Page 4 of Whispers of Wisteria (The Garden of Eternal Flowers #5)

I doubted that. It was only yesterday that Dr. Stephens was bragging about fae having inhuman levels of pain tolerance. He would surely be ashamed of my weakness.

Besides, there was no excuse that Damen could give for his absence that wouldn’t be embarrassing for me.

“Sit,” he commanded, touching my elbow and leading me into a seat. He was still speaking in that particular way that sent warmth up my neck, and he ignored the stares from the other patrons as he pulled out my chair. “I’ll get it.”

“But—” I began.

Did he even know what I drank? I wasn’t sure he’d paid that much attention. Before I could get his attention, he’d left for the back of the line, nose already buried into his monstrosity of a phone.

Still, this was nice, and I liked the attention. Additionally, thanks to his efforts, I had begun to feel like myself again.

But only God could save him if he returned with one of those espresso-spiked calamities he called a latte.

My phone vibrated, and I pulled it out. The tiny charms dangled against my wrist as I peered at the screen.

A text from Damen?

I peered at him—the man was pointedly ignoring me now.

Why was he texting me? We were ten feet away from each other!

Damen

Have I told you that you are a vision this morning? It’s almost like you dressed up this way just for me. If I had a rose for every beautiful thing about you, I’d be walking in my garden forever.

I lowered the phone slightly and narrowed my eyes at the man. Was he having a stroke?

He was the one who’d picked out my outfit: a simple dress decorated with ribbons. And while it might be a bit heavier on the lace than my usual, I wasn’t complaining.

We seemed to have similar tastes in clothes.

Or maybe he was trying to text someone else and sent the message to me instead.

I frowned as my hand suddenly started to shake. Now that the idea had taken root, I couldn’t let it go. If he was going to say stupid crap, I’d much rather it be toward me.

But slightly toned down. There was no need for theatrics.

Me

I want a mocha latte, please. You should get a decaf for yourself.

I smiled, sending the message. I, too, could flirt. Practicality was the key. Someone had to look after his health and think of long-term matters.

I would be nothing like his other women who only cared about what could be achieved at that moment.

Damen

What are you implying?

My body stiffened in alarm. He looked at me now, a deep frown etched onto his expression.

This was so stupid. Why couldn’t we talk in person and end this nonsensical conversation? But as I stood, he waved at me, gesturing for me to sit back down.

He moved closer to the front of the line as I typed my reply.

Me

That I care about your health?

Damen’s lips quirked as he read the response, and the dark cloud suddenly lifted.

Damen

Compassionate and beautiful, you’re truly my equal in every way.

I furrowed my brow, and a strange sense of indignation rose in me. What did that even mean? It was flirty, yet somehow insulting, as if Damen viewed everyone else beneath him.

I glanced back up. He stood tall, his shoulders squared, and spoke assuredly to the barista. Even as he ordered our drinks, he was confident. Regardless of his actions, the man never failed to fill the room with authority.

He probably did believe everyone was beneath him. That was an utterly Damen-like attitude to have. Just how had he become so arrogant?

“Will you stop staring at my brother?” Finn slipped into Damen’s seat—which was, of course, Finn’s usual seat from forever ago when this was our spot and we were friends.

Not that anyone was keeping tabs.

He sighed. “Everyone is going to think you’re in love with him, and the whole plan will be ruined.”

Love?

“W-what?” I sputtered, fighting to calm my racing heart. Wherever would Finn get that impression? Romantic love for the onmyoji was the furthest thing from my mind.

Damen Abernathy had a lot growing up to do before he was ready for love.

Then there were my issues.

“You have no idea what I was thinking!” I whisper-hissed across the table.

Why was he here? Didn’t he have sinister things to be doing?

“I was trying to use the library at home, but it’s difficult to concentrate with Bryce hanging around.

Besides, it’s easy to read your expressions.

Your nose was wrinkled, and your eyebrow was twitching.

” Finn leaned back in his seat, locking his fingers behind his head.

“You were making fun of him, which, I admit, isn’t hard to do.

He has that kind of personality. However, the fact that you’re harping about it also means you care.

If you’re not interested in a person, you ignore their existence. ”

How dare he presume to know anything about me? Besides, he was wrong. “I insult you all the time,” I pointed out.

If that were the case, it would mean that I liked Finn, which was totally and completely untrue.

“Right…” Finn’s expression closed. “There’s a fine line between love and hate.”

“I hate you,” I told him, and I hoped he’d never forget it.

“That’s my seat.” Damen was suddenly standing at our table with two paper cups in his hands. He scowled at his brother.

Finn frowned at him and pushed his glasses with his pointer finger. The air around us seemed still as he responded, “I was here first.”

Damen narrowed his eyes.

“I’m here now,” he said, tone dropping an octave. His sudden change in his voice caused my stomach to tighten and a tingle to run down the back of my spine. He placed a white cup in front of me. The comforting smell of chocolate filled my senses, but I didn’t move to get my drink yet.

What was this foreboding air?

Damen’s sultry voice didn’t affect Finn, which was probably a good thing. In fact, since Damen wasn’t even looking at me, I doubted he was even meaning to be seductive at all.

“So?” Finn scowled and crossed his arms on the top of the table. “What are you going to do about it?”

Damen’s posture shifted, and the darkness began to recede just a little. I was finally able to move. I grasped my coffee, holding it tightly between my hands. I looked between the two of them while hiding my mouth behind the drink.

This was a fight between brothers. Who was I to intervene?

Besides, I’d been hoping to see the two of them come to blows. Damen had spent so long trying to excuse Finn’s behavior that it’d gotten old. And—unlike Julian—I could trust Damen not to murder the blonde.

But Finn was a very skilled martial artist. Could Damen defeat him? The older brother was a bit spoiled, which could have made him soft.

I wasn’t entirely sure who’d win.

I didn’t like not being sure. Now, I needed to know—for my own edification.

Finn broke their staring contest first.

“You’re completely clueless; even the Overseers come to me first. Despite what you think, you’ve no chance of winning until you get your head out of your ass and pay attention. Anyone can see that.” Finn pointed at me. “Even Bianca’s not rooting for you.”

“Hey!” I protested, lowering my coffee back to the table. My face grew warm as Damen’s gaze landed on me. “I never said that! I’m always on your side.”

“But you think Finn is more responsible.” Damen’s frown turned into an all-out scowl.

That wasn’t necessarily correct, but it wasn’t entirely wrong, either. Even when manipulating me and doing evil things, Finn had done so with a religious dedication that only the truly committed could pull off.

I had yet to see Damen see anything through. Then again, I also hadn’t known him very long and he was a complicated man.

Who knew what was going on inside his head?

Finn’s mouth curled. “See?” He sounded so proud.

Damen’s confident expression dropped, and guilt twisted my stomach into knots. I’d never meant to hurt his feelings.

“No!” I twisted in my seat and grabbed Damen’s sleeve.

He was the one who’d started everything.

He’d brought me out of the dark place where I’d been.

Sure, he didn’t take no for an answer, but if it hadn’t been for that, I’d be nowhere.

Damen had a way of pushing past boundaries and achieving the impossible.

It was his infectious energy that made everything happen.

After all, he’d convinced me to be his friend, hadn’t he?

“I believe in you!” I told him, and his eyes widened. “I do! You can do anything when you put your mind to it!”

Like now, even with the power of my will, I was confident that he could beat Finn to a bloody pulp.

Damen blinked and shook his head, his glasses briefly reflecting the bright café lights. “Well, that’s good to know,” he stumbled over his words, moving back an inch.

The man usually oozed assurance, so I couldn’t imagine why he was faltering now. The air between us grew warmer. “What’s wrong with you?”

“Nothing.” He cleared his throat, no longer meeting my eyes.

My pulse was beginning to race. I pulled his hand, trying to undo whatever this was between us now. “What—?”

“Oh, this is just disgusting.” Brayden appeared, slapping his hands on the surface of the table. His voice lacked his usual light-natured timbre, and his normally playful eyes blazed. “I’m taking my break and have to walk in to see this? My sister-in-law is off-limits, Abernathy!”

“What?” Damen blinked and stepped back, pulling himself out of my reach as I grasped air. My discomfort grew as I began to notice our surroundings again.

We were still in a public place, and more than half the room’s inhabitants watched us with undisguised curiosity. There was even a group of girls in the corner, pointing in our direction.

“And you!” Brayden rounded on Finn, who was sitting back in his seat, glaring at the table. “How could you let this happen?”

“Why do you think I’m here?” Finn clenched his teeth. “There’s only so much I can do. It’s like he doesn’t even care.”

At this, the dumbfounded look faded from Damen’s eyes, and his jaw locked. “I care.”

“Well, you have a strange way of showing it. Your irresponsibility astounds me,” Brayden snapped.

Then he turned to me.

His eyes seemed brighter, and his skin seemed to glow. I froze, suddenly unable to breathe. He studied me briefly before he looked at Damen again.

“If she becomes a target, don’t make the mistake of thinking your rank alone will save you,” Brayden continued. “Bryce and I let the incident in the forest go, but we won’t overlook such a huge lapse in judgment again.”

He’d threatened Damen before, but that seemed more like good-natured fun.

This, however, was not a joke.

“Brayden?” What was wrong?

He moved at the sound of my voice. He grabbed my arm and pulled me up. I stumbled to my feet, falling onto him, but he hardly seemed to notice.

Although from the way that Finn’s eyebrows suddenly drew together and Damen’s jaw tightened, the two of them had seen.

“Hey—” Damen lowered his head, and his tone held the hint of a warning.

But Brayden interrupted him as he grabbed my purse. “She’s not yours,” he said, voice louder. He moved back, pulling me with him, and his fingers shook around my arm. “So stay away.”

I expected either Abernathy to respond, but neither did. Instead, my last glimpse into the coffee shop was of Finn’s slightly apologetic frown and Damen looking away, dark fury pouring off him in waves.