Page 44 of Blood of Dragons
His eyes shifted back and forth between mine. “I would kiss you.” His voice escaped as a whisper. “I would kiss you and make love to you and tell you how fucking sorry I am. That’s what I would do.”
And just like that, he made me feel so fucking weak. “You never showed me this kind of affection when we were together.”
“Because I didn’t realize what I had until it was gone.”
“You wouldn’t even sleep with me.” It still wounded me, the way he would fuck me and then kick me out. The way I woke up in the middle of the night to see him wide awake in the armchair.
“Like I’ve said twenty times, that has nothing to do with you.”
“Then what does it have to do with?”
Now he looked away, and it was the first time he’d ever done that. His stare remained elsewhere for a long while, like looking me in the eye made him feel a world of pain. “Let this lie, Calista.”
His image suddenly came into sharper focus…or I just looked at him differently. “Have you ever been in love, Talon?”
His eyes remained averted all this time, looking across the kitchen to the cabinets. The question hung in the air for a longwhile before it became too heavy and crashed to the floor. He let it die, let it be buried.
“Why won’t you answer me?”
His chin remained down and never lifted again. He had been authoritative and confident just minutes ago, but now, he practically cowered in the corner. He was unlike himself, suddenly looking pale and hollow. “Goodnight, Calista.”
“Why won’t you answer me?” I pressed, my voice louder.
He looked dead behind the eyes, that fleck of gold nowhere to be seen.
“Don’t leave, Talon. I want to talk about this?—”
He lifted his chin and looked at me, showing the depth of his empty eyes, the severity of his brokenness. “We willnevertalk about this.” Then he disappeared, and it was like he’d never been there in the first place.
7
CALISTA
It was the middle of the day when a knock sounded on the door.
“It’s open.” I knew who it was without having to check. Only one person came to visit me.
Commander Luxe let himself inside, dressed in his casual clothes rather than his uniform. “You look better today.” He helped himself to the armchair Talon had occupied the night before.
“Yeah, must have been something I ate.”
“Perhaps the change in diet is the culprit.”
“Maybe.” I closed the book in my hands and set it on the table.
He glanced at it. “What do you think?”
“I like it.”
“Good.” He remained there, looking at me with an intensity that reminded me of Talon. “Since you cooked me dinner last night, I’d like to return the generosity. Would you like to come over tonight?”
“I cooked for you because ofyourgenerosity.”
“Well, I’d like to cook for you anyway.”
Talon’s words hadn’t faded from my mind since our conversation. His jealousy was profound, but I know my jealousy would be just as uncontrollable. “I never answered your question last night.”
“No, you didn’t.”