Page 88 of The Shape of my Scar
Thane had looked down and blinked once. Then, lazily, his mouth curling in that cold, smug smirk, he said, “Wait your turn, kid. You are a little too young for me. Maybe in a couple of years, once you have grown boobs.”
Laughter rang out around them, Holly’s voice shrill and cruel.
Faolan had blushed, then gone pale.
She had felt like her heart was breaking.
She just turned, throat tight, walking blindly back the way she’d come.
She had fled and refused to come back. Arthur had sighed and arranged to transfer her to her old school.
Thane had stopped eating.
“I didn’t know it was you,” he said hoarsely. “I vaguely remember the day. I remember the girl.”
His lip curled in disgust at himself. “Fucking Holly. She’d latched on like a rash. I was just so annoyed at her, and then you came up. And I…I was cruel. I remember thinking later that I’d crossed a line. That something about the way you looked at me wasn’t right.”
He didn’t look up. “I let it go. Just like everything else.”
Chapter 42
The guys were leaving.
One by one, they wrapped Faolan in brief hugs—each carrying his own history, his own version of how he imagined this first meeting with her would go. She was a mirage they had held in their hearts for a long time, and it was hard to believe that this was real. Lirian kissed the top of her head. Zel’s grip was surprisingly firm, his murmured, “Take care of him,” laced with concern.
But Maro…
Maro took his time.
His arms encircled her in a way that felt like he had waited for this moment for a long time. Her head fit in the crook of his neck, and she could feel him smell her hair. It was like being held by a huge teddy bear…with muscles. His arms around her were possessive. He didn’t say anything, just breathed her in.
Thane looked like a thunder cloud behind her; busted knuckles flexed at his sides.
Before anything could escalate, Faolan stepped back, her awkward smile aimed at no one in particular. If her eyes were a little bright, she blamed it on her allergies.
“See you guys soon. Before you take it outside again.”
Maro smirked and turned to leave. Zel rolled his eyes and Lirian winked on his way out.
The door clicked shut.
When she turned back, Thane was already gone.
Later that evening, Thane emerged from his office and asked, “Want a bath?”
She didn’t need his help anymore, but he seemed intent on offering it.
She had overheard him mumble something about missing her cast on the way back from the hospital.
She nodded, still tired. This time, he didn’t follow her in. He just waited outside with warm clothes, and when she was done, he tucked her into bed and kissed her forehead. And then he was gone.
After the buildup over the last few weeks, this was a letdown. It took a few minutes for Faolan to come to terms that he wasn’t coming back, especially since she heard a door close down the hallway.
Minutes or hours passed. Sleep was far away.
Faolan was used to sleeping on her own. Even when she had a brief hookup, she either left or made things clear right from the beginning that she couldn’t tolerate another person in her bed. She did not sleep over.
But Thane was not just anyone.
