patted the space on the bed beside her. “Come back.”
He grinned. “I would but I thought
you’d want to see Fallon as soon as possible.”
“I do want to see Fallon. And I
will.” She sat up and casually pulled her pajama top off, letting the sheet fall to her waist. Her heart beat a little harder at the way Jai’s expression darkened, fa
ltering as he dropped his jeans back onto the floor. “But first I want my boyfriend to come here.”
No verbal response needed, Jai
strode toward the bed, his fingers tugging his towel loose just before he reached for her. He cupped a hand around her neck and pulled her against his body, his kiss long and deep, a prelude to one very exquisite morning.
The fire in Michael’s study broke the silence as it crackled and snapped, its heat inviting in the cold Jersey winter weather. Ari sat nervously in an armchair before Michael’s desk, Jai standing by her side.
It would’ve been nice to make their exquisite morning an entire exquisite day, but Ari knew she needed to meet with Fallon. She had to attempt to explain things.
Michael sighed behind his desk,
checking his watch. “I’m sure she’s coming.”
They’d been waiting on Fallon
coming down from her bedroom for twenty minutes.
“Should I maybe go to her?”
Before Michael could respond, the
door to his study opened and Caroline walked in, a shadow behind her. Before Ari could determine who the shadow was, Caroline dragged her from the chair with surprisingly strong arms and suffocated her with the tightest hug she’d ever received.
“How can I ever repay you?”
Caroline asked, her voice barely recognizable it was so thick with emotion.
Ari shook her head, taking a step
back. “I’m not in your debt,” she assured her, her heart aching at the sheer relief and joy in Caroline’s eyes. It suddenly occurred to Ari that Michael and Caroline were in a situation no other bereaved parent had ever been in. Unlike Charlie and Mrs. Creagh, who’d lost a son and a brother but would never realize the gift they’d been given, Fallon’s parents did. Ari imagined it had changed everything for them.
It also occurred to her that Fallon
would probably be cursed with overprotective parents for the rest of her life.
A movement out of the corner of her
eye drew her gaze, and Ari’s breath caught. Standing in the doorway was Fallon Roe.
And yet it wasn’t.
Fallon Roe had big, dark eyes that
sparked with the fire of life.
This Fallon Roe’s eyes were
haunted. “Charlie’s gone?” she asked softly, her words cracking a little.
Crap. Ari’s shoulders slumped.
“Maybe we can talk somewhere alone?”
Fallon nodded. Giving her mom and
dad a small smile of reassurance, she turned and led Ari out of the study. Ari quickly followed her to the back of the house to the library/pool room. As soon as they were inside, Fallon turned. The sight of the flashing fire in her dark eyes was a relief.
“What the fuck did you to do to me
and Charlie?” she snapped.
Or maybe not so much a relief. Ari
held up her hands defensively. “Your mother and father explained already, right?”
“Yeah.” She crossed her arms
stubbornly. “But I want to hear it from you, Prophecy Girl.”
Determinedly, Ari kept the twitch
from her lips. She was delighted to see Fallon acting like Fallon and not that weird little whipped girl she’d been acting like two seconds ago, but laughing at this point in time would probably piss Fallon off. “Okay. Here’s the deal.
You know the Labartu killed you?”
Fallon gave her a “well, duh” look.
Ari tilted her head in curiosity.