such a delicate-looking piece of furniture.
After claiming a cold bottle of water, Addison sunk into the chair facing his, and then took a deep breath. Rhys was dead quiet. She did a quick check on him as she took a drink, all but sensing him kicked back in her head. Jump in here anytime, Rhys.
You got it covered, sweetheart. I’ll jump in when needed.
She’d have loved to be mad at him for laying it all at her feet, but she could tell he seriously thought she’d be fine. She felt the warmth of his support like a hug around her heart.
“Are you waiting for me to start? Because I do believe it was explicitly explained to me that this was to be done your way.”
All his previous anger and frustration seemed to have banked into a dangerous calm. She eyed him wearily as she bit her lip.
“A couple of weeks back, I died.”
The blunt admission seemed to ruffle his calm, a brief burst of surprise lifting his features.
But he didn’t respond in any other way.
“Obviously, they brought me back, but it wasn’t just me who came back.” Again, with the no-response thing.
She sat back and tried to get comfortable, though her nerves were rattling nonstop. “When I was…gone—I guess you’d call it—I saw something. Someone. Near as we can figure, Rhys died around the same time I did. He was there…in that place…before I got there. And when I left…when they brought me back…he latched onto me. Somehow. He came back with me.” Xavier leaned back, kicking out a leg as his other knee fell wide. Lacing his fingers over his tight abs, he stared and blinked.
Addison sighed, having no other choice but to keep going. “When I woke up, I could hear Rhys in my head. We can hear each other’s thoughts…and feel what the other is feeling. Or not.
We can block it too.”
His blank expression was almost more than she could bear.
Should I tell him about the touching thing? Not the details, obviously, but the fact you can do it?
Rhys snorted. Not unless you want to come across as the crazy-ass bitch he thought you’d be.
I think I’m waaaay past and beyond that point. Look at him! She focused harder so he could see, although she was pretty sure she had been keeping that sense open already. He thinks I’m a total whack job!
She cleared her throat. “So…um…he didn’t suffer. At least, he doesn’t remember any pain.
Just wandering from the wreck and collapsing. He just...” She swallowed a sudden lump, never really taking the time to consider it all herself. “He just couldn’t hold on.” Dashing a hand at a tear slipping free, she cleared her throat again. “But he needs closure to move on. That’s why we’re here.”
About the same time she’d convinced herself that Xavier wasn’t going to mutter a single word, he finally spoke.
“So, what’s your story? Who are you? Where’d you grow up?” Her jaw dropped.
The questions totally came out of left field, and it completely threw her off.
He’s trying to keep you off balance. He’s looking for your tell.
Deciding there was nothing else to do but go with it, she responded. Carefully, and guardedly…but she did it.
“Oookay, so, you know my name already. And from my email address you probably know I’m a photographer. Past that, I’m not sure what you want to know.” She took a swig of her water and focused on screwing the lid back; a stall tactic while she got her thoughts in order.
“Um…I’m adopted.” Her voice dropped. “My parents passed away quite a few years ago, and I have no other family to speak of.”
She closed her eyes and rubbed at her temple, trying to think of what else there was to share.
Rhys’ arms came around her, his gentle sympathy washing through.
It’s okay, Rhys. It doesn’t really bother me anymore.
But she wrapped her arms around herself as she opened her eyes, pretending it was still his touch she felt.
A slight lift to Xavier’s lips surprised her. “Well, that explains one
After claiming a cold bottle of water, Addison sunk into the chair facing his, and then took a deep breath. Rhys was dead quiet. She did a quick check on him as she took a drink, all but sensing him kicked back in her head. Jump in here anytime, Rhys.
You got it covered, sweetheart. I’ll jump in when needed.
She’d have loved to be mad at him for laying it all at her feet, but she could tell he seriously thought she’d be fine. She felt the warmth of his support like a hug around her heart.
“Are you waiting for me to start? Because I do believe it was explicitly explained to me that this was to be done your way.”
All his previous anger and frustration seemed to have banked into a dangerous calm. She eyed him wearily as she bit her lip.
“A couple of weeks back, I died.”
The blunt admission seemed to ruffle his calm, a brief burst of surprise lifting his features.
But he didn’t respond in any other way.
“Obviously, they brought me back, but it wasn’t just me who came back.” Again, with the no-response thing.
She sat back and tried to get comfortable, though her nerves were rattling nonstop. “When I was…gone—I guess you’d call it—I saw something. Someone. Near as we can figure, Rhys died around the same time I did. He was there…in that place…before I got there. And when I left…when they brought me back…he latched onto me. Somehow. He came back with me.” Xavier leaned back, kicking out a leg as his other knee fell wide. Lacing his fingers over his tight abs, he stared and blinked.
Addison sighed, having no other choice but to keep going. “When I woke up, I could hear Rhys in my head. We can hear each other’s thoughts…and feel what the other is feeling. Or not.
We can block it too.”
His blank expression was almost more than she could bear.
Should I tell him about the touching thing? Not the details, obviously, but the fact you can do it?
Rhys snorted. Not unless you want to come across as the crazy-ass bitch he thought you’d be.
I think I’m waaaay past and beyond that point. Look at him! She focused harder so he could see, although she was pretty sure she had been keeping that sense open already. He thinks I’m a total whack job!
She cleared her throat. “So…um…he didn’t suffer. At least, he doesn’t remember any pain.
Just wandering from the wreck and collapsing. He just...” She swallowed a sudden lump, never really taking the time to consider it all herself. “He just couldn’t hold on.” Dashing a hand at a tear slipping free, she cleared her throat again. “But he needs closure to move on. That’s why we’re here.”
About the same time she’d convinced herself that Xavier wasn’t going to mutter a single word, he finally spoke.
“So, what’s your story? Who are you? Where’d you grow up?” Her jaw dropped.
The questions totally came out of left field, and it completely threw her off.
He’s trying to keep you off balance. He’s looking for your tell.
Deciding there was nothing else to do but go with it, she responded. Carefully, and guardedly…but she did it.
“Oookay, so, you know my name already. And from my email address you probably know I’m a photographer. Past that, I’m not sure what you want to know.” She took a swig of her water and focused on screwing the lid back; a stall tactic while she got her thoughts in order.
“Um…I’m adopted.” Her voice dropped. “My parents passed away quite a few years ago, and I have no other family to speak of.”
She closed her eyes and rubbed at her temple, trying to think of what else there was to share.
Rhys’ arms came around her, his gentle sympathy washing through.
It’s okay, Rhys. It doesn’t really bother me anymore.
But she wrapped her arms around herself as she opened her eyes, pretending it was still his touch she felt.
A slight lift to Xavier’s lips surprised her. “Well, that explains one
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