Chapter 188

“I thought you said a shower wasn’t going to change the way I smell now?” I say, frowning at Rafe.

“It’s going to help,” he says, turning back to me and raising his eyebrows. “Seriously, Ariel, you…you smell like you took a bath in eau d’Jackson. It’s not a bad thing but it is…a statement cologne.”

I laugh a little and he nods to me, stepping out the door, clearly letting me know he’ll give me a minute. Rafe pulls the door after him, but doesn’t let it completely shut.

Quietly, I cross the room to Jackson, who holds my gaze as I do.

“Hi,” I say quietly – the same thing I said last night when I showed up at his door. But this time I say it with…a little less verve.

Jackson just smirks at me, reaching to cup my cheek in his palm.

“I’m really sorry, Jacks,” I whisper. “It shouldn’t have happened like that.”

“Not your fault,” he murmurs.

“Still,” I say, my voice low. “You’re the one who had to deal with it.”

“I’d put up with a lot worse for you,” he says, his smile growing a little.

I smile back, unable to help it. I step a little closer and look up into his face. “Are we good?”

“We’re good,” he says, reaching out and tucking my hair back behind my ear in that way he likes. But something in his terseness – I mean, Jackson doesn’t usually say a lot anyway, but today…

Well, I can tell he doesn’t feel quite right.

I bite my lip, anxious. “Do you…want me to stay?” I ask, kind of hoping that he’ll say yes, let me talk him through this, fix it all. I raise myself up on my toes, bringing my face just an inch or two closer to his. “For a little bit?”

But Jackson just sighs and shakes his head. “I think I need a minute, Ariel,” he says gently, with absolutely no malice.

Still, my heart sinks, and I lower myself till my feet are flat, suddenly worried. Is he mad at me? Is this…is this way worse than I think it is? Should I -

Jackson just laughs at the emotions he feels through the bond, slipping a hand around my waist and tugging me close against him. “Don’t get all mixed up about it,” he says, shaking his head at me. “We’re fine, Ariel. I just…Ella said…she said that I am allowed to take a minute. To ask for time alone when I need to…think about stuff. And figure out how I feel.”

I stare at him for a second, absolutely gaping, before I burst into laughter. “Seriously!? Ella?” He grins at me. “Ella is behind all of this talk about boundaries and taking a minute!?”

His grin deepens. “Yup,” he says, nodding down at me. “She’s on my side now. I stole your mom.”

“Yeah well,” I mutter, narrowing my eyes playfully. “You can take her for now. She’s going to want someone to do all the heavy lifting of yule logs on midwinter anyway.”

He grins, pressing a kiss to my forehead, murmuring that it sounds like a fair deal to him.

I groan a little, leaning against him, pretending to be annoyed. But really, I’m thrilled that he’s growing so close to mom and that she’s helping him figure out how to deal with all of these complicated emotions. I let him feel all of that down the bond. “You take your minute, Jacks.” I say softly. “As much time as you need. I’ll see you later?”

“You’ll see me later,” he says, assured. And then he dips his head, and I stand on my toes again, and my mate kisses me, his arm tightening around my waist.

I pull away after a moment, wanting to give him his space, and Jackson just stands quietly – already in thought – as I move towards the door. But before I leave, I turn back, my hand already on the handle.

“Hey, Jacks?” I ask quietly.

Instantly, his head turns up towards me, his expression I think a little surprised that I’m still here. “Yeah?”

“Can I ask you…maybe an unfair question?”

He smirks at me, and turns his head to the side, inviting it.

I grin, and nod towards the door, where Luca left. “If it were the other way around. And…you had a big night, and I left early and…you found me in his bed in the morning. Would you…do you think you would have reacted the same?”

Jackson’s smirk just deepens. “Trick question, Clark. Because it never would have happened.”

“What?” I ask, frowning in my confusion.

“If you think,” he says slowly, lowering his head a little in a predatory way that makes my stomach tense, “I would have ever stayed at a bar without you? Let you go home alone to a cold bed? Or, worse yet, to a warm one?” He quirks and eyebrow and then slowly, he shakes his head.

The smile that bursts onto my face – it stretches so wide my cheeks hurt.

Jackson just gives me a grin before he drops his head again, returning to his thoughts. And I slip out the door, pushing it shut behind me just…completely filled with warmth at that answer, from my head to my toes.

I’m not surprised, at all, to find Rafe waiting for me, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, one foot propped against the wall behind him. I am a little surprised, though, when I step close and find him…drowsing. Almost completely asleep just…standing against the wall.

I burst out laughing, giving his shoulder a shove. He starts and looks around, gasping in a deep breath.

“Ari!” he scolds on the exhale, giving me a little shove right back. “Don’t scare me like that.”

“Don’t fall asleep in the hall!”

“I’ll do what I want. I’m going to be the King one day, after all. It’s my palace, I sleep where I want.”

I laugh again as my brother slings an arm around my shoulders and we start down the hall towards our family suite, my arm around his waist. “You sound like Jesse, talking like that.”

“Yeah well, with as much gin and as little sleep as we’ve had tonight, we all sound a little more like Jesse.”

I grin, and lean into my brother, grateful to have him here. “Thanks, Rafe. I think you…saved me in there.”

“You were doing perfectly fine, little sister.”

“Was I?” I ask, kind of surprised at the compliment, looking up at him.

“Oh, perfectly fine causing as much trouble as possible,” he replies, blinking innocently down at me.

I scowl and elbow him in the ribs. He hisses, pretending it hurts more than it does, which just makes me laugh even though it’s an old, stupid joke.

“Nah, you’re all right,” Rafe says, tightening his arm around me a little. “Luca is just…he can be dramatic, can’t he? I mean, I do get why he’s upset,” Rafe gives me a significant look here, and I roll my eyes, done defending myself on that point. “But…yeah. He took it really far.”

“What are we gonna do with him?” I murmur, shaking my head.

“Ah, see, the good part about this, little sister, is that it is your problem. Not mine.” Rafe heaves a smug, contented sigh.

“Fine,” I say, equally smug, aloof. “I’m not helping you at all, then, when your mate shows up and causes a big fuss.” I grin, pleased at my joking counterpoint.

But Rafe doesn’t respond, and I look up at him, my face falling when I see that he’s looking right ahead and not down at me at all. And his face is…sad, worried.

“Rafe, I –“

“Don’t, Ari,” he murmurs, glancing down at me just for a moment. “Just…I’m tired. Let’s get me to bed.”

“You got it, bro,” I murmur, tugging him a little closer and leaning against him again as we walk, wondering…

Well. Wondering what I said that upset him so much.

But when I say goodbye to my brother, and step into my room, and turn to see Daphne curled up in my bed with the duvet tucked prettily under my chin?

Well…I think I have my answer.