Page 107 of King of Tides

“Are you spending the night here or coming with me?” I open my eyes as Billy places a hand on my chest and whispers the words.

I search her face, wanting to take her sweet lips but knowing I need to wait. They are painted with a shiny gloss that makes her full lips pop. Placing a hand on her hip, I lead her from the room.

“What’s this all about?” I ask as we walk out the door.

“You will find out. Just follow me.”

I lace my fingers with hers as she leads me through the main building. I feel like things have been strained between us since we arrived here.

I want to get back to the connection we were forming before we had to come here. Back then it felt like we were building a life. I was making my way through Billy’s walls, little by little.

“You don’t let me into your thoughts anymore. Are we okay?” Billy asks softly as we make our way up to the tower.

“Hey, baby, we are. I’m just not sure you want in on everything I have going on in here.”

“You sure it’s not all theTandAaround here?”

I release a laugh. “You need me to remind you that you’re the only one?”

“Maybe after this,” she says as we step into the open tower on top of the main building of the complex. Lanterns are hanging all around the area, lighting up the panoramic views. In the center of the space is a table set for two.

“You know I’m a sure thing. You don’t have to feed me first,” I tease.

“You’re totally ruining this,” she laughs.

I throw my hands up in the air. “I’m all yours. Where do you want me?”

“Come sit. I have dinner for us.”

I follow her to the table and pull out her chair then I take the seat across from her. She causes the domes over the plates to vanish.

The food smells damn good. It reminds me of a steak house I used to frequent a long time ago. As the place transforms to look like the old speakeasy, I know Kenji helped her with this.

“I see you have made a friend here,” I say with a smile.

“I might have.”

“To what do I owe all of this?”

“I think it’s time we talk. You’re hiding your feelings from me for a reason. I think part of that reason is because I haven’t been straightforward with how I feel about you.

“Am I still scared to death of commitment? Yes, I think I will always fear giving others the power to hurt me. When I first found out I had sisters I was afraid to let them in, but the computer screen we all hid behind made that easier for me.

“They were my little secret. I got to decide if and when I wanted to meet them. I’ll be honest. I was nervous and excited to see them in the flesh, but when the time came, I was ready to force myself to do it,” she says.

“That’s just the thing. I am fine with you taking your time to let me in. I saw your memories, your past.

“I understood it. However, you’ve arrived in my life at a time when my people need me, the little titans need me to figure things out for them, and the gods are up to something I know is going to challenge me.

“My greatest concern is how I will handle Beck and Bourne. This is one time when I can’t split myself in two to fix things. There is no reflection of myself that can fix this.” I pause and swallow, knowing that’s a lie.

There is. It’s her. I just won’t allow myself to ask her.

I frown at my thoughts. “You are always honest with me, so I’m going to be honest with you. I’ve had a lot of time to think about this and have been in my feelings about the answers I’ve found.

“I’m afraid you’re going to reject me, not the boys. So much time has passed since my mother and father abandoned me and my brothers. They didn’t die. They weren’t killed. They abandoned us.

“We weren’t allowed to go where they are, and they never came back for us. We were four children raising each other. I know your fears firsthand, Billy. I have lived them too.

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