eating disorder, but that didn’t change who I really was. It broke my heart that he didn’t see that.
“Nate, maybe the two of you should talk this out alone,” Sierra said softly when I looked away to hide the pain in my eyes. “I’ll just step out into the hall…”
When neither Nathan nor I answered her, she left the room without another word. I didn’t know whether to be ecstatic that she was gone or terrified that she had left me alone with Nathan. In the end, I decided to be jealous instead. At least that was a normal, human, reaction.
“You two seem friendly,” I said waspishly as I walked to the window and stared out at the watery blue sky.
“We’ve known each other for a while,” Nathan said, sounding tired.
What did that mean? They were friends? Had they been more than friends? I closed my eyes and shook my head at that thought. I didn’t want to think about Nathan in the arms of that beautiful creature. That mental picture would never go away if I did.
“Em, Sierra can—” Nathan began, but I talked right over him.
“I’ve got this under control,” I hurried out, not wanting to hear about what Sierra Lovell could or couldn’t do. “I’ve got a plan. I’m going to ask Kim and Blake to help me, and Tyler’s doing a great job of keeping me on schedule with my meds. I really don’t need your Barbie’s help, Nathan.”
“She isn’t ‘my’ anything,” Natha n sighed, sounding exasperated. “Em, Kim can’t help you. Blake can’t help you. And, obviously, since you entranced me yesterday and tried to feed, Jordan can’t help you, either. But Sierra can . Let her help you. You owe me that much.”
I owed him? What else could I possibly give him? I had given him my heart, my body, my soul, my forgiveness. I had given him my trust even after he’d branded me. I had given him everything I was or would ever be.
And he had left me .
“ I owe you ,” I repeated, not liking the way those words tasted on my lips. “What do I owe you, Nathan? I’ve given you everything. And what did I get in return? When I needed you the most, you weren’t here . So, tell me. What else do you want from me?”
For a long moment, he just looked at me, and the sadness in his eyes broke my heart. I tried to look away when my mark started to thrum gently, but I couldn’t.
“I want my soul mate back,” he finally said, his voice barely a breath in the sudden stillness of the room, even as his thoughts whispered sadly, I want you to go back to that night and choose me , us, rather than Jack.
That thought shocked me so much that I gasped out loud. I had never chosen Jack over him. Every time I’d had a choice to make, I’d always chosen him . I would always choose him.
Then choose him now, another voice said in my mind. Let the Barbie help you. It’s the only way you’re going to be able to work this out. So stop being a stubborn twit and tell him you’ll do it.
As much as I hated to admit it, that voice had a good point. If I was ever going to be able to get close to Nathan again, I had to learn how to control the thing inside me. And wasn’t that what I wanted? To be close to him again, for things to be the way they were?
“Em— ” Nathan began, but I shook my head with a sigh, cutting him off.
“She can stay,” I said, dropping my eyes from his at long last.
“And you’ll at least try to learn from her?” he asked, sounding hopeful.
“ I guess so.”
“And you won’t be stubborn about it?”
“I’ll do my best,” I promised through tightly clenched teeth. “Just tell her to keep her claws sheathed, and I’ll try to do the same.”
“I guess that’s all I can ask,” he said with a soft, sad-sounding, chuckle. “I promise, Em, you won’t be sorry.”
I nodded, but as I watched him walk out the door , I didn’t hold out a lot of hope that he was right and I
“Nate, maybe the two of you should talk this out alone,” Sierra said softly when I looked away to hide the pain in my eyes. “I’ll just step out into the hall…”
When neither Nathan nor I answered her, she left the room without another word. I didn’t know whether to be ecstatic that she was gone or terrified that she had left me alone with Nathan. In the end, I decided to be jealous instead. At least that was a normal, human, reaction.
“You two seem friendly,” I said waspishly as I walked to the window and stared out at the watery blue sky.
“We’ve known each other for a while,” Nathan said, sounding tired.
What did that mean? They were friends? Had they been more than friends? I closed my eyes and shook my head at that thought. I didn’t want to think about Nathan in the arms of that beautiful creature. That mental picture would never go away if I did.
“Em, Sierra can—” Nathan began, but I talked right over him.
“I’ve got this under control,” I hurried out, not wanting to hear about what Sierra Lovell could or couldn’t do. “I’ve got a plan. I’m going to ask Kim and Blake to help me, and Tyler’s doing a great job of keeping me on schedule with my meds. I really don’t need your Barbie’s help, Nathan.”
“She isn’t ‘my’ anything,” Natha n sighed, sounding exasperated. “Em, Kim can’t help you. Blake can’t help you. And, obviously, since you entranced me yesterday and tried to feed, Jordan can’t help you, either. But Sierra can . Let her help you. You owe me that much.”
I owed him? What else could I possibly give him? I had given him my heart, my body, my soul, my forgiveness. I had given him my trust even after he’d branded me. I had given him everything I was or would ever be.
And he had left me .
“ I owe you ,” I repeated, not liking the way those words tasted on my lips. “What do I owe you, Nathan? I’ve given you everything. And what did I get in return? When I needed you the most, you weren’t here . So, tell me. What else do you want from me?”
For a long moment, he just looked at me, and the sadness in his eyes broke my heart. I tried to look away when my mark started to thrum gently, but I couldn’t.
“I want my soul mate back,” he finally said, his voice barely a breath in the sudden stillness of the room, even as his thoughts whispered sadly, I want you to go back to that night and choose me , us, rather than Jack.
That thought shocked me so much that I gasped out loud. I had never chosen Jack over him. Every time I’d had a choice to make, I’d always chosen him . I would always choose him.
Then choose him now, another voice said in my mind. Let the Barbie help you. It’s the only way you’re going to be able to work this out. So stop being a stubborn twit and tell him you’ll do it.
As much as I hated to admit it, that voice had a good point. If I was ever going to be able to get close to Nathan again, I had to learn how to control the thing inside me. And wasn’t that what I wanted? To be close to him again, for things to be the way they were?
“Em— ” Nathan began, but I shook my head with a sigh, cutting him off.
“She can stay,” I said, dropping my eyes from his at long last.
“And you’ll at least try to learn from her?” he asked, sounding hopeful.
“ I guess so.”
“And you won’t be stubborn about it?”
“I’ll do my best,” I promised through tightly clenched teeth. “Just tell her to keep her claws sheathed, and I’ll try to do the same.”
“I guess that’s all I can ask,” he said with a soft, sad-sounding, chuckle. “I promise, Em, you won’t be sorry.”
I nodded, but as I watched him walk out the door , I didn’t hold out a lot of hope that he was right and I
Similar Books
