Page 77 of Romancing His Heart
“Any word from Ash?” I ask to change the subject.
“I know what you’re doing,” he murmurs in my ear before pulling away. “But, no. I spoke to him and Seth, but they’re still stuck in limbo.”
I hand him a roll of tinfoil from the bag, and he freezes.
“Loki? Are, are you okay?”
His eyes are glassy and unfocused.
“Loki?” I whisper.
He’s staring, but it’s not me he sees. Reaching out, I touch his arm, and his body jolts back.
“I, I …”
“You remember something?” He hasn’t remembered anything in our time here, and it’s slowly killing him.
“Yeah, but it doesn’t make any sense. I need to call Ash.”
“Okay, I’ve got the groceries. Are you sure you’re all right?”
Loki’s eyes soften as they regain focus.
“Yes, I’m good, Red. I’m going to call him now.”
I nod as he moves to the bed and takes a seat. While I take care of the groceries and supplies, I listen on.
“We need to get in touch with Luca.”
My head whips to him. I know that Luca is the brother he met at the warehouse in Boston, but I don’t know anything else about him.
“I don’t know,” Loki barks. “I just know he’s the missing piece. I can’t explain it, but I have a feeling he holds the answers.”
There’s silence in the cabin as Loki listens to whatever Ashton is saying on the phone.
“It’ll be difficult, yes. He must be in maximum security. Check the records, see if there’s anyone on the inside we can use.”
More silence.
“Keep me posted.”
I try not to stare as Loki hangs up the phone. He stands without a word or a glance in my direction and heads to the bathroom. When the door closes, I inhale deeply. Loki hasn’t shut that door in weeks. He’s shutting me out on purpose.
I try not to let it hurt, but I’d be lying if I said it didn’t sting. It’s a good reminder that we are playing pretend. None of this exists outside of these four walls. I finish taking care of the supplies, then return to my computer. I’m behind on my next draft, so I put on my noise-canceling headphones and open my laptop.
The air shifts as Loki emerges from the bathroom, freshly showered, but I keep my head down. Each step he takes toward me sends a blast of awareness throughout my body. When he stops directly in front of me, I’m forced to meet his eyes. He motions for me to remove my headphones, and I comply.
“I’m sorry.” The honesty in his voice melts my frozen heart.
“For what?”
“For shutting you out. I needed a few minutes to think, but I know it must have felt personal.”
“You think I’m so fragile that something like that would hurt my feelings?”
“I know you’re tougher than even you believe, but yes, I do think I hurt your feelings, and I’m sorry.”
“Loki, you don’t owe me any explanations,” I mutter. I’m about to replace my headphones when his hand lands on mine.
