Page 103 of Vengeful Guard

“All right. And I'll give you an answer about moving back later, too.”

“Aye. I love you, Paige.”

My brother isn’t one for ‘I love yous,’ so it takes me a little off guard.

“I love you, too, Declan.”

I hang up the phone and sigh, running my hands over my face.

“Are you all right? Your da?—”

I turn around to face Kael. “He’s the same. No changes for the worse or the better.”

Kael sits up, scratching at his chest, and my eyes dive toward his waistband and then back up to his face. He would usually smirk at that, make a joke, but his face stays blank.

“They want me to move back into the mansion.”

Please tell me I shouldn’t. Tell me you want us to stay here. Tell me you want me, too.

“Wouldn't that be for the best, given everything? You’ll have more protection.”

My heart breaks a little. “What, you don’t think you can protect me on your own?”

“I used to think so.” His words are grumbled so low I don’t think he meant for me to hear them.

He gets up without another word, heading for the bathroom.

What does that mean? Why is he so cold this morning?

I need to talk about this to someone. No, not just someone. I’ve got to tell Lara. I have avoided her long enough. I can’t do it anymore.

I pack an overnight bag, not sure if I’m going to actually be moving in or not. When Kael comes downstairs, I’m already dressed.

“You decided to move back to the mansion?”

“Not yet. But I want to go over for the night. Talk to Lara.”

If Kael wonders what I want to talk to my sister about, he doesn’t show it. In fact, his face doesn’t show anything at all.

He’s dead silent on the drive to the Burke mansion, and he doesn’t follow me up the stairs when I head to Lara’s room.

I knock gently on the door, and she opens it, her eyes puffy, and her face pale, like she hasn’t slept.

“Paige,” she murmurs, pulling me into a big hug, and I hug her back, trying not to start trembling all over again.

“I need to talk to you,” I whisper into her ear, and she pulls away, her eyes widening.

“Is something wrong? Is it Da?” There’s an edge to panic in her voice.

“No. Nothing like that.” I take her by the shoulders to comfort her. “It’s stupid, really. Something I shouldn’t be even thinking about at a time like this.”

“I think I’d welcome something stupid.” Lara chuckles. “It’ll get my mind off things.”

I take a deep breath and sit on the edge of her bed. I’m not sure how to start, and I want to be a little vague about it because I’m still not convinced that she won’t blab to Declan or Gray.

“Paige?”

“I lost my virginity,” I blurt out.

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