Page 51 of Never Been Gargoyled
The thought should have terrified me. Instead, it felt amazing.
“We should probably get back to researching Rebecca,” I said, though I made no move to get up.
“Probably,” he said, also not moving.
I explained what the sheriff said. “He’s going to try to find the exact dates Helga was gone. That might help us figure out our next move.”
“Good plan.”
We sat there together, his hand still covering mine, watching the sun sink lower in the sky. My heart wasflipping around, but not from anxiety about the legal situation anymore.
For the first time in longer than I could remember, I wasn't facing my problems alone. And maybe, if I was very lucky, I wouldn't have to face anything alone ever again.
Chapter 19
Feydin
Something in Dazy's face changed as we sat there on the steps. One moment she was talking about deserving second chances and the next, tears were rolling down her cheeks.
“I'm sorry,” she whispered, pressing her hands against her face. “I don't know why I'm crying. This is stupid.”
“It’s not stupid at all.” The weight of everything had finally caught up with her. The legal threat, the uncertainty, the possibility of losing everything she'd started to build here, care for here. “You don't need to apologize.” I moved closer to her on the step, tightening my wing around her back.
“I'm not usually a crier.” Her voice came out muffled behind her hands. “I'm supposed to be strong and handle things and…”
The words dissolved into a sob that made my lungs spasm. I pulled her against my side, tucking her headunder my chin. She fit perfectly there, her soft curves pressed against me.
“You’re strong,” I said into her hair. “I see it in everything you do.”
“I don't feel strong right now.”
“Strength isn't about never breaking down. It's about getting back up afterward.”
She cried against my chest while I held her, my wings curled protectively around her. Each tear felt like a blade to my heart. This was my mate suffering, and I was powerless to fix the source of her pain.
But maybe I could offer her some comfort.
When her tears had stopped flowing, I eased away from her, rising.
“Wait here,” I said.
She looked up at me with red-rimmed eyes. “Where are you going?”
“I'll be right back. Don't move?”
Giving me a shaky smile, she nodded.
I rushed up the stairs, taking them three at a time. In the master bathroom, I turned on the taps in the enormous clawfoot tub, adjusting the temperature until it was just right. While the water filled, I flew back down to the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of wine, along with a clean glass.
Next stop was the bakery box on the counter. I selected a chocolate croissant, arranging it on a pretty plate. From the living room, I retrieved the paperback novel she'd been reading, the one with the orc cowboy on the cover.
Back in the bathroom, I turned off the taps and surveyed my work. The bath looked inviting, but something was missing. Outside the bathroom window, I spotted the answer.
I leaped out through the window and flew down to the ground, where I gathered handfuls of flower petals. White and fragrant, they would float on the water like stars.
When everything was arranged to my satisfaction, I went back downstairs. Dazy was still sitting on the front steps, staring at the ground.
“Come with me,” I said, offering her my hand.
