Page 54 of Shadow of Spring (Wild Haven 2)

“People only say that when they’re about to say something offensive.” Miri gestures with her nearly empty glass.

“Don’t interrupt. Anyway…Lena, you are not a risk taker. You leaving this island for college is the most surprising and out of character thing you’ve ever done. And that was going somewhere to study and learn shit. You don’t like to go outside of your comfort zone.”

“So what? There’s nothing wrong with consistency.”

“You put the brakes on things with Archer because you were scared of what Rhys was going to do if he found out you guys were keeping shit from him. Well, problem solved. He knows.”

“Yeah, and he’s pissed at us both for lying to him.” I squirm in her arms, annoyed that I can’t break her hold.

“Point is, it’s out in the open. He knows. There’s nothing there holding you back. And the bond shit? That’s just an excuse.”

“What?” I turn my head to scowl at her, but I can only see part of her face.

“Listen, you and Archer having a relationship, I highly doubt that’s going to force the bond to form or something.”

“You don’t know that. We don’t know nearly enough about the bond.”

“We know that Miri and Davis didn’t hump their way into it.”

“Hey, can we not talk about me and Davis humping?” Miri shakes her head.

“I’m just saying that the bond formed when they did a very specific ritual. Unless you and Archer are up to some seriously kinky shit, I doubt that’s going to happen just because you’re sleeping together.” Ruby finally lets me go, jumping off the bed and backing away as if I’m going to take a swing at her.

I fall back on the bed, throwing an arm up over my eyes. I’m not going to tell her she’s right, because Ruby doesn’t need her ego inflated. But she is.

“It could ruin our friendship,” I whisper, but part of me knows that’s kind of what my actions now are already doing. No one says anything and I swear I can feel Ruby agreeing with my thoughts. I suck in a deep breath and blow it back out, saying the thing that’s really terrifying me. “He could break my heart.”

I lift my arm when it stays quiet. Ruby shrugs and looks over at Miri. “I got nothing. I used up all my adult dialoguing a few minutes ago.”

Miri lays her hand on my arm and smiles down at me. “Some risks are worth taking.”

“You’ll figure it out, Lena. All the shit with Archer and the magic crap, too. Whatever the fuck happened way back when, there’s no way those fucks were close like we all are. I’m not worried. Plus, they didn’t have a researching genius on their team.”

“We’re not the Justice League.”

“Damn right, we’re the Avengers.”

“I am not listening to you two fight about DC versus Marvel again.” Miri groans and pushes off the bed.

“Tell me Wonder Woman isn’t the most kick-ass superhero ever. Try to change my mind.” I say the words that I’ve said at least a million times to Ruby, and there’s something comforting to the old argument. I get off the bed and walk into the bathroom off my bedroom. I can still hear Ruby while I brush my hair and put on my make-up.

“Jean Grey can rearrange matter, and she can literally use pain to break people with her mind.”

“Lasso of truth, Dark Phoenix, you’re stupid. There. I finished the argument for you.” Miri says gruffly, making Ruby and I both laugh. I finish my make-up with a tinted lip balm that’s natural and not over the top for a fire on the beach, feeling a little bit more like myself.

I turn off the light in the bathroom and head back into the bedroom, ready to face the night. “Everyone ready?”

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