Unlike Angel, Brenna didn’t ask for a ride. But she did hold out her hand and twine her fingers in Thallirin’s as they walked away.
“Why can’t you be nice like them?” I asked, finally facing Merdon.
“Because you don’t want nice. You’re not done punishing yourself.” He brushed the backs of his fingers over my cheek. “I saw you smile. It was real. You were real. I won’t stop until you’re that person again.”
“That person was a lie, drowning in her own pain.”
“Tell me your pain.”
“No.”
He didn’t try to stop me as I started toward the house, and I wasn’t surprised when he followed.
The house smelled like cookies when I opened the door.
“Any chance there are samples?” I called out as I kicked off my shoes.
“You’re just in time. Lots of samples and a big lunch. I hope you’re hungry.”
“Very.” It was weird to feel it. I hadn’t been as hungry as I was now in ages. It was probably all the fresh air.
She slid a plate of cookies onto the counter and turned to get something out of the oven.
“This is one of the dishes that I’m considering for our date menu, and I really need some feedback on it. Is it too fancy? Does it work for both human and fey palates? That kind of stuff.”
She set a pan of bloated pieces of meat wrapped with strings.
“What is it?” I asked suspiciously even as my mouth watered. It smelled good. Like roasted meat and something else.
“Not telling you until you take a bite.”
“It better not be dog food.”
“Be nice, Hannah,” Merdon warned.
I shot him a disgruntled look.
“I was being nice. How would you like it if she snuck veggies in your food?”
He grunted and looked at her.
“Stop being babies, the both of you. Just try it. If you don’t like it, you don’t have to eat it.”
She plated up two servings and passed them to us. I waited for Merdon to take the first bite. He chewed slowly, swallowed, and met my gaze.
“Eat.”
“Are you telling me that because you’re worried I won’t eat or because you like bossing me around?”
He set down his fork and turned in his chair.
“Eat or I will help you.”
I rolled my eyes at him and cut off a chunk, not nearly as large as the one he’d eaten.
“Make sure to get some of the middle,” Emily said, her gaze shifting between us.
The part she was referencing was a pale green. I wasn’t sure I trusted it. How many freezers had Katie and I opened only to gag and quickly close them because of rot?
Knowing they were both watching me, I shoved the bite in my mouth and tried to fast-chew. I paused on the second chomp as flavor hit my taste buds.
“Is that bacon?” I asked around my mouthful. “Pesto?”
She grinned and nodded. “Do you like it?”
I moaned and started cutting off another bite. “So good,” I said before stuffing it in my mouth.
She danced her joy around the kitchen then nudged the plate of cookies closer to me before producing a glass of milk. It was heaven. Pure heaven. When I picked up the last crumbs with my finger, my stomach was ready to pop.
“Could I ask one more favor? I know you hated the questions we came up with before, so I want your opinion on these.” She handed me a piece of paper. “It’s a ‘complete the sentence’ kind of thing where the girl would ask the guy to complete it.”
I looked down at the sheet.
The best part of living in Tolerance is…
I like it when you…
Right now I’m feeling…
I wish I could…
“If you think this method is better than the questions, I can come up with more,” she added.
I looked up at her, realizing how hurtful I’d been toward her when she’d only been trying to help other people.
“Emily, the questions were fine. I was being a bitch.”
“No, you were right. Some of them were lame, and some were too obvious. I don’t want to make anyone uncomfortable.”
“You know the fey have the ability to make anything uncomfortable, right?”
Her guilt-filled gaze shifted to Merdon. I looked at him, too, but didn’t feel any guilt.
“Let’s help Emily test this idea,” I said, turning toward him. “Please finish the following sentence: The best part of living in Tolerance is?”
“The best part of living in Tolerance is being with my brothers again.”
I glanced at Emily. “Not the answer I think most of the