Page 46 of Toxic Revenge: Part Two

“Thanks, Vi.”

She sighed as I walked away, my shoes crunching on the gravel.

I hated that she was getting through to me. It was safer to live in my bubble where I could keep everyone safe, where everything was my fault, and not out of my control.

But everyone kept saying I was wrong. That I shouldn’t blame myself.

And if everyone claimed I was wrong… how could I be right?

Chapter

Sixteen

TALIA

Before I could check on the guys and their meeting with our fathers, Mira and I ran into Violet. She’d shyly offered to give us a full tour of the Residence facility—ballroom and rooftop garden included—and I hadn’t been able to say no.

I was pissed off at West for leaving me, anyway. He deserved to sweat under my fathers’ scrutiny.

The other two, not as much, but I was sure they’d come back unscathed. Mostly. Maybe a tad more nervous than usual.

We’d wandered the ballroom first, with Violet giving descriptions of how it was set up for the yearly gala. All the residents helped with setup, even if they didn’t attend the event itself. It was easy to envision it in all of its grandeur.

Maybe I would attend the next fundraising gala here.

The thought had sent a shiver of anxiety up my spine, so I hadn’t spent too much time considering it.

I missed the scents of my nest and my mates but found that as long as I kept moving and stayed distracted, I could keep Benjamin out. His dark emotions settled on the edges of mymind, but they weren’t able to manifest into that soul-sucking black hole from before.

Especially not once I stepped out onto the rooftop garden.

I’d fallen in love immediately with the jungle of plants, even while they were nothing more than leafless versions of themselves, hibernating for the winter. I could imagine it in spring in all its glory, a utopia of life and light.

Violet had headed back downstairs to grab a jacket, but I hadn’t been able to leave. Not for a second. The only thing that would pull me from this haven was my mates and the lure of another long night of sleep in my temporary nest.

“I bet Mom loves this place,” Mira mused. We sat on a porch swing with a view of the entire garden, gently rocking back and forth. “She visits here once a year to donate, right?”

“I think so. Last I remember, she usually visits in the spring.”

She didn’t attend big events like galas much, so I doubted she came to the fundraiser. Mom wouldn’t feel comfortable donating blindly without ensuring her money was going to a good cause, though.

I kicked my legs back and forth, the swing going faster with every kick. When we had good momentum, I brought my legs up onto the swing and tucked them under me, sitting cross-legged.

Closing my eyes, I paid attention to the rocking motion, the faint breeze, the sounds of birds and the burgeoning chirps of crickets as they began to wake up. The garden’s natural aroma reminded me of Conrad’s scent, and I honed in on the connection to ground me.

By the time the swing slowed to a halt, I scented a hint of smoke in the air. I opened my eyes to see West standing a distance away, a brooding expression on his face and his arms crossed over his chest.

Mira snickered and stood. “Are you planning on telling him off?”

His eyes narrowed. He wasn’t far enough away that he couldn’t hear us.

“Yes. If he wants to run, he should do it now.” I lifted an eyebrow at him.

He didn’t move closer, but he didn’t leave the garden, either.

Mira rubbed her hands up her arms. “Well, if he’s staying, I’m getting my ass inside. Not all of us have excess body heat from being post-heat. It’s freezing out here.”

I glanced down at my outfit of sweatpants and a t-shirt. My arms didn’t have a single goosebump. “Come see me again tomorrow.”