Page 57 of Avaritia
The doctor made a quiet sound of disapproval as she fussed with my records over in the corner, but the opportunity to try figure out what he was playing at was too good to pass up.
“We live in Denver…” I said slowly.
“That’s right, baby. We live in a ranch-style house we bought two years ago. We just finished the basement so we’d have plenty of room for a big family, remember?”
My uterus curled in on itself.
Oh, he wasn’t fucking around. He really wanted me to think we’d been together this whole time.
I frowned, squinting a little to make it look like my head hurt. “We started dating in high school. You gave me a corsage with pink carnations for prom. We took a trip to Jackson Lake with some friends for graduation.”
Sebastian nodded so encouragingly that I almost second-guessed my own sanity. Maybe I had hit my head harder than I thought, and the shadow realm had all been a fever dream. We had talked about doing up a ranch house one day.
But my thumb brushed over the scar on the side of my finger where Theon’s claw had broken the skin, centering me. If I could have touched my mating mark without drawing Sebastian’s attention, I would have, but I didn’t want to risk it.
I am Verity de Jager. Kind-of Duchess of Lindow. I live in the shadow realm with my monster mate, Theon, Duke of Lindow. I have friends there. A home there. An errant sister-in-law there.
I’m going to find my way back.
I’m going to find my way home.
I ran Theon’s words through my mind again, holding on to them for comfort. “To be underestimated is to have a powerful, invisible weapon at your disposal.
I was out of my depth and no battle strategist, but Theon kind of was. Or he’d at least been trained as one. I trusted his judgment.
“I’m so sorry this happened,” Sebastian said, staring intently into my eyes. I’d once found his soulful green gaze so dreamy, and now everything about him seemed insincere. It was all a mask to disguise who he really was underneath. “You were so determined to go on this hiking trip, and I should have tried harder to dissuade you. I take complete responsibility. You’ve always been the dreamer out of the two of us,” he laughed affectionately. “I’m meant to be the voice of reason. I failed you, Verity.”
He was still holding my hand, and I wondered if my skin was as cold from the outside as I felt on the inside.
“Unfortunately, Verity can’t recall the specifics of the accident,” Doctor Torres put in. “It took place in the very early hours of the morning. No hiking equipment was found.”
Sebastian’s eyes flashed for a moment, but his back was to the doctor, so only I saw it. He fixed his charming, appropriately pitying smile back on his face in an instant.
“Well, I’m going to fix all of this,” Sebastian promised, giving my hand a gentle squeeze. “I know you’ve had a tough time and you’re hurting, but I’m going to take care of you just like I always said I would.”
God, I’d forgotten how intoxicating his confidence used to be for me. To a lonely orphan girl, he’d seemed like my salvation. My knight in shining armor. A promise that I’d never be alone again.
And when he’d changed his mind, he’d ripped all that security away from me like it was nothing, and I’d never heard from him again.
“How long until she can come home, Doctor?” Sebastian asked.
Oh fuck, that was not in my plans. No sirree. I was not going to a secondary location with this motherfucker.
Though perhaps that would give me an opening to make a run for it? I wouldn’t rule it out just yet.
“We’d like to keep Verity here a little while longer, just to keep an eye on things,” Doctor Torres said in a pleasant voice. “Verity, you also have a transverse fracture”—she nodded at my left arm, bound in a splint—“and some heavy bruising down your left side that’s being managed with pain medication. Considering the terrain and how isolated you were… well, it was a good thing you were found quickly.”
I didn’t need to fake my tremulous nod this time. I was surprised I hadn’t walked away with more damage, and I was counting my blessings that I hadn’t.
Doctor Torres left us alone, and I kept my expression carefully blank, waiting to see what Sebastian would say now there were no witnesses around. Was this where the mask would come off? Or would he keep up the ruse?
“I’ve missed you,” Sebastian murmured, which told me nothing at all. “I’ve been so worried.”
“Because of the hiking trip?” I asked, giving him my most guileless expression. Man, I should have been an actress. I was fucking nailing this.
Or the drugs were making me think I was nailing this. But I preferred the first option.
Sebastian’s brow furrowed. “Yes, of course. I never thought the hiking trip was a good idea, remember? You’ve never been athletically inclined,” he added with a laugh.