Page 66 of Right Next Door
A familiar shiny, blue berry.
Misty blinked, stunned as he ate it. Making a low sound of appreciation.
“Have you had these yet?” He asked, picking another out of the bowl. “These are called righsling berries. They’re a rare treat, but quite popular.”
“Yeah, actually, I have,” she said, her tone noticeably cooler.
He looked at her, obviously confused by the sudden shift. “Misty?”
“Seriously?” She frowned, stepping back. “I mean, I get you’re dense, but surely you can’t bethatdumb, right? This isn’t about romance. This is about common courtesy at this point!”
“You’re angry,” he said, having the gall to sound surprised.
“You think!?” She snapped. “I was just about ready to forgive you, then you pullthis!”
He looked at the food. All of it. Like he didn't realize the problem that was still pinched delicately between his two fingers. “I… don’t understand. Meal sharing is considered to be a basic human courting ritual. Or did I get something wrong?”
Misty stared at him, dumbfounded. Because there was no way he was that dumb. He could not be an important male with serious responsibilities and be this thick. There was…
There really was no way.
Her anger began to ebb as a new thought occurred to her.
“Tsok… You don’t know, do you?”
He frowned. “I’m sorry, Misty. I really don’t. Have I done something wrong?”
“The righsling berry.”
He looked at it. Then back at her. “You… don’t like them?”
“They don’t like me.”
“What?”
“I’m allergic!” She snapped.
He blinked. “Allergic?”
“Deadly allergic. The last time I ate those, I nearly died! I had to go to a healer!”
“What?!” He fell back, eyes wide. He looked at the berry again, then dropped it back into the rich fruit salad like it had shocked him. It splattered in the white cream, sitting right there at the surface, surrounded by innocent fruit and other deadly righsling mines. A soup of death that he offered to her so sweetly, completely unaware.
Because he didn't know.
“Davard didn't tell you?” She breathed, giving him an incredulous look. “Davard tells you everything.”
“Davard knew of this?” He snapped, voice suddenly sharp and furious.
Misty threw out her hands before dropping them lifelessly back to her side, shaking her head in disbelief. “He was therethe whole time. He’s the one who brought me back home. I thought… I thought you knew. I thought you just didn't care.”
Incandescent rage burned in his eyes. The fury tightening every muscle in his body. Misty just blinked at him, confused again.
Because if he didn't know, then…
Chapter 24
Tsok
