“Speak to him then, but be careful, Aefre. He isn’t in a very forgiving mood.”
I open my mouth to say that I didn’t do anything to him, but close it again as he shrugs, knowing what I was going to say.
We both stand again, and he hugs me tightly. “I love you. You are so strong,” he says to me quietly. “But will you let me take care of you? You don’t need to go through everything on your own. I just want to take care of you.”
“And I want you to,” I say truthfu
lly as I am worn out, weary, heartbroken myself, and struggling just to remain standing and not fall at his feet in tears. He beams at me adoringly and I smile back. “I’ll just be a minute, okay?”
“Okay,” he says and leaves me as I stride into the bathroom.
“See?” I say, hands on my hips. “Easy peasey. Just be nice.”
She is staring at me in wonder and says, “How the hell do you do it though? I saw and heard everything, but I just can’t get my head around how easily you wrap him around your finger. I mean he wants to take care of you? I don’t think anyone has ever said that to me, let alone him.”
“Because you are such a bitch, no one wants to,” I say nastily, and she flinches. “I mean that they don’t think that you need it or want it. Show a bit of vulnerability.”
“It is a weakness,” she says.
“No, it isn’t. It makes the people you claim to love actually know that you care about them.”
“So, Cole left you, did he?” she says with a cruel smirk, wanting to get her own back, probably.
“He did. But he will return.” I cross my arms tightly in a show of nonchalance even though I am dying inside.
She shrugs, not really interested in my sorrow. “Fine. I will take what I learned and try it. If it doesn’t work, though, you are coming back with me to do as we originally planned.”
“Wait. What about The Thirteen?”
“If your tactics work then I will come back.”
“They aren’t tactics, Liv,” I say with a sigh. “They are feelings, emotions. You have to be genuine. If you want him to love you, you have to love him first.”
“I do love him,” she whispers, and it is the first time I have seen that she actually does.
“Then stop being a cow and show him.”
She nods. “I will return later. Good luck with Sebastian,” she says and winks at me.
“Excuse me?” I say.
“Whatever it was you have to talk to him about. Your sire was right, he can be volatile. That Faerie temper is something else.”
“I will be fine but thank you for your concern.”
“Just looking out for you Lil’ Sis. You have grown on me.” She shrugs.
“Hm, can’t say the feeling is mutual,” I mutter, and she narrows her eyes at me.
“That’s not very nice.”
“Well, work on your attitude and maybe you will grow on me too,” I say, and she sneers at me before she disappears.
I check my phone but no calls or messages from Cole. I send him a message begging him to call me and I hope that he does. I need him to realize that he has thrown everything away by being hasty.
“Liv?” Sebastian says from the doorway. “Constantine says you want to talk to me?”
“Yes, I do, but not here.”