Page 44 of Hopelessly Teavoted
“But it shouldn’t be possible to reap living souls,” she said. Soul reaping, shedidknow.
“No,” said Prissy darkly. “No, it should not.”
Evelyn’s mouth was set in a frown now. “I can hold off on bringing your family into it, or mentioning the discussion with Benedict from the beyond, but it’s already a strain on my professional obligations. If Connie dies, or anything else goes haywire, my hands are tied.”
“I know, I know.” Prissy put her hands on her hips. “But you are the one always harping on the importance of family, and helping them when they’re in need.”
“Let’s not right now,” said Evelyn, through her teeth.
Azrael looked between his sister and her girlfriend and snapped his fingers covertly under the table. The tea in Vickie’s cup vanished, which was a good thing, because the threat of unfettered truth amid a couple fight was a recipe for disaster.
“Well, look at the time! Vickie has a very early morning opening the shop, and I don’t want her to be exhausted tomorrow, so I’d better get her back. Thank you for the tea.” He looked at Evelyn. “And for giving us a chance to sort this out without the Council breathing down our necks.”
“Yes, thank you,” Vickie said and smiled. However weak and wobbly her smile might appear, she was earnestly grateful, and it was real enough to convince them.
Prissy took a break from glaring at Evelyn to look up and wink at Vickie.
“Should I expect to see you at home, or are you sticking around to help put things in Vickie’s oven?” She paused, letting her brother splutter and blush.
“That’s not. No. I’m not,” he protested.
Priscilla waggled her eyebrows. “For the shop, of course.”
“I’ll talk to you tomorrow, Prissy,” said Azrael firmly.
By the time they got out to Priscilla’s car, it had started to drizzle. Rain always reminded her too much of college. Of the incident. Of what it felt like to be alone, in the pouring rain, crying her fucking eyes out and hoping Azrael would come back and change his mind.
He could have changed his mind. Or she could have changedhers and run after him. Asked him what had gone wrong. They had come so close to being really, truly happy. All this time. She bit the words out between sobs. “You hurt me once, and part of me still hates you for that.” The truth was lonely. It always had been, for her.
But now, Azrael sat with her in his sister’s Packard, handing her tissues as the rain fell around them once more, and eventually the patter of the drops calmed her. When she had quieted, he said, “It breaks my heart, too, Vickie. What we could have had but didn’t. I understand.”
“How could you? You left.”
He threaded a hand tentatively in hers. It felt heated, surely from the excitement of the night. “I was there too. In your dorm. After. I know how close we came to having everything I ever wanted. I also know what it is to discover how far out of my reach it ended up being out of sheer misunderstanding and the stupidity of youth. That’s worth crying over. I get that.”
She squeezed his hand. All the crying had left her hollow. It reminded her of what it had been like to lose him. The bone-deep pain and the withering from the inside out. She could play it safe. Truthful, for she had no other choice, but safe. Honesty didn’t mean she had to act on her emotions.
“Thank you.”
“For?”
“Just being.”
He squeezed back, steering the car around a turn with one hand. “Thank you for just being too.”
She bit her lip, the memory of his hands tracing patterns across her back seared into her. Maybe this was the time, though. Maybe gravedirt could be the excuse. There were ways to play it safe emotionally but still take the sort of risks that might be worth it.
“Hey, Az,” she said.
“Yes?” His eyes were on the road, so she studied his profile,the dark thick eyebrows and the slope of his nose down to the plush lips she wanted so badly to feel against hers.
What good was a little magical honesty if it didn’t come with benefits?
“We’re friends, right?”
He chuckled, and the sound of it made her press her thighs together. “Good friends, I’d say.”
“What if I wanted to suggest something that might ruin the friendship?”
