Page 48 of Uprooted
“I distinctly remember having a conversation about you being careful with that one. I’m worried you have a misunderstanding about what ‘careful’ means.” He sits on the only chair in the room. He kicks his feet out and casually picks at his nails. He’s making a lot of effort to appear relaxed, but I’m not buying it.
“And I distinctly remember telling you not to worry about it.”
“This isn’t a joke, Aro. There have already been consequences from your little crush.”
“I know,” I say tersely. I don’t need to be reminded of what happened with Andi. "Why are you being such a narc about this? Not to be a dick, but this really doesn't involve you."
"You know what? You're right. It doesn't involve me. But I know first-hand that one bad decision follows the next and you're already pretty far down that path. How many rules have you bent or broken for her?"
I stare back at him, unwilling to answer that question.
“They will never accept her,” Tai says.
“Who the fuck is ‘they’?” I snarl at him. My eyes narrow on him, trying to discern if he includes himself in the category of those who won't accept her.
“‘They,’ ‘them,’ everyone out there.” He motions all around us.
“Then it’s a good thing it doesn’t matter becauseIaccept her. She belongs with me.”
“You have a briefing to lead in twenty minutes. I suggest you get your shit together and focus on your job because it’s rapidly coming to an end. When it’s over, you’ll be expected to act like a leader, and not sulk around like a cub who didn’t get his way.”
“I don’t sulk.”
“And that is because you have always gotten what you wanted. But that isn’t going to happen with Elowen. She is going to leave and there needs to be something left of you when she does.”
33
Elowen
I keep waiting for the embarrassment to fade. I’ve tried to talk myself down from the horrifying memory of me literally climbing Aro like a tree, straddling him, and using him like my own personal sex toy. I’ll be haunted for the rest of my life. I’ll never be able to look him in the eye again. I’ll never be able to lookmyselfin the eye again. It wouldn’t be that hard to avoid mirrors the rest of my life.
“I thought I might find you here,” Aro says as he walks in the greenhouse like I conjured him out of thin air. I don’t look up, not ready to deal with the consequences of my actions last night.
“I love it in here.” I’ve been working here all day, hoping that being around the cute plants would help me clear my head. What were tiny green sprouts a few weeks ago have grown into beautiful purple and yellow blossoms. Their wispy petals swirl around like a choreographed ballet. Soon they will be tucking up their roots into the bottom of the petals and moving towards their ideal growing location. The structured flower beds have already been removed and the dirt has slid down into mounds covered with the beautiful blossoms.
One flower has already begun uprooting itself, well before the others. I lay my hand down on the dirt next to it. The petals slowly shift and roll onto my outstretched palm. I take a deep breath and say what needs to be said.
“I am so sorry I took advantage of you last night. I honestly don’t know what came over me. I took things too far,” I tell him.
“Wait, what? I’m confused.”
“My awkward attempt at seduction… I am a complete idiot.”
“Hold on, let me make something abundantly clear. Last night was the hottest thing I have ever seen in my life. I only refused you because you weren’t in your right mind. And I would have never forgiven myself if that was the first time we were together. Trust me, it took every ounce of self control I had.” He lifts my face up so I can’t avoid his gaze.
“I would be more than happy to revisit it another time, when you aren’t high off your ass. If that’s what you want,” he says, searching my face for an answer.
“This is going to blow up in our faces. The closer we get, the harder it’s going to be to say goodbye.”
“We can worry about all of that later. I will take anything you’ll give me. So…” he says with a broad smile, “what do you think we did last night? And did I live up to expectations?” The glint in his eyes is back.
“What makes you think there were expectations?”
“Elowen, you’ve been eye-fucking me since the first day we met. I know you’ve been wondering what it’ll be like.”
“I cannot believe you just said that.” My cheeks heat with embarrassment.
“We’re getting it all out in the open now.”
