See How She Fights (The Chronicles of Izzy #2)(13)
“Trying to comfort you,” he smiled devilishly. He was dangerous for so many reasons. None of which I was interested in. I might have been mad at Kennan but it didn’t change how I felt.
“Um, do you think you could stop?”
“Your every wish is my command.”
“How did you lose your eye?” I blurted hoping to change the subject.
“You are not at all how you are supposed to be,” he laughed.
“No, I suppose not. But if you wouldn’t mind telling me, I could really use the distraction.”
“It’s really rude to just ask someone how they lost a part of their body. You know that, right?” I could tell by his tone that I had not offended him. From everything I could tell it would take a lot more than that to do the trick.
“I have never been known for my tact. I’m surprised your mom didn’t tell you more about me if I’m supposed to be taking over,” I groused. A look of pain flashed over his face for the briefest of seconds. Before I knew it, he was back to his cavalier self. “If you don’t want to tell me, you don’t have to. I could just sift it from your memories. Then again, prying is rude.”
“I would rather you not sift my memories if it is all the same to you. There are things there that you aren’t meant to know yet, events that have come to pass and those yet to be.” He paused for a moment allowing the weight of his words to sink in. “I will tell you how I lost my eye. It happened at the same time father got his scar.”
“Izzy?” I heard Kennan call from just around the bend.
“Looks like the story must wait for another time. Until we meet again, fair Izzy.” Conall stood and gallantly bowed. Oh brother.
“Conall,” Kennan said, part threat, part greeting.
“Brother,” Conall said with a nod as he disappeared into the maze of shrubbery.
“I really don’t want to talk to you right now, Kennan,” I said, looking back down to my feet.
“But you will talk to him?” he asked with anger.
“Don’t you dare treat me like the bad guy here. I’m not the one keeping secrets. I came out here to be alone. I did not ask Conall to sit down and I didn’t ask you to come out here. In fact, I would have rather you stayed up in the room. To be quite honest I don’t know when I will get over this, Kennan. You have to stop treating me like I can’t handle the truth. You can’t protect me from this world any longer. I am a part of it. So, yeah, I get that you are sorry. I get that you want to make up. But, to be frank, I think you are sorrier that you got caught than you are for keeping me in the dark,” I sputtered, never making eye contact.
Kennan lowered himself in front of me and tilted my chin so that I was looking in his eyes. “You don’t know everything. I am sorry that I didn’t tell you. I promised I would not lie to you again. I did so by omission. You may be mad at me, Izzy. You can give me the silent treatment if it makes you feel better. But know this, I’m not going anywhere. There are still people here that cannot be trusted. You might not believe me, but I love you. I’m sorry I gave you reason to doubt your trust in me.” He pleaded with his eyes.
“I walked in here blind, Kennan,” I said as I got up and moved away from his warmth. I didn’t want his apologies right now. I needed the company of my righteous anger.
“Izzy,” he said, pleading with me.
“Please, Kennan. I just need some time to sort this out. I need time to be mad at you. I love you, but right now I don’t like you all that much. If you want someone to watch me you can get someone. I don’t want it to be you for now.”
“Who, Conall?” he asked disgusted.
“Or Ian, or any of the other Guardians roaming about. Cheese on a cracker, Kennan, this is not about me replacing you with someone I just met an hour ago. This is about me trying to keep my shit together. This is about me needing some time away from you so that I don’t overreact. Some time to cope with the fact that I feel like you broke my trust. I can’t do that with you in my face.” Anger vibrated beneath my skin making it difficult to speak calmly. Tears began to fill my eyes anew. I needed space and I needed it soon.
“Okay, you’re right. I’m being an ass. At least walk with me until we find Conall again.”
I nodded my acceptance and moved with him to find Conall. The very man appeared around the closest turn in the maze just as we got up. I knew from the look on his face he had heard the whole thing. I was really starting to dislike Conall. First impressions of trust be damned. He was bad news.
“You beckoned?” he asked.
“Would you please escort Izzy in my absence?” Kennan barely ground out. I wondered how, not two hours before, they had been thick as thieves. Now Kennan seemed ready to take Conall’s good eye.
“It would be my honor, Brother,” Conall said with a smile. There was history between these men. I knew that Kennan did not readily let people in, so whatever the story was, it was a good one. I also knew that the only reason Kennan was acting like an animal marking his territory was because he was upset.
Kennan made his way back to the house clenching his hands into fists. I wondered what he would do to reign his anger back in. He had once told me how much he hated to lose control. He did not readily unleash his rage. I had witnessed it this past year, all of that tightly wound menace waiting to be uncaged.