Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 79587 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79587 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
Whatever the fuck “it” was.
“No.” She threw her half-finished hot chocolate in the trash. “No, I really don’t. It’s in the past. Come on—let’s go home.”
Grath thought he had never seen her look so grim—she was usually a bright, bubbly, determinedly cheerful person, despite or maybe because of his own grumpy attitude. He hardly knew what to do now that she had shut down like this.
He threw his own hot chocolate away and followed her back to her parents’ domicile, wishing he knew what to say to her.
TEN
MATTIE
Mattie wished she was home. Not in the big, restored farmhouse on the hill but back on board the Mother Ship in her own cozy suite. That was home to her now—her own space where she felt safe and respected.
Despite being surrounded by the huge Kindred warriors, she never felt in danger from any of them. The Kindred revered females and reviled anyone who tried to hurt them or prey on them. Unlike human men, Mattie thought grimly.
Her mom was waiting to greet them—she suggested that they might like to sit by the fire so she could show Grath some of Mattie’s old baby pictures. But Mattie shook her head.
“I’m sorry, Mom, but it’s been a really long day,” she said, trying to manufacture a smile. “Hope you don’t mind, but I’d really like to get some sleep.”
“Oh, of course, sweetheart!” Her mom looked concerned. “Are you feeling all right? You’re not coming down with anything, are you?” She put a cool hand on Mattie’s forehead, testing for fever. “You don’t feel hot.”
“I’m okay—just tired,” Mattie assured her, trying again to smile. She didn’t want her mom to be worried.
“Well then…go on up and get some rest, sweetie,” her mom said. “I’ve got the two of you in Mattie’s old attic room,” she added, speaking to Grath. “I, er, hope the bed fits you.”
“We’ll be fine,” Grath reassured her. “Thank you. I guess I’ll turn in, too.”
He followed Mattie silently up the stairs, all the way to the attic. She hoped he wasn’t going to pounce on her with questions the minute they were alone together, but to her relief he kept quiet. Was he biding his time, waiting for her to talk? Or did he just not care what was bothering her?
Probably the latter, Mattie told herself dully. After all, why should he care about her past? They were only pretending to be dating, after all. A real boyfriend would have been obligated to worry and care—a fake boyfriend most certainly was not.
At last, after three flights of stairs, they reached the door to her old bedroom. Mattie turned the knob and went inside. But seeing the familiar, sloping roof and the colorful patchwork quilt on the queen-sized bed she remembered so well didn’t do a thing to lighten her mood.
“We really are at the top of the domicile here,” Grath remarked, looking around. He was so tall he could only stand upright in the middle of the room, where the roof, which sloped off in both directions, came to a point.
“Yeah, I’m the youngest, so I wound up in the attic when we moved in here,” Mattie murmured. She sighed, trying to shake off her bad mood—trying to shake off the past. “Look, I need a shower—okay? So just, uh, make yourself at home.”
She waved at the room in general and then headed for her suitcase, which her mom had thoughtfully placed by the side of the bed. She dug inside it, grabbing her toothbrush and paste and a long white nightgown.
She wished she still had her flannel pajamas—the attic had always been drafty and it seemed colder than ever, though she could hear the heater running. But she had happily discarded them after moving away from the freezing New England winters.
“Uh…there’s only one bed,” Grath remarked, stating the obvious. “Do you want me to sleep on the floor?”
“Sleep on the floor? Of course not.” Mattie shook her head. “We’re adults. We can share the bed without any kind of problem, right?”
“Sure.” He shrugged. “Just trying to give you space if you need it, little girl.”
“What I need right now is a shower,” Mattie informed him. “Excuse me.” And she ducked into the bathroom.
A long hot shower helped clear her head and as she stood under the pounding water, she gave herself a stern talking to.
You need to get over it, she lectured herself. It’s over now—it’s in the past. Don’t let the past ruin the present. You need to concentrate on your mission—making everyone believe that you and Grath are dating so you can get to Vi’ri’tex Delta as soon as you go back to the Mother Ship. Keep your eyes on the prize, Mattie and don’t let anything distract you.
The pep talk helped—a little bit, anyway—and after she had dried her hair and pulled on the long white nightgown, she felt a tiny bit more like her old self.