Page 48 of The Orc's Sweetheart
Holding up a hand, Audrey says, “Before we get sidetracked, let’s get back to the real issue. You’re going to need to start right at the beginning, because I’m not following exactly. So you’re not getting literally dicked down, and that’s fine. More than. But has he apologized and explained himself with a proper reason for acting like a douchebag? And I mean a proper apology, not some silly excuse for how he treated you?”
“We talk a lot, but we haven’t talked about that. Yet. I’ll bring it up next time I see him.”
“Which is when?”
“Tomorrow morning.”
Audrey’s mouth pulls down at the corners like she’s smelled something foul. “Breakfast dates? Ew. But good for you since you’re one of those happy morning weirdos.”
“We both like mornings,” I state brightly. My thoughts momentarily flash to the garden and watching the sunrise together while enjoying food… and each other.
Audrey moves forward until her face fills the screen again. “I need more info, Tilly. What prompted the call today? We both prefer texting, so if you picked up the phone to call me then something drastic must have happened.”
I try to stall for time as I prop my phone up against some books. Covering my face with both hands, my words come out muffled. “I propositioned him. Explicitly so. Then his sister and her wife found us because of our sexual energy. He’d just gotten me off in the alley behind a shop, so I was feeling all kinds of… Audrey, I’m mortified. I can never show my face in public again.”
Audrey gives me a slow clap. “Matilda Williams, you little minx. In an alley. I’m so proud of you. You get yours, girl.”
Lowering my hands until they just cover my irrepressible smile, I blurt, “It was so hot. I had to be quiet the entire time.”
“Love that for you. Now. Start at the how you went from mortal enemies to breakfast dates and orgasms in alleys.”
So I do. I tell Audrey everything that’s happened—the karaoke night, carrying me home, fixing my cupboards, bringing me furniture, pulling me around on the cart, the hours of conversation and all the sweet ways he takes care of me.
“You’re in love,” Audrey states in a soft voice after I finish my entire spiel.
I whisper, “I think I might be.”
Audrey gives herself a visible shake, like all the love is clouding her brain and she needs to switch back to her normal mode. Pointing a stern finger at me, she says, “Don’t give him those magic words until he’s explained himself. Based on the way he treats you now, plus how close he is to his family—which is a major green flag—I think Bodin might just be a legit nice guy. But you, my dear cousin, deserve a proper apology and a fucking good reason for such a big one-eighty.”
“I promise I’ll ask him the next time I see him.”
“Good,” Audrey says plainly before switching to a very upbeat tone. “Now, tell me about other singles. Anyone who’d be up for a good time when I visit?”
“I’m not sure, but there’s this grumpy gargoyle who you might find… enticing.”
“Say less. No wait, tell me more. How grumpy are we talking? Will he pull my hair?”
“Not that level of grumpy. He runs the grocery store and when I sprained my ankle he flew my groceries home for me. I walked. Does that make him grump adjacent?”
“He can go on the list. Who else is there?”
“There’s a mysterious four-hundred-and-something-year-old vampire.”
“Oh, I love an age gap. Sold. I’ll take that one.”
Audrey and I talk for another hour. I go through the list of creatures I’ve met, the food I’ve had, I tell her about my job, the scenery, and talk way too much about Bodin.
We only hang up when my battery is about to die, but not before Audrey makes me swear I’ll keep my promise to talk to Bodin.
Now that I’m settled after talking it out, I quickly prep Arran’s blood, add his sunscreen and write his note on how to use it. Then finally, I sit back down at my desk with Ren’s file and start reading through all the notes Katie left.
Chapter 22
Bodin
Under a cloudless night sky, I stroll back to my apartment above The Bandaged Heart, the stars twinkling like they know some secret I’m not yet privy to. Planning the most perfect, most romantic claiming proposal for Tilly, with some help—okay,a lotof help—from Beryl and Calixta, was way more fun than I thought it would be. This would of course only happen after an appropriate period of time, but thinking about all the thoughtful details has my feet practically floating above the ground.
It may seem fast to fall in love this quickly, to be this sure about someone, but IknowI’ve found the most perfect partnerfor me, my one. When I’m with Tilly, I feel safe, like I can be my true, unfiltered self. I want to be her shelter too, the person she can rely on for anything. But mostly, I want to make her happy, give her a reason to smile every day.
