Page 198 of Mama Si's Paradise

His fingers fell on the keys and the melody came out twisted. Valentine straightened his shoulders and slowly turned toward me. He looked as composed as ever, his hair out of place, but he smoothed it behind his head instantly. His dark eyes glistened, and his lips were parted as he shook his head.

“You came back,” he said in wonder. I flinched, looking down at the floor for a second. “You came back from Faeries’ Aerie, Sunshine. You came back.”

For a second there, I could have sworn he wasaccusingme.

“Of course, I did. You were gonna get banished, and you didn’t even tell me.” How could he put something like that on me? Did he really think I could live with myself knowing I’d cost him his life?

“You weren’t supposed to find out,” Valentine said, closing his eyes. My heart broke even more.

I went to him and squatted in front of the bench.

“But I did. And I’m glad I did. I could never live with myself, Valentine.”

When he opened his eyes, he didn’t seem half as mad as a second ago. “Of course not,” he said.

“I know you’re mad,” I whispered. “I know you’re mad about the Blood Call and…and Grey?—”

“You think I’m mad because you chose him?” he cut me off.“Out of all my brothers—him?” But he didn’t really look mad right now. More…disappointed,and that was even worse.

My eyes squeezed shut. “That…that wasn’t…I wasn’t aware of myself,” I choked, feeling so stuck so suddenly I could explode.

On the one hand, I was talking to Valentine, but on the other, I was talking about Grey.

My God, when did my life become so damn complicated?

“I know that, Sunshine. That’s the point of the Blood Call. It strips you of rational thought because your most primal needs know best.” Slowly, he raised his hand to my cheek. “And the most primal part of you chose him.”

Yes, it had, and even now, even looking in his eyes, I didn’t regret it. It hadn’t been a mistake.

“I’m sorry,” I said again because what else could I say?

Valentine shook his head. “Don’t be. It’s not your fault. I’m not mad about that at all.”

“Oh, really.”

“Yes, really,” he said.

I raised my brows. “So, you don’t care about me at all?”

“Not even a bit,” he said, but he was smiling a little.

I rolled my eyes—he was full of shit. “You were going to give up your life for me.”

He thought about it for a second. “Maybe I do care a little, but not in the way you think.”

Throwing my head back, I laughed. “Well, I’m glad you came around.”

Valentine had talked to me like he wasin lovewith me when I first got here, but soon he realized that there wasn’t any kind of asparkbetween us.

“Yes, that kiss was very…eye-opening.” He grinned.

Of course, it had been. We’d kissed in the mirror room, and it hadn’t come even close to the real thing. I knew that because I’d kissed Grey now. I knew how a real kiss was supposed to feel—and apparently, Valentine felt the same way.Thank God.

I smiled at him, shaking my head. “I can’t believe you weregoing to put your life on the line for me like that. You shouldn’t have sent me to Faeries’ Aerie.”

“But you came back,” Valentine said, and when he made to take his hand back, I held it to my cheek with both mine.

“Valentine, you have to withdraw that challenge.Please.Just withdraw it, okay?” I whispered.

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