Wife Number Seven (The Compound, #1)(79)

“Good morning,” she said absently, as if this morning was just one of the thousands of mornings in which she planned to greet me with those words. She had no idea that tomorrow I’d be gone.

“How are you today?” I asked, perching myself on the sofa, watching as she effortlessly weaved her daughter’s hair into the perfect style.

She grunted in response to my question, holding an elastic band between her teeth. “Another day.” She tapped Ruthie’s shoulder when she finished her hair. Ruthie climbed to her feet, thanked her mother, and placed a kiss on her cheek. “Next.”

Her youngest girl, Sheena, then took Ruthie’s spot and the ritual was repeated.

“I’m going to Jorjina’s.”

I wasn’t sure what else to say, not knowing how to say good-bye to Aspen without her knowing it. I had no idea how she’d react. Would she scream and shout at me, demanding I stay? Would she quote from The Book of Mormon until her face turned a sickly blue? Jorjina had hinted that this might not be the place for me, but Aspen hadn’t. I had to tread carefully.

“Be careful what you say to that woman,” Aspen whispered through clenched teeth after glancing around the room.

My stomach flipped. “W-why do y-you say that?”

Had something happened? Was there something I didn’t know about Jorjina? Something new? Something upsetting?

Aspen gestured for me to come closer, so I slid to the floor, my knees touching hers. She glanced down at the contact, and I pulled back slightly.

“Rebecca was her assistant. Just before she was reassigned.”

“Oh.” Relieved that this was something I already knew, I schooled my features into an approximation of surprise. Aspen couldn’t know what had transpired in Jorjina’s kitchen and that I already knew this information.

“I think she feeds information to the prophet,” Aspen continued while I remained stone-faced, but nodded along. A look of irritation crossed her face. “Anyway, just be careful.”

“I will. She’s a kind old woman, though. You’d like her.”

I firmly believed that Aspen and Jorjina had more in common than they had differences. They were both strong, steadfast women of the “weaker” sex who wanted to protect me like one of their own children.

Unfortunately, Aspen had no intention of considering a possible kinship with Jorjina Black. She rolled her eyes before sending Sheena to play with her siblings, then glanced at me.

“I know something is different with you,” she said. “I can feel it. But I can’t help you if you don’t trust me.”

Her words shocked me to my core. I knew Aspen was observant, perceptive, but I thought I’d managed to remain the same Brinley while in the Cluff household. Apparently not.

I said nothing, unsure how to respond. I couldn’t tell her. I couldn’t.

Aspen’s mouth fell open and her cheeks turned white. “Don’t you trust me?”

“Of course,” I finally answered.

“Then?” Aspen demanded, her voice shrill.

I shook my head slowly back and forth. “You’ve always been there for me, Aspen.” I took her hand in mine. “I just wanted to thank you for that. Thank you for protecting me, teaching me, even when I resisted.”

“You’re scaring me,” Aspen said softly, and took a ragged breath. She tugged on my hand, pulling me closer. “Talk to me.”

I had to soothe her, to calm her nerves. I had to deceive her one last time—for her own safety and mine.

“There’s nothing to say, I promise.” I paused before realizing I had the best possible excuse. I’d done plenty of reading on this topic; it was time to utilize it. I pressed my hand to my abdomen. “It must be the pregnancy. I’ve been so emotional these days.”

“Of course. Well, that makes sense, doesn’t it?” Aspen smiled then, a fake smile showing too much teeth. That smile gave me goose bumps; Aspen never faked happiness. On the surface, she was accepting my excuse. But what was hiding beneath that facade?

Her fingers released my wrist and they did, I felt her letting go of me, of us.

Memories. So many memories rocketed through my brain, like a show on Porter’s television. Aspen checking on me after my horrific honeymoon with Lehi. Aspen guiding me through life in the Cluff household—the day to day, the mundane, the necessary. None of my other sister wives had bothered, allowing me to figure everything out on my own. But Aspen took pity on me, and gave me endless tips to help me through each day as a wife in the house of Cluff. Aspen protecting me from Leandra’s wrath on more occasions than I could count. Aspen assisting me with my sick mother.

In that very moment, I realized just how much I would miss my sister wife. For three years she’d accepted me, even when she clearly had no patience for my mistakes, my na?veté, and my youth. She’d accepted me, loved and defended me, even when I didn’t deserve it.

I would miss her terribly.

Overcome with emotion, I rose to my knees and pounced on Aspen, wrapping my arms around her shoulders and squeezing her tightly. Initially, her response was wooden and unresponsive. But after several seconds, I felt her muscles relax, and she warmed to our embrace. Her hands wrapped around my back and rubbed my back gently, as I’d seen her do so many times with her children.

“Wow, you really are overemotional in your second trimester, aren’t you?”