according to the fey rumor mill. Would that have been Katie’s fate if I’d died in her place? I shuddered to think it.
Unable to go back to sleep with those thoughts circling in my head, I got up and went downstairs to watch another movie. By the time it ended, the sun kissed the horizon, and scuffles of noise from upstairs told me Emily was awake.
She didn’t seem surprised to see me on the couch when she came down.
“Rough night?” she asked.
“Yeah. As usual. When do you think Merdon will be back?”
She paused in her process of pulling out ingredients for something and gave me an odd look.
“Missing him?” she asked.
“Yeah. I don’t get it myself, but I’m missing him like crazy. Staying busy is the only thing keeping me sane.”
She was quiet for a moment.
“Do you think you love him?”
“Love him?” My tone said the idea was crazy, but the way my heart raced and the wave of heat that engulfed me from head to toe made me stop and think.
“I don’t know,” I said after a moment. “Everything is still so confusing. My dreams. Being alive. It doesn’t make sense to fall for someone right now, you know?”
“If he were a human, I might agree. But he’s fey. When he leaves these walls, you don’t have to worry about whether he’s coming back or not. Why wouldn’t you want to fall for someone who’s that stable?”
“If he’s so stable, why’d he leave?”
And I knew that was only part of the issue.
“Why, when I’d just started to feel things for him?” I asked softly.
“I don’t know, but the hurt on your face makes me want to kick him in the nuts. I don’t regret letting him in, though. I haven’t agreed with most of his decisions when it came to you, but he’s been so good for you, Hannah. Let’s be patient and see what he says when he comes back. And if a nut-kicking is in order, I’m your girl.”
I snorted a laugh and helped her throw together a quick oatmeal bake.
“What are we going to do if he is the one for me?” I asked, leaning against the counter. “Does that mean you and I need to stop being roommates?” Most of the single fey had their own houses in preparation for the females they hoped to have one day. Merdon didn’t, and I had a feeling that meant he planned to stay here.
“I think Merdon won’t care, either way. I mean, you remember how they dropped their pants in front of us all by the lake, right? And how they tell each other everything? They don’t hold to modesty and privacy like we do.”
“What about you?” I asked. “Would you want to stay here?” I didn’t quite manage to keep my feelings out of my tone.
“Yes, I want to stay,” Emily said, coming around the counter to hug me tightly. “I’m not ready to leave you, and I’m glad you’re not ready either. But when you are, you can tell me to take a hike, and I won’t mind at all because that’ll mean you’re happy. That’s all I’ve ever wanted for you.”
I could feel that pre-cry tingle in my nose and quickly pulled away from her.
“Good. It’s settled. Merdon can move in, but he gets to sleep on the couch until we decide how hard to kick him in the balls.”
She let me escape to practice and promised to have lunch ready when I got home.
Outside, the air had turned colder again, but I didn’t mind. Two warmer days in a row had been enough to melt the snow from almost everything. Avoiding a cow pie in the middle of the street, I made my way to the practice lot and waved to the girls already waiting for me.
I smiled at Tasha’s tired yawn.
“How late did you guys stay up?” I asked.
“Brog saw you and Tor leave last night and knocked on the door to ask if he could watch a movie with us, too,” Brenna said.
“Then one fey multiplied into twenty,” Tasha said.
“Heard you introduced them to some zombie movies,” Eden said.
“Yep. Only the comedy ones.”
“Because she thought I’d be scared. Like the movies are any scarier than real life,” Tasha said, rolling her eyes.
“Hey, girls!” Angel called from Shax’s arms as he jogged toward us. “Heard you all had a party last night.”
“Yep,” Brenna said. “Party at your house tonight.”
Shax said no as Angel said yes, and we all laughed.