Page 41 of Roar Letter Word

She woke and instantly remembered that today was a busy day. She had her concert. She made sure to be quiet, so she didn’t wake Mahes as she crawled out of bed.

She headed into the bathroom and got ready. She brushed her teeth, going over the concert in her head. She knew every step, every line, and every moment. That was how passionate she was about her job.

She looked in her bag for her clothes since she needed to take a shower and scowled, realizing she left them in the other room.

She opened the door and froze when she saw Mahes sitting on the bed. She jumped. “Oh my God.” She pulled her hand up, pressing it against her chest. “You scared the living shit out of me.”

He smirked at her. “Sorry.”

She ran a hand over her face and turned, grabbing her clothes. “I didn’t realize you were awake.”

“You could have woken me,” he said. "Why didn't you wake me?"

She fumbled with her bag, digging for her bra. She found it, yanking it free.

“I wanted to let you sleep,” she said, pulling her shirt out next. “And you looked so peaceful. I didn't want to wake you until I was about to leave.”

She turned, seeing Mahes running a hand over his face. “Can we talk for a moment?”

She raised an eyebrow, looking back at her bag. She grabbed some pants and a pair of underwear. “Aren’t we already talking?”

“I mean …” he said heavily. “Just for a moment.”

She grabbed all her clothes and turned. She spotted her brush and reached for it, adding it to her pile.

She didn’t have a lot of time to talk. She still needed to shower and pull her hair up. “I don’t really have a lot of time this morning. Can we talk later?”

She searched in her bag for a ponytail clip. She was going to have her hair done later, but she wanted it pulled back for now.

“Addie, please.”

She heard a shift in his voice and stopped. She looked at him, realizing he looked guilty, almost worried. She felt her stomach twist.

She thought about last night and how she told him how hard it was to find someone who understood her way of life. Was he regretting last night? Did he not want her because she was a busy person?

She frowned, suddenly feeling like she'd made a huge mistake. “Are you breaking up with me?”

“What?” His eyes widened, and he quickly shook his head. “No. No, that’s not what …” He sighed, patting the bed. “Please sit, just for a moment.”

She swallowed, sitting on the edge of the bed. He looked at her and then down at her hip. “Last night, I marked you, Addie.”

She glanced down at her hip. She could see the beginning of it from underneath her nightgown and watched it travel down her hip. She chewed on her cheek, nodding her head. “Yes, you did. You asked, and I said you could.”

She didn’t understand what the problem was or why he looked like he hurt her. She needed more information. She clearly was missing something.

“Why do you look sick, Mahes? You asked if you could, and I said yes.”

He ran his tongue over his lower lip. “Because I should have explained what that means. When we mark … when we mark someone, it’s … it’s a commitment.”

She didn’t understand. When he asked, she figured it was just a symbol. If she looked back at it, it would be a scar, and she could remember their time together. She thought it was like a tattoo.

“I still don’t understand.”

He looked up, his eyes focused on her. “A commitment. It’s like a permanent commitment, Addie. Earth people get married, and we …”

It clicked into place. Earth people got married, and here, they marked their partner. Marking your partner was like getting married.

Her body seemed to freeze, and she couldn’t breathe. She thought back to last night and how he asked if he could mark her. She remembered telling him yes and feeling his nail against her skin.

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