Page 62 of Seer Prophet

“Yes.” The surprise lingered in his voice, even as I could hear a thoughtfulness there. “I don’t think I’ve seen you jealous before.”

I burst out in a real laugh that time.

“Are you joking?” I asked. “I was jealous two hours ago.” At his silence, I reminded him, “Those girls in the pool…?”

“That’s not what I mean.”

“Um… Kat?” I felt my jaw harden. “Shall I go on?”

“No. Please don’t.” He clicked at me. “Those times were different.” His voice turned gruff. “I’d actually done something those times. Or said something stupid. You’ve never gotten jealous of someone from my past before.”

He paused, then amended his words.

“Well. Not like this.”

I fought to see the distinction he was seeing, then gave up.

“So you admit it?” I asked, my voice faintly accusing.

“Admit what? What wasn’t I admitting?”

“You were involved with that guy. Dalejem.”

“Yes!” Revik’s voice held more of that open surprise. “Yes, I was involved with him. That didn’t strike me as a particular big secret at this point, wife. By the gods, if you hadn’t figured it out before you walked up on us, I knew you had once I saw you standing there. Why? Did he deny it?”

“He said I should ask you,” I said.

I was frowning again, fighting to think through this open admission from Revik. Granted, he was more open in general these days, providing I knew enough to ask, but it still threw me, maybe because I’d expected more of that weird caginess from the dock.

“So… what?” I prodded. “You were going to talk to me about it? When I went downstairs?”

“Of course!” he said. “Why the fuck wouldn’t I? I said I would. I said I’d tell you anything you wanted to know when we got back here.” He sighed, and I could almost see him, combing his fingers through his black hair. “Christ… wife. It was over thirty years ago. He’s not even remotely a threat to you. The idea is fucking laughable.”

I bit my lip. “You say that like it’s so obvious. It wasn’t obvious tome,not the way you were being on that pier. You and ‘Dori were both acting really fucking weird out there. And you’ve never evenmentionedhim before, Revik.” Thinking about that, I added, “…You’ve never mentionedanyguy before. Not one. Not even in passing.”

“Is that what’s bothering you?” he asked. “That he’s male?”

“Not exactly. It’s just…” I bit my lip. “I don’t know. It surprised me.”

Silence fell over the line.

I looked out over the water, wishing suddenly I could feel his light.

The wind was getting colder, too.

I found myself thinking maybe I should just go down there, talk to him face to face. Before, it seemed like the mature thing to do, to walk it off, spend some time thinking and pulling apart what was really bugging me, whether it was even real.

Preferably before I started yelling at Revik for no reason.

Now I found myself seeing it from his point of view, and it looked a lot less mature and a lot more like hiding from my own husband.

Iwascalmer though, from sitting out here.

The ocean calmed me. It always had, ever since I was a kid.

“Come down here!” Revik burst out, his German accent thicker. “Jesus Christ, Alyson. Why are we talking about this like this? On a comm… where I can’t even feel your light? Are you trying to punish me, just because my ex- showed up here?”

I bit my lip. “He’s an ex? Dalejem?”

---