Page 122 of Whispers of Wisteria

There was a bruise where I’d hit her.

“Um…” Her voice was shaky, and my attention moved to her mouth. She touched my wrist. “Y-yeah?”

I grabbed her hand. “Come with me.”

She didn’t protest when I led her down the stairs and pulled her into an empty classroom.

When I let her go, she began to pull on her sleeve. I didn’t think she realized she was doing it.

Something in my stomach twisted.

“I’m sorry,” I told her, and her gaze lifted from the floor. Her back was to the door, and she leaned back slightly when I cupped her cheek. I touched my thumb to the corner of her mouth as she blinked up at me. “Gregory was right, I should have been paying more attention.”

“Ah—” she began, looking away. I knew what she was about to say before she said it. “It’s not a big deal.”

It was.

As if I didn’t feel guilty enough, Gregory’s not-so-subtle reminder rang through my head. We were human, but not. And she was a fae.

She had no idea of her worth.

“I’ll decide that,” I said. I touched my forehead to hers and closed my eyes.

“I—I should have stayed out of it,” she began. “I didn’t think.”

“Next time, think,” I told her. “But I still should have seen it.”

“You’re not mad at me?” Bianca asked, her voice wavering.

I opened my eyes and leaned back.

She was watching me, tight with tension, and I realized she really thought I might be.

“No,” I said. “As long as you don’t do it again, baby girl.”

Bianca sucked in a breath and nodded.

“I never want you to look at me like that again.”

She froze, but then I could see her fraying. She pulled on a piece of her hair. “I—I’m not s-sure…”

“Never,” I interrupted. I didn’t need her to explain—not if it made her that nervous. I just needed her to know. “I won’t be the cause of it.”

She looked at the floor, blinking. “O-okay,” she said softly.

She’d agreed, but I didn’t think she understood. No matter how long it took, I would make her feel safe again.

Bianca POV

My phone chimed in the early afternoon the following day while I was lurking in the library coffee shop.

Unknown Number

Please come to my office when you have a moment.

I bit my lip. Did Uncle Gregory get a new line? He hadn’t let up on his messages and calls demanding that I see him. So it wouldn’t surprise me.

I thought about ignoring it, but then… what if it wasn’t?