heat I’d seen in his
eyes. “I think that’s why Astrid got to me. I already feel like I’m being useless,
and she always does such a great job of reminding me how much better than me she is.”
He shook his head. “You know that’s not true.”
I opened my mouth to argue that, but the door to the office opened and interrupted
me. I looked back over my shoulder to see Simon Bohlin. Out of habit, I sat up straighter
in my chair and tried to look as nonchalant as possible. I still wasn’t completely
sure how to act around him.
We’d broken up a few months ago after going out for nearly a year. I’d gone against
my own rule about not dating other trackers because Simon was funny and cute and didn’t
seem all that intimidated by the fact that I could kick his ass.
But I don’t know why it still felt so awkward. We hadn’t even been that serious. Well,
I thought we hadn’t been serious. Then Simon dropped the l -word, and I realized that we wanted two vastly different things out of the relationship.
Simon had been walking into the office, whistling an old tracker work song under his
breath, but he stopped short when he saw me.
“Sorry,” Simon said. From underneath his black bangs, his eyes shifted from me to
Ridley. “Am I interrupting something?”
“No.” Ridley stood up and stepped away from me. “Not at all.”
“I just came in to get my orders for the new changeling,” Simon said.
“Right. Of course.” Ridley walked around to the other side of his desk, shifting around
stacks of paper in search of the file for Simon.
“You’re leaving?” I asked, flashing Simon the friendliest smile I could manage.
He nodded. “Yeah.”
“When?”
“Um, I think later today,” Simon said.
Ridley found the file and held it up. “That is the plan.”
“So you’re not staying for the party?” I asked.
Simon shook his head, looking disappointed. “Not unless it’s in the next couple hours.”
Then it hit me. Simon was a good tracker, but he’d always enjoyed the parties and
balls here more than I had.
I stood up. “We could trade.”
“Trade what?” Simon asked cautiously.
Ridley sighed. “Bryn. No.”
“I’m supposed to stay here and shadow Linus Berling, but you were always so great
with the changelings.” I walked over to Simon, getting so excited by the idea that
I forgot to feel strange around him. “You could get him all settled and act as his
bodyguard, and I could go out into the field.”
“I…” Simon hesitated. “I mean, I don’t know if that’s okay.”
“But would you?” I asked before Ridley could object. “I mean, if it was okay.”
“Why? What’s going on?” Simon asked.
“Bryn’s just going through a case of cabin fever, and it’s making her act crazy,”
Ridley explained as he walked over to us.
“I’m not acting crazy,” I insisted and stared hopefully up at Simon. “So, Simon, are
you in?”
“Why don’t you come back in, like, half an hour, and we’ll have this all straightened
out?” Ridley asked and started ushering Simon to the door.
Simon glanced back at me, then shrugged noncommittally as he left. Once he’d gone,
Ridley closed the door. He turned around and leaned back on it, letting out a long
sigh as he looked over at me.
“What I’m saying makes sense. It works,” I insisted, already steeling myself for his
protests.
“Sit down.” He motioned to the chair.
He went over to the two chairs sitting in front of his desk and turned them so they
faced each other. After he sat down, he gestured to the other one, so I went over
and sat down across from him. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his legs, and
by the gravity in his eyes, I knew this conversation wasn’t going the way I’d hoped
it would.
“Do you want me to be completely honest with you?” he asked.
“Always.”
“What the hell are you thinking?” Ridley asked with such force and incredulity
eyes. “I think that’s why Astrid got to me. I already feel like I’m being useless,
and she always does such a great job of reminding me how much better than me she is.”
He shook his head. “You know that’s not true.”
I opened my mouth to argue that, but the door to the office opened and interrupted
me. I looked back over my shoulder to see Simon Bohlin. Out of habit, I sat up straighter
in my chair and tried to look as nonchalant as possible. I still wasn’t completely
sure how to act around him.
We’d broken up a few months ago after going out for nearly a year. I’d gone against
my own rule about not dating other trackers because Simon was funny and cute and didn’t
seem all that intimidated by the fact that I could kick his ass.
But I don’t know why it still felt so awkward. We hadn’t even been that serious. Well,
I thought we hadn’t been serious. Then Simon dropped the l -word, and I realized that we wanted two vastly different things out of the relationship.
Simon had been walking into the office, whistling an old tracker work song under his
breath, but he stopped short when he saw me.
“Sorry,” Simon said. From underneath his black bangs, his eyes shifted from me to
Ridley. “Am I interrupting something?”
“No.” Ridley stood up and stepped away from me. “Not at all.”
“I just came in to get my orders for the new changeling,” Simon said.
“Right. Of course.” Ridley walked around to the other side of his desk, shifting around
stacks of paper in search of the file for Simon.
“You’re leaving?” I asked, flashing Simon the friendliest smile I could manage.
He nodded. “Yeah.”
“When?”
“Um, I think later today,” Simon said.
Ridley found the file and held it up. “That is the plan.”
“So you’re not staying for the party?” I asked.
Simon shook his head, looking disappointed. “Not unless it’s in the next couple hours.”
Then it hit me. Simon was a good tracker, but he’d always enjoyed the parties and
balls here more than I had.
I stood up. “We could trade.”
“Trade what?” Simon asked cautiously.
Ridley sighed. “Bryn. No.”
“I’m supposed to stay here and shadow Linus Berling, but you were always so great
with the changelings.” I walked over to Simon, getting so excited by the idea that
I forgot to feel strange around him. “You could get him all settled and act as his
bodyguard, and I could go out into the field.”
“I…” Simon hesitated. “I mean, I don’t know if that’s okay.”
“But would you?” I asked before Ridley could object. “I mean, if it was okay.”
“Why? What’s going on?” Simon asked.
“Bryn’s just going through a case of cabin fever, and it’s making her act crazy,”
Ridley explained as he walked over to us.
“I’m not acting crazy,” I insisted and stared hopefully up at Simon. “So, Simon, are
you in?”
“Why don’t you come back in, like, half an hour, and we’ll have this all straightened
out?” Ridley asked and started ushering Simon to the door.
Simon glanced back at me, then shrugged noncommittally as he left. Once he’d gone,
Ridley closed the door. He turned around and leaned back on it, letting out a long
sigh as he looked over at me.
“What I’m saying makes sense. It works,” I insisted, already steeling myself for his
protests.
“Sit down.” He motioned to the chair.
He went over to the two chairs sitting in front of his desk and turned them so they
faced each other. After he sat down, he gestured to the other one, so I went over
and sat down across from him. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his legs, and
by the gravity in his eyes, I knew this conversation wasn’t going the way I’d hoped
it would.
“Do you want me to be completely honest with you?” he asked.
“Always.”
“What the hell are you thinking?” Ridley asked with such force and incredulity
Similar Books
