Page 64 of His Heart

There was relief in his voice. I didn’t understand where it was coming from—why he’d brought it up. We’d never really talked about the Harpers before.

I had told them. Sebastian had put Mary’s number in my phone—a wordless hint that I should contact them. I’d texted her and simply said I’d moved away and was doing fine. She’d replied to ask where, but I hadn’t responded. I wasn’t sure why I didn’t want them to know where I was. Maybe I was waiting to make sure I didn’t fail. When I did reply—when I told them where I was and what I’d been doing—I wanted to have something to be proud of. As it was, there were still too many broken pieces of me lying around. Pieces that didn’t fit together.

Sebastian didn’t say anything else the rest of the walk home. It was so tempting to touch him. I wanted to brush my hand against his or lean closer so our arms touched. But he never touched me. Not even by accident. He had, once or twice, when we’d first met in Phoenix. But now, he always kept a little distance between us. It made me feel like I shouldn’t violate it—like he didn’t want me to.

He followed me up to my front door and stood next to me while I got out my keys.

“Thanks for walking me home,” I said.

“Sure,” he said. “Look, I’m not trying to give you a hard time. You just… you keep things to yourself. Sometimes I wonder what’s going on in that head of yours.”

I lifted my eyes to his. Felt his gravity pulling at me, urging me closer. A wave of heat poured through me. But it wasn’t the fire of ruin. It was the tantalizing warmth of hope. Of life. Of creation, and power, and passion. Of all that had once lived inside me that I’d lost.

“Nothing, really,” I said, stepping back and tearing my eyes from his. “I’m just doing my thing, you know? I’m fine.”

“Okay,” he said. What was I hearing in his voice? Skepticism? Disappointment? I couldn’t tell. “I’ll see you later, then. Goodnight, Brooke.”

“Goodnight.”

I watched him walk away, feeling suddenly cold and alone. Missing him before he was really gone.

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