Page 24 of Unhinged Magic
She shrugged. “Don’t be sorry. I’m okay now.”
All this time...
I was pissed Ty hadn’t told me but understood his reasons.
“You were gone a long time.Years,” I said.
She pulled her hair off one shoulder, draping it over the other. “When they let me out, I moved to the city. I wasn’t ready to face everything back home.”
Her family. Me.
But here she was, giving me answers. It felt so good to have them.
I adjusted myself on the bed to face her. “Thank you for sharing this with me,” I said, meaning every word.
She nodded, and we connected right then, in some otherworldly way I couldn’t explain.
I saw her, and she saw me. Two lost friends reunited, both wounded but healing.
Only she didn’t know the extent of my wounds. I wasn’t sure I could ever speak them aloud.
“This is nice,” I murmured, not wanting to break the moment. Fearful the wrong words would not mendthis. Although we never touched, I felt the familiar comfort like a warm hug. It had the same effect.
Deciding to leave while I was ahead, I stood from the bed, shoving my hands into the pockets of my hoodie.
“I’m going to go, but I’m not sorry I climbed your balcony. It was worth it.”
A slow smile tugged at her lips. Lips I now needed to fight for. Because things still weren’t as they should be. But I would fight for this, forus.
Maybe the reason she was denying the mate bond had something to do with all of this. I needed to give her time. She was worth every second.
Skye rose from the bed, joining me as I walked to the sliding door. I turned to face her. “Be careful,” she said, motioning to the balcony.
I nodded. “Always.” Then I hauled my ass over the edge.
***
Determination could make a man do things he wouldn’t normally do. Today it led me to Coffee Cove where Skye worked, though how often, I wasn’t sure.
I pulled my dirt bike into the curb, kicking out the stand. Running my hand through my hair, I pushed up the sleeves of my shirt to my elbows before shoving my hands into my jeans pockets. I rarely got nervous, but somehow Skye had crashed that theory. My gut churned knowing I was about to see her.
Was she okay? Wereweokay?
I hadn’t pushed any further last night, happy to leave things where we did. But that would not stop me. I had to find out why she was so against our bond.
I pushed open the heavy door, letting it shut behind me, smiling because I knew how deceiving this place could be. Outside, the cozy little cafe looked quiet, but inside, every table was full.
I spied Skye, scurrying to a table in the far corner, four drinks balanced on one tray. She wore workout tights and a black top with the cafe’s logo on the front, her hair pulled into a high ponytail.
I watched as she hurried over to another table, clearing it of dirty dishes, balancing them on her now-stacked tray again. As she headed back to the counter, a woman with a slick, black top knot lifted her ghastly thin pointer finger in the air, demanding her attention. Skye stopped, a polite smile plastered on her face, but the way her shoulders tensed suggested otherwise.
At the counter stood a line of people waiting to place orders. I looked for another server but couldn’t find one. At that moment, Skye caught my eye, desperation turning her stare into a frantic mess.
I frowned, angling sideways to see behind the counter and into the kitchen. A guy stood over a stove, flipping pancakes with one hand and garnishing plates with the other.
This place was packed. Was it just the two of them?
I strode behind the counter up to the till. It looked the same as the one at the tattoo parlor I owned. Next to it on a pad of paper were scrawls of drink orders, a few at the top crossed out.
