my name, but she seemed confused almost?” ‘Confused,’ was a pleasant word to name her response.

Ari stood up suddenly and went to the sink to refill her glass. I didn’t have the chance to tell her how Grace barely seemed to care that I’d found her at all. Or that I hadn’t been as gutted as I thought I would be.

“That’s…something.” Ari took a few more sips before leaving the glass in the sink. Spinning around, she plastered on one of the fakest smiles I’d seen her wear. It didn’t light up her eyes and make them shine.

I ran a hand through my hair, the ends no doubt sticking out. “Yeah. It was odd.”

Even the defense sounded weak to me. Ari hummed, not saying a word.

Returning to her chair, she peered out the window.

I watched her for a few moments, soaking her in.

She had yet to tell me more details about what occurred with the thugs and Liv.

I didn’t press her, not when the tension eased out of her shoulders and glimpses of her bare skin turned golden in the sunlight. She looked so peaceful.

I’d corner Liv later today. She’d be more forthcoming.

Grabbing my fork, I resumed eating the soggy and crunchy eggs. Still, I couldn’t remember the last time someone had cooked for me.

It was just a dream .

Cleaning my plate, I pulled my gaze from Ari and stood. Walking to my dresser, I wordlessly grabbed some clothes and entered the bathroom to get ready for the new day.

Nothing had changed. Even if I’d started questioning things, it didn’t matter, anyway. Ari had to grant my wish or her sisters’ lives were at risk. And if I didn’t at least speak with Grace, I’d never uncover the truth of her affection…or lack thereof.

Either way, life would do what it did best—be cruel.