Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 106646 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 533(@200wpm)___ 427(@250wpm)___ 355(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 106646 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 533(@200wpm)___ 427(@250wpm)___ 355(@300wpm)
Shail raises a hand, silencing me. "Now let's say you found out later that it was all a joke, that she made you upset because she wanted you to be jealous."
I want to growl low in my throat at the thought, but Z'hren is pushing another piece of food toward me. Are all kits as fascinated with feeding others as this one, I wonder? I grab one of his small hands before he can reach into the bowl again, but he has four of them and it is a losing battle. "I would be angry," I say. "I would not like that she hurt me just to hurt me."
"Exactly. Now you're getting it."
I am. And perhaps I have been going about things all wrong.
21
BRIDGET
I leave the healer's tent the next afternoon, my head an absolute mess.
When I woke up this morning, things were awkward between me and A'tam. I knew he was upset that I halted things last night, but he didn't take it out on me. He was kind, and courteous, and carried me back to camp even though I protested that I could walk. He brought me to Veronica's tent, made sure the healer would be able to help me, and then disappeared.
Now, hours later, my ankle and back feel like new, I've had a nap in the healer's tent and…I still don't know what to do about A'tam. In the small moments, he's wonderful. He's funny and charming and I love being with him.
But…the sex was goddamn awful. Awful to the point that I can't get over it. I'd rather have my wisdom teeth extracted by an ice planet dentist than go through that again. Maybe it's just awful with me because of my small size downtown.
Daisy hasn't complained, and she's sharing huts with him now. That's another thing that bothers me—he's hooking up with Daisy and still flirting with me. I know I told him originally that I wanted a casual relationship, but how fucking casual does he think I want?
I don't know what to think.
Daisy's bright laughter trills over the camp and I grit my teeth. My stomach growls and I head for the main fire to see what's cooking today. Someone always has food ready because the emphasis with the tribe is that we're all one unit. Everyone pitches in. If you're going hunting that day, someone else will make you food. If you help out around camp, you get fed. Even cleaning skins or drying herbs helps out, because someone's going to need those skins. Someone's going to need those herbs. In a way, it's beautiful.
Today, though, it just sucks, because it sounds like Daisy's near the fire. I wonder if I should head toward the longhouse and see if someone's made food there. We're so used to gathering around the beach fire that people only go into the longhouse when the weather's bad, and today it's decent, with only a mild breeze.
There's more laughter coming from the fire, and even though I don't want to see Daisy hanging all over A'tam, I'm curious what everyone's finding so funny. I hope it's not something to do with me. My stomach clenches into a knot at the thought of A'tam telling everyone what happened between us last night. Please, no.
But when I gently shoulder my way into the group, I see that there's four groups by the fire. Daisy and O'jek sit in front of two large bowls, Brooke and Taushen are making little seed-mix cakes with their hands, and R'jaal and I'rec are elbowing each other, a spread of small, messy bowls in front of them. Off to one side, Bek hovers over Elly as she bastes a few tidbits of meat that smoke and sizzle on one of the rocks at the edge of the fire. Oh. This must be the cooking competition.
As I watch, R'jaal uses a cup to scoop a bit of…whatever it is in front of him and offers it to T'chai's mate, Mari. Mari takes a tiny sip, and immediately acts as if she's poisoned. Her hand goes to the back of her mouth and she runs away, gasping. Everyone laughs. T'chai takes the cup of shrimp tea that Penny hands him and heads after his mate, grinning.
"She did say she wanted to try it," Brooke teases, her voice raising over the din. "When she comes back, tell her she can eat my delicious cakes to wash that nasty taste out of her mouth."
"Hey! We have another person who needs to sample food right here," calls Lauren, pushing through the group to grab my hand. "You're just in time, Bridget."
Oh, jeez. "No, really, I don't think I should play," I stammer. My stomach growls despite things, and Lauren puts a friendly arm on my shoulders. "Really," I protest. "I was in the contest. It wouldn't be fair."