Page 79 of Rise of the Melody
Oh, gods. My poor aunt.
I must have dozed off with my head on the mattress because that’s where I lay when I felt a hand nudging my shoulder.
“Letty,” Teague whispered. I was bleary and embarrassed when I focused on him, realizing I hadn’t showered, and I probably looked like butt. He also had bags under his eyes after our long night, though. He gave me that dimpled grin and held out a bag. “I brought you a blueberry scone from French Quarter. And a chai latte with coconut milk.”
“Oh, my gosh,” I said, taking it and realizing I was rabid with hunger. “Thank you.”
I forced myself to eat the scone slowly, even though it was so good. The moment I was done my stomach clenched with nervousness because he’d been watching me carefully and I knew what was coming.
“So,” he said. “That was really the guy who did that thing to your hair?”
“Yeah,” I said, treading carefully.
His jaw rocked back and forth. “We couldn’t find him. He must be some expert climber or something and had a boat at the other side. I have no idea. Nobody has ever breeched the wards like that.” He eyed me. “I think he’s trouble.”
Understatement.
“And I didn’t like the way he was looking at you.” He eyed me expectantly. I squirmed in the uncomfortable seat.
“I didn’t think he was looking at me any sort of way.”Lie. “What did your uncle say?”
Teague ran a hand over the back of his neck. “He’s definitely worried. He thinks it could be a spy for the Synod, over here checking on us. But that doesn’t explain what he was doing in New York, too.”
“A coincidence?” I asked.
Teague shook his head. “We’d be naïve to think that. No offense. My uncle’s making calls to a couple of his contacts in Scotland to see if anyone is talking about it.”
I nodded, hating the way I felt inside. Hiding information from these people was so wrong. It was only a matter of time before it all came out, and they would all perceive me differently. I would most likely lose them.
I wasn’t ready to lose them.
“You okay?” Teague asked.
I nodded and tried to smile. “Just tired.” And that wasn’t a lie. I was mentally and emotionally drained and wanted to sleep it all away. “And maybe a little depressed.”
He glanced at my aunt in the bed. “That’s understandable.” Now he glanced over at the small sofa. “Do you want to sit over there? With me?” He looked kind of shy and sweet when he said it, and I nodded.
He sat first and I immediately snuggled under his arm, pulling my legs up. We were quiet a long moment before he said, “This is nice.”
“It is,” I whispered. “Did you tell your uncle what that guy said about Friar Pond?”
“Yeah. He’s looking into it. But it’s sketch that he would know that. He could be jerking us around.”
“Maybe,” I whispered, though I didn’t think so.
We got so comfortable that I heard his breathing change and looked up to see he’d fallen asleep. He looked so adorable. It gave me a warm, fuzzy feeling inside to be snuggling a sleeping boy. I nuzzled back into him and closed my eyes too.
* * *
“What the hell?”
The low, angry voice woke me, and I was so discombobulated. Where was I? It was dim. I blinked up at Mayor MacCray, looking down on Teague and me. I elbowed Teague until he jolted awake and stretched.
“Oh, hey Unc.”
“Don’theyme. I’ve been texting you.” Bryant’s eyes flicked to me, widening with meaning, and I jumped to my feet, reaching for my bag and digging out my phone. My stomach dropped at the sight of three missed texts and two missed calls.
“Sorry,” Teague said, adorably sleepy and unworried.
