Read Online The Fire and the Veil (Veronica Barry Book 2) by Sophia Martin - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Sophia Martin
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into your life much.”
“Oh.” She dropped her eyes, studying the patterns of the rock that pushed up through the sand. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be,” he said. “You take good care of yourself. That’s a good thing. It’s become pretty important to me that you be… okay.”
“Only okay?” she asked.
He chuckled. “Well, it’s good starting point. Ecstatically happy is my ultimate goal.”
“Better,” she said. “Do you think I’m high maintenance?”
The question was out of her mouth before she considered whether to ask it, and she felt her cheeks burn.
Daniel didn’t seem taken aback, however. He furrowed his brow and his eyes traveled over her.
“Not in the traditional sense,” he said slowly. “I mean, you don’t spend hours on your hair or get manicures every week. But maybe you are, in another way. I mean, you are different from any of the women I’ve known before.”
Veronica’s heart was beating faster—it felt unpleasant, and she was uncomfortable. So he did think she was high maintenance. Difficult. Not physically high maintenance—no. An emotional mess. Lovely.
“See, this is where I wish I was psychic,” Daniel said. “What are you thinking right now, Miss Barry?”
“Oh, nothing,” she said, trying to sound cheerful. “I—uh—I just appreciate your honesty.” She gave a firm nod.
Daniel pursed his lips and looked up at the sky. “Okay. Dating-speak 101. ‘Nothing’ means you’re pissed. Let me try this again.” He took a deep breath and caught her hand as she stepped away from him. “Ronnie, wait, please.”
“No, really, it’s okay. You’ve had to deal with a lot of mixed messages… I get it.” She turned away from him, but let him keep hold of her hand.
“I didn’t mean to make it sound like you were hard to be around or something,” he said. “I lo—like how you are. You’re unpredictable, but your heart is always in the right place. You may run a little hot and cold, and I’m hoping eventually that switches to all hot all of the time, but you’re complex and that makes you an interesting person. You’re very real. And you have this added quality of knowing things, and hearing and seeing things that I can’t, and that really makes things interesting.”
She peered at him over her shoulder, through a few strands of dark hair. “So you like the psychic thing.”
“Yes!” he said. “I never believed in anything I couldn’t hear or touch or see for myself, until I met you. You’ve opened up all of these amazing possibilities.”
“Would you like me as much without it?”
Daniel sighed. “Yes. I liked you before I believed you had it. When I thought you were maybe a little nutty, or well-meaning but recovering from a traumatic experience… either way, I liked you when I thought you weren’t a psychic.”
Veronica let out a breath she hadn’t noticed she was holding. “That’s something, I guess,” she said. She still felt like he either saw her as mentally unstable or as some sort of alien. But at least he liked both options.
And let’s be real, she told herself. You are a pretty volatile person a lot of the time these days. Not angry or dangerous, but prone to mood swings.
Usually prompted by something the spirits shared with her, but the reasons didn’t make much of a difference when it came to defining her behavior. If Daniel could deal with that, shouldn’t she just be glad?
“I’m sorry I’m being so insecure,” she said, turning around to face him. “I’ve been on my own for a really long time. It’s… different, being around someone who knows about my ability and accepts it and still wants to hang out with me. I’m still getting used to accepting it.”
“Melanie doesn’t seem to have any trouble.”
“No, she doesn’t. Melanie’s been fine with my ‘gift’ for a lot longer than I have.”
“Funny how that kind of thing works out sometimes.”
“Yeah.”
Harry chose that moment to scoop up a
“Oh.” She dropped her eyes, studying the patterns of the rock that pushed up through the sand. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be,” he said. “You take good care of yourself. That’s a good thing. It’s become pretty important to me that you be… okay.”
“Only okay?” she asked.
He chuckled. “Well, it’s good starting point. Ecstatically happy is my ultimate goal.”
“Better,” she said. “Do you think I’m high maintenance?”
The question was out of her mouth before she considered whether to ask it, and she felt her cheeks burn.
Daniel didn’t seem taken aback, however. He furrowed his brow and his eyes traveled over her.
“Not in the traditional sense,” he said slowly. “I mean, you don’t spend hours on your hair or get manicures every week. But maybe you are, in another way. I mean, you are different from any of the women I’ve known before.”
Veronica’s heart was beating faster—it felt unpleasant, and she was uncomfortable. So he did think she was high maintenance. Difficult. Not physically high maintenance—no. An emotional mess. Lovely.
“See, this is where I wish I was psychic,” Daniel said. “What are you thinking right now, Miss Barry?”
“Oh, nothing,” she said, trying to sound cheerful. “I—uh—I just appreciate your honesty.” She gave a firm nod.
Daniel pursed his lips and looked up at the sky. “Okay. Dating-speak 101. ‘Nothing’ means you’re pissed. Let me try this again.” He took a deep breath and caught her hand as she stepped away from him. “Ronnie, wait, please.”
“No, really, it’s okay. You’ve had to deal with a lot of mixed messages… I get it.” She turned away from him, but let him keep hold of her hand.
“I didn’t mean to make it sound like you were hard to be around or something,” he said. “I lo—like how you are. You’re unpredictable, but your heart is always in the right place. You may run a little hot and cold, and I’m hoping eventually that switches to all hot all of the time, but you’re complex and that makes you an interesting person. You’re very real. And you have this added quality of knowing things, and hearing and seeing things that I can’t, and that really makes things interesting.”
She peered at him over her shoulder, through a few strands of dark hair. “So you like the psychic thing.”
“Yes!” he said. “I never believed in anything I couldn’t hear or touch or see for myself, until I met you. You’ve opened up all of these amazing possibilities.”
“Would you like me as much without it?”
Daniel sighed. “Yes. I liked you before I believed you had it. When I thought you were maybe a little nutty, or well-meaning but recovering from a traumatic experience… either way, I liked you when I thought you weren’t a psychic.”
Veronica let out a breath she hadn’t noticed she was holding. “That’s something, I guess,” she said. She still felt like he either saw her as mentally unstable or as some sort of alien. But at least he liked both options.
And let’s be real, she told herself. You are a pretty volatile person a lot of the time these days. Not angry or dangerous, but prone to mood swings.
Usually prompted by something the spirits shared with her, but the reasons didn’t make much of a difference when it came to defining her behavior. If Daniel could deal with that, shouldn’t she just be glad?
“I’m sorry I’m being so insecure,” she said, turning around to face him. “I’ve been on my own for a really long time. It’s… different, being around someone who knows about my ability and accepts it and still wants to hang out with me. I’m still getting used to accepting it.”
“Melanie doesn’t seem to have any trouble.”
“No, she doesn’t. Melanie’s been fine with my ‘gift’ for a lot longer than I have.”
“Funny how that kind of thing works out sometimes.”
“Yeah.”
Harry chose that moment to scoop up a
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