Page 82 of Red Fire

Creed

I park my Jeep in the driveway, then run up the path. I’m about to yank the front door open when I force myself to stop, to slow down.

Aspen might not be here. If she is, then so be it. It’s not going to help the situation if I run in half-cocked.

I remind myself for the hundredth time since leaving my folks that I haven’t done anything wrong. I don’t want Octavia to be upset. I don’t want Aspen to be upset, either. I rake a hand through my hair.

This is one hell of a mess. One I need to face and fix… Is something like this even fixable? My ex and my… What is Octavia to me? I haven’t had a chance to think much about it. It’s been a whirlwind. And then to find out after three years that Aspen did not mate Chase or any other male. That she has been waiting for me to return. That she has had a hand in keeping my home in pristine condition. That she visits with my folks. That she still wants me…wants us. I don’t know how I feel about that.About any of it. I’m in a flat spin. My mind is racing. I can’t seem to catch my breath. It’s too much.

I suck in a deep breath and then go inside. It’s quiet. Completely quiet. Too quiet.

My first thought is that Octavia has left. My heart starts beating wildly at the thought. I hate that idea. Fucking hate it. I call her name, trying not to sound panicked.

“In here,” she yells, sounding bright and breezy.

Good. I can calm the fuck down. I have to calm down. I’m being completely irrational.

I walk into the living room and find her on the sofa. She looks relaxed. The television is on but has been muted. Why is she watching the television with no sound? Is it a weird human thing?

“That was quick,” she says. “I wasn’t expecting you back so soon. Did you see your parents? How are they? Were they happy to see you?”

“Yes, they’re doing well.” I sink down on the opposite chair, needing space. “They were very happy to see me.”

She frowns. “You can’t have visited them for very long. Barely long enough for a cup of coffee. Is everything okay?”

Maybe I overreacted. Maybe Aspen hasn’t been yet. It’s still early.

I scratch the back of my head. “They’re well. All good.” I nod. “I found out that… I found out…”

Shit! How do I tell her about Aspen?

“I found out something that was a little…surprising and…” I scratch the back of my head again, sighing. I need to just tell her already.

Fuck! Why is it so hard? It’s not a big deal.

“Aspen came around not so long ago.” Octavia smiles, still looking relaxed. “Are you trying to tell me that she’s beencoming to clean your house and that she never mated that guy or anyone else, for that matter?”

I swallow thickly. “Oh! She came…here…to the house?”

Well, fuck!

“Yes.” Octavia smiles like it is the best thing that ever happened. “And I have to say, I’m a little annoyed at you.”

I’m sure she is. I can understand that she would be. Why the smile, though? Can you be annoyed and smiling?

“You downplayed how beautiful she is and how sweet she is. Holy moly, Creed, I half fell in love with her myself. Aspen feels terrible about what happened. She regrets…” Octavia rolls her eyes. “I shouldn’t be telling you all of this. You need to hear it from her yourself. Oh, Creed.” She gets tears in her eyes. She blinks a few times, clearing them, and then sniffs. “I’m so happy for you. You’re going to have everything you ever wanted.” She bites down on her lip, looking sad for a moment or two, then it’s gone. Octavia smiles at me again.

For a second there, I thought she was going to get upset with me. I’m oddly disappointed that she’s happy for me instead. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but this isn’t it. Never this! This feels…all kinds of wrong.

“You know what this means, right?” she asks me.

“What does it mean?” I sound unsure because I am. I feel like shit. I shouldn’t, but I do.

“It means that I have to go and stay at the castle until it’s time for my flight. They said that they have a room for me there, and I’m sure the offer would still stand. I would appreciate it if you could take me. I know I’ve asked a lot of you…too much. This would be the last thing. I promise. Take me to the castle; then I’m out of your hair. You can go straight to Aspen. She’s waiting for you. She said to tell you that she’s at her old apartment. She never moved anywhere.”

“You don’t have to go.” I rake a hand through my hair again. “You can stay in the spare room.” I hate the thought of her going.

Octavia laughs. “You’re funny. No, I can’t stay in the spare room. It wouldn’t work. No, no…” She shakes her head. “You need to move right on. We had fun. You didn’t do anything wrong, by the way.” She points at me. “I know how you like to blame yourself. We had sex a couple of times. You were single, but that’s all about to change, so the right thing would be for me to leave now. I know I wouldn’t be happy if you were my boyfriend. If the roles had been reversed, I probably would have grabbed Aspen by the hair and pulled her out of my house. You would have found her out on the pavement. She’s a much better person than me.” She giggles. It isn’t funny. None of this is funny.