Chosen Fool (Forever Evermore #5)(6)

He hummed gently, his eyes darting over the variety. “Our normal?”

My breath left in a shaky exhale. “What if we tried something different?”

That f*cking advice.

“Dark chocolate with nuts? Or really go all out and attempt black cherry?”

Air choked in my throat, years of fear hammering my heart.

I stalled.

And I couldn’t push past it, the thought of my heart shattering even more than it already would in the future. When he found his mate. “I’m not hungry.” I pushed away from him, quickly storming down the aisle, unable to pretend right now. “Get whatever you want.”

My chest heaved and my jaw clenched as I blinked back the old tears that wanted to escape. On my way to the exit, I muttered to King Collins, “I’m leaving.” The cute shop’s door banged open with a crash as I charged onto the sunlit sidewalk, getting the f*ck out of there.





Chapter Four

Hearing footsteps halt, I barely lifted my head from the pillow. The movement was just enough so my voice wasn’t muffled when I stated quietly, “I didn’t knock.”

Leric’s deep voice rumbled, “I can see that.”

Oops. I had broken into his room.

After I had skipped lunch then dinner.

“I’m fully clothed under the blanket, so don’t freak out. I remember you kicking me to the curb. I’m not here with sexual intent.” I lowered my head to the pillow, my right arm snug over Tristan’s side, his body and fur comforting and warm. “I just wanted to rest.”

To get away from Sin’s hanging silence. I needed to think—not that I was exactly having any lightbulb moments. My thoughts were just as muddled as before. “I can leave if you want me to.” I wasn’t sure where I would go, but this was his room.

There was a silent pause, then I heard his footsteps again behind me as he moved to the bathroom, flicking on the light. “No, you’re fine. As long as you don’t mind me turning on the bedside light while I review documents.” I heard a rustling sound, then a body-warmed, white silk shirt landed directly on top of my head. “But you’ll change into that if you’re lying in my bed.” His tone turned to a quiet mutter. “I hate that black shit you wear.”

Lifting my hand from Tristan, I grabbed the shirt and whispered, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” he groused, closing the bathroom door behind him.

I quickly sat up, stretching, and did as ordered, stripping to put on his shirt. It wasn’t a strict rule for being allowed to hide out here. The long-sleeved shirt was enormous and thin on my frame, but Tristan heated me before Leric even came out of the bathroom.

I heard Leric rummaging around in the dresser, then more rustling as he changed his clothing behind me. A minute later, he flicked off the light to the bathroom before clicking on the bedside lamp. There was a slight breeze against my backside as he lifted the comforter. The feather-soft bed dipped as he got in it.

All done without a comment made.

This was what I needed.

Leric was sitting in bed comfortably with his back against the headboard. He twisted a moment before settling back, his side rubbing against mine. Every so often I heard the crinkling of a piece of paper being flipped as he, apparently, reviewed whatever documents he needed to—the ones I had noticed, but not snooped through, earlier on the table.

Leric did silence very well.

So much so, I went back to my own troubled ponderings, warmed between him and Tristan. I absently stroked under Tristan’s furry chin as I had been doing all evening, earning his adorable huffing purr, which tended to calm me.

After an undeterminable time, in a soft voice, almost hating to interrupt the peaceful quiet, I murmured, “Elder Zeller said something to me today.”

His hum was patient. “What was that?”

“He said, fear can’t stop the soul.” I ran my fingers through Tristan’s fur, feeling the strength in his jaws. “Do you believe that?”

Simple, quiet words as a page flipped. “I do.”

I huffed softly. “Not even fear that could shatter you?”

“Where the soul of the living is concerned, it’s too strong a force to be contained.”

“Huh.” I stared where my fingers now ran over Tristan’s diamond collar. “That’s what Elder Zeller believes.”

More minutes of quiet passed.

More troubled musings inside my mind thrummed.

More flipping of pages from Leric followed.

I finally interrupted him again, asking distractedly, “Did the water Elemental from the fudge shop give you her phone number?”

There was a broken silence.

“Do you mean the clerk?”

My hand stalled on the collar. “Was there another?”

“The cashier was also a water Elemental.”

And…he didn’t really answer the question. “So?”

“So what?”

“Phone numbers?”

“Ah.” A slow turn of his page. “Yes, they both slipped me their numbers, along with one fire and one air Elemental at the glass shop. It also occurred with a fire Elemental at lunch, and one water and one air Elemental at dinner.” He paused and made a thumping sound on his papers. “Oh yes, and another air Elemental when I was coming up to my room.”