Page 19 of Sparks Flying

“Long day. Just need to blow off some steam and then call it an early night.”

“Understood man. Good to see you back.”

We played for two hours before I called it a night.

I hadn’t thought of Bailey even once, but the second I turned out the lights and laid my head on the pillow, her facepopped back into my mind and then after I finally fell asleep; she haunted my dreams too.

Bailey

Chapter 6

I was in a foul mood from the second I woke up. I just couldn’t seem to shake it off.

Trying not to rub my funk off on everyone else, I kept my head low and my mouth shut throughout morning briefing at the motel.

The second we were dismissed, I practically ran out the door, but not before Chan caught up to me.

“Bailey, wait up.”

I was not in the mood for company, but I didn’t want to be rude to him when I knew he wasn’t the problem. I was, or rather Dean Davenport was. He was supposed to be my one true mate and that idiot didn’t even seem to know it.

What was God thinking pairing me with him?

It wasn’t that he was a raven. Hell, I’d crushed on my best friend Oscar for years and he was a tiger. I wasn’t against interspecies mating. But just because he was a bird, did he have to be a bird-brain too?

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“I’m fine,” I snapped back. Realizing that I was taking out my frustrations on him, I took a deep breath and let it out. “I’m fine,” I said, this time in a calmer voice.

“You were pretty quiet this morning. Had me worried.”

“I’m not a morning person,” I lied.

“We both know that’s not true.”

“Slow down, and wait for us,” Jude yelled.

“Where are we going?” Luka asked.

“Bailey? Where are we headed?” Chandler asked.

“I don’t know what you guys are doing, but I’m walking to the diner for breakfast.”

“I ate the motel, but I’m down for more,” Luka admitted.

I didn’t know how to politely tell them to go away, so I said nothing and they followed me. I tuned them out as they chatted all the way across town.

A little bell jingled over the door when I opened it and pushed my way inside.

This had sounded like a good plan to start my day, but now with my three shadows, I found myself falling into an even deeper funk. Couldn’t they just leave me alone?

“Take a seat wherever you’d like,” a woman yelled out.

I chose a table in the back corner, away from the other patrons eating there. The guys followed and sat down with me.

Gia, the owner, came over to take our order. When she got close, I caught a familiar scent on her. It wasn’t exactly the same, but she smelled a lot like Dean. It made the hair on the back of my neck stand up and I fought back a growl.

What the hell?

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