More than it probably should have. I had only known him for a few days. How could I be so affected by a man I’d just met?

It didn’t matter that I heard them fighting, or that I saw her kiss him, then him push her off. It still felt like my stomach was being twisted in a vise.

Still, Rune pushed her off before he saw me, and the rest was simple.

Either I trusted him to deal with that or I didn’t.

If I didn’t trust him, then I probably shouldn’t be letting him stick his tongue down my throat, or any other place on my body.

For right now, I would let him deal with Sif while I went to have a talk with my real ride-or-die.

With two steaming cups of coffee, I was on a mission to find my bestie and work shit out. I walked right past Rune and Sif, got the coffee, and walked right back out.

It was still fairly early, and Sarah was not a morning person. Before her first cup of coffee, she wasn’t much of a person at all.

I crept into her room, which was a darker version of my own. Hers had light blue walls with dark blue accents; simple, but luxurious.

I set her cup of coffee on the bedside table closest to the pillow her head was buried under. The smell of coffee was the safest way to wake the beast.

An overstuffed chair sat against the wall that I curled up in to wait for the aroma of magic beans to wake my bestie. I settled in with my cup and checked my phone. There were several missed texts from Rune.

Rune

It wasn’t what it looked like, I swear.

Rune

Shit, I know how that sounds, but it really wasn’t.

Rune

Where are you?

Rune

Please tell me you didn’t leave. We still don’t know who is after you or why you were attacked. I understand if you are mad at me, but don’t do anything stupid.

Rune

Shit, I didn’t mean you are stupid. I meant don’t put yourself in danger.

Rune

Tori, where are you?

Jesus. It’d been ten minutes.

I’m fine. I’m in Sarah’s room, waiting for her to wake up. She and I need to talk. Are you ok?

Rune

Nothing happened with Sif. She kissed me. I meant it when I said I wanted to be yours.

Be mine? What did that even really mean? I knew I agreed to be his, if he was mine, and in the moment, I meant it. Outside of the moment, hormones weren’t clouding my brain, and I wasn’t as sure. We both seemed to have a lot of shit that we had to deal with.

I know. I saw her kiss you, and I saw you push her away. There is clearly something you need to work through, but I’m not mad at you or anything. I’m not sure if I want to be in the middle of it.

Rune