From Darkness (Hearts & Arrows Book 3)(79)

“Anytime, Josie.”

“Bye-bye.” Lola waved her chubby little hand.

“Bye-bye, Lola,” Josie said as she wiggled her fingers at the little girl.

They left his apartment in silence, neither of them speaking until they reached the Jeep in the parking garage. The fluorescent lights hummed above them, and their feet echoed against the concrete as they walked around to her door.

Jon unlocked it but didn’t open it, instead taking the moment to search her face. “I’m sorry, Josie.”

She looked down at her paper cup of tea that the mother of his child had given her, unable to keep herself in check with his eyes on her like that. “It’s fine, Jon.”

His hand moved like he meant to touch her but fell back to his side. “I mean it.”

“I know.”

They stood in silence for a few seconds until it almost broke her, but before she could reach for him, he opened the door and waited for her to climb in. She sat in the Jeep, trying to find composure as he walked around and slipped in beside her, firing his engine with a rumble, and she stared out the window as they drove away.

Before long, the city was behind them as they chased the sun across the sky, relaxing into easy conversation, forgetting the awkwardness, the heaviness that had brought them to that point. Josie felt herself unwind even though she was overly aware of him as he sat next to her, could feel him there, pulling her attention like he was magnetized. But her emotions were muddled, leaving her confounded, because over the course of a few hours, everything in her heart had been rearranged into something new, something she didn’t recognize.





Dita’s mind slipped into consciousness, her limbs heavy, her bed so soft, so warm. She didn’t want to move, didn’t want to do anything but lie there forever and ever and ever to the tonal sound of the sleep machine.

The sleep machine.

Her eyes flew open, and she sat up in surprise, her heart racing. She glanced at the clock.

It was two in the afternoon.

“I slept,” she breathed her awe, a smile creeping onto her face.

Bisoux stretched out on his side next to her, his limbs straight and trembling as he locked his muscles. She picked him up, holding him in the air as she laughed like a crazy person.

“I slept!” she crowed, giggling, hugging him to her chest.

She felt like a million bucks. Her body was rested, and for the first time in days, the aching pressure in her chest was gone. She kissed Bisoux and set him down. Then, she hopped out of bed and to the mirror. Her eyes were clear, not a sign of redness or a single shadow under them, and her cheeks had color that had been absent for what felt like ages.

“I fucking slept,” Dita said to her reflection. She and squealed as she did the Flashdance maniac dance all around her bathroom.

She hadn’t had a single dream, not one. No torture, no torment, only sweet, blissful sleep. She had all but forgotten what it was like to be rested.

Bisoux jumped off the bed and ran to her, hopping and barking as she danced.

She scooped him up, unable to stop giggling. “Come on. Let’s go thank your daddy.”

Dita bounded into the elevator humming, bouncing out into Heff’s foyer when the doors opened. She set her dog down, and his nails clicked on the brushed concrete floor as he followed her around, but she couldn’t find Heff. She trotted down the stairs to his workshop, and when she saw him behind a workbench, she took off running.



Heff looked up to see Dita beaming as she flew across the room with her golden hair swinging behind her. He barely had time to put down his soldering iron before she slammed into him, almost knocking him over.

She threw her arms around his neck, and he wrapped his around her waist, spinning gently from the force, the scent of honeysuckle and roses in every molecule of air, and he closed his eyes, breathing her in, aware of every inch of her pressed against him.

Her arms relaxed a hair, and he took the cue to loosen his grip and drop her to the ground. If she hadn’t let him go first, he would have kept on holding her forever. Her cheeks were flushed, her smile so bright, it could have put the shine on the sun.

“I slept,” she said, breathless, her face full of wonder.

He smiled so wide, he thought his face might split open. “It worked.”

“It worked.” She grinned. “I knew it would. Thank you.” She reached for his hand, slipping her long white fingers into his clumsy, dirty ones.

He squeezed them gently. “I started working on the machine and bracelet after you came to me. I’m sorry I didn’t get it finished sooner, but I had a little trouble with the algorithm to sync it to you.”

“It was perfect. I don’t know how to thank you.”

He brushed her cheek with his free hand and slipped it into her hair, cupping her neck to pull her into his chest. “You don’t have to thank me. I’m just glad it helped.”

Her arm snaked around his waist, and she sighed her contentment. “It did. I needed that so much, and now I feel shiny and new and amazing.”

“Did you tell Perry yet?”

“Not yet. I came here first because I couldn’t do anything until I thanked you.”

He kissed the top of her head, needing to send her away. If he held her too long, he’d start wishing for things he could never have. “Go on. She’ll want to know.”