Chosen Fool (Forever Evermore #5) (4 page)

Leric kicked the blanket out of her hold. “I have pajamas on.”

“So I saw.” Mrs Damon stepped to the dresser, lifting my purse from the top.

“That…uh…” I cleared my throat, flicking a finger. “That’s my private property.”

She held up my black monsoon purse with a raised eyebrow. “I never would have guessed it belongs to the spirit who wears funeral clothes. Thank you for informing me.” My eyes shot wide as she started rummaging through my purse. “You do know,” she lifted a condom from its depths, “you don’t need these while taking birth control?”

I cleared my throat, fisting the blanket at my chest. My blush would probably never go away.
Like her
. “I have it in case someone else needs one.”

“A good Samaritan,” she deadpanned, and flicked the condom back into my purse.

“Is this really necessary?” Leric asked, beginning to sound aggravated as he lifted on his elbows. The blanket slid down to his waist and displayed lots of lovely tanned flesh. “Those are her personal items you’re going through.”

“You can tell a lot about a woman by going through her purse,” Mrs Damon murmured, her eyes avid on her task of trespassing. “Such as, she is indeed taking birth control. She has a fascination with silver weapons. It appears she is homeless, since she doesn’t have any keys other than a hotel card. She’s prepared for her period but not on it. Her favorite colors appear to be black and hot pink—a shame. She’s not vain because there’s no mirror in here. She’s either broke or cautious, because she carries no cash. And…jackpot.”

Mrs Damon lifted my license. “She’s a youthful twenty-three-year-old spirit Elemental from New York. Your bedmate does, indeed, have blue eyes, weighs only one hundred and five pounds, and is a mere five-foot-two-inches tall.” Her lips curved up in satisfaction. “And her name is Caroline Jules.” Her head tilted, and white eyebrows rose as she peered over the license at me. “The Prodigy Elemental, I presume?”

“Yes, ma’am.” There was no other word for her. She was definitely a ‘ma’am’.

Brown eyes never wavered. “How long have you been sleeping with my son?”

“Mom…” Leric’s growl was a clear warning.

Mrs Damon didn’t appear to have any boundaries of courtesy.

She was in a whole other stratosphere of ‘Leric’s Mom’.

“What?” She turned innocent eyes on him. “I’m only curious.”

He glared.

Her lips slowly curved. It wasn’t a good sign. “All right, I’ll find out another way.” She dropped my license into my purse, setting it back on the dresser. Gracefully she moved to the end of the bed, staring blatantly where Tristan was taking up half the mattress. “He appears to like you, Ms Jules.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle quietly, patting Tristan’s side and making him groan at being woken. “He’s a big sweetie who flirts for chocolates.” I blinked, quickly glancing at Leric as I stroked Tristan in apology. Unlike Leric’s mother, I was polite when waking some one—or thing—unexpectedly. “I promise I haven’t given him anymore since…that episode.”

A white eyebrow rose. “I would hope not.” He flopped back on the bed, glaring up at his mother. “Mom, I love you, but get the hell out of here. I would like to rest for whatever remaining night there is.” I yelped when he yanked me down next to him, the abrupt movement putting me on my side facing him. “And so would she.” A deep, soft chuckle. “Or, I could tell Dad about this…”

Mrs Damon shrugged a shoulder. “He doesn’t think I know, but he’s out playing golf with his buddies. He wouldn’t answer your call right now, anyway.” Quick, irritated fingers ran through her hair. “He was supposed to help me start redecorating the dining room, but no.” Her eyes narrowed. “He ducked out the back door before I could stop him, and I know he saw the material swatches I left on the bar.” An arrogant wrist flicked. “As you know, I have my contacts. They informed me of his play date.”

“Mom.” Leric yawned wide against my forehead, turning to toss an arm over my side and caging me between him and Tristan. “Get. Out.”

She hummed, and even though I couldn’t see her with my face squashed to a muscled chest, I could still feel those eyes of hers staring at us. “As you wish, dear.” I heard a patting noise, and I was pretty sure she was touching his feet. “I love you.”

Leric growled quietly, the sound vibrating against my face. “Love you, too.”

“It was a pleasure to meet you, Mrs Damon,” I murmured. I wasn’t even ashamed to admit I was frightened by this woman.

“Now she’s polite.” She gave no returned pleasantries. “Well, goodnight.”

Another flash of white blazed inside the room as she finally left us.

Leric sighed, lifted his arm from me and tilted a little to click off the bedside lamp, then flopped his arm back over me. “Sprite, try to forget that ever happened.”

My voice was muffled against his bare skin. “That is not something easily forgotten.”

He kicked a heavy leg over both of mine, practically using me as a body pillow. “Just don’t tell Roselle or Reese. They’ll never let me live it down.”

Chapter Five

Standing outside my door at the lodge in the predawn hours, I didn’t want to enter.

I was positive what I would find. It had happened a few times in the past, when one of us couldn’t deal with the other being with someone else, or simply if we needed time away when our relationship—
our fate—
became too real.

And, if I was honest with myself, by staying in Leric’s room last night and avoiding Sin as I had done, I had been silently asking for this.

It didn’t make it any easier, though.

Growing up. The reality of our lives. The reality of our decisions.

It was enough to drown anybody who had a damned heart.

My throat was already constricting as I opened the door.

The room was unnervingly silent, confirming my assumption.

Next to where Isolde lay sleeping, I found the note on top of my pillow. Biting the inside of my lip, tears welling, I lifted the envelope as my chin trembled. When my legs gave out from standing frozen so long, I sat heavily on the bed. My name was written in Sin’s untidy scrawl. I
loved
his messy scrawl.

One cold tear fell.

Then another.

Another.

Jaw clenching, I opened the note as my shoulders began to shake.

Lips pinched, I hunched, my whole body shaking as a gut-wrenching sob tore from my throat. With my heart squeezing like a Shifter was clawing it from my chest, tears of failure and loss fell. I clutched his letter, held it close. So damn close. Curling on the bed, I scooted Isolde aside and stuffed my face against Sin’s pillow, smelling the remnants of his herbal shampoo and earthy scent as I let our life choices hammer my body in brutal, unyielding pain.

This suffering…it would never end.
Never.

I swallowed harshly on a scratchy throat when a banging erupted in the hallway. A deep voice demanded my door be opened. With my chest jolting from uneven hiccups, I rolled from my bed in a daze, not bothering to wipe my face; the tears assaulted my cheeks in a stream of torture, and I wouldn’t attempt to squelch them. This
was
my life.

Uncaring I was a wreck, I opened my door with Sin’s letter still clutched in my hand.

King Collins stood with his right arm raised, as if mid-knock.

His furious expression quickly blanked as his brown eyes scanned my appearance.

“
Sin’s gone
,” I wailed, unable to stop the sound of heartache gripping me.

My King shot forward as I collapsed in front of him, more sobs racking my frame. He grabbed me under my arms, hefting me into his strong hold as he hastily entered the room and kicked the door shut with his left foot. “Shh,” he hushed softly, striding quickly to lay me on the bed. I bowed in on myself, lying in the fetal position. He gently rubbed my back and brushed the sticking hair off my splotchy face. My tears never stopped, and his voice was so tender. “What do you mean he’s gone?”

I lifted the letter, now wrinkled from my tight grip. When he took it from my hand, I clutched the bedsheets instead. There was no containing the agony I was in. I choked and turned my face into the softness of Sin’s pillow, weeping unrelentingly, barely hearing as King Collins straightened the paper and began to read.

He whispered, “I see.”

Wood creaked when he placed the letter inside the bedside table drawer, then he was lifting the blanket over me, tucking me in tight. My heart continued to constrict, squeezing hideously, the pain unyielding. He brushed one of his hands lightly over my head, petting me in soothing strokes that gave no reprieve, and his lips gently pressed against my temple.

He murmured, “It’ll be all right, Caro. I know it doesn’t feel like it now, but life does move on. The decision you two made could continue…or it could change, depending on your future choices. But from what I’ve seen, love like you two have won’t die. You’ll always have each other, even if it does transform into a different relationship.” His warm fingers ran through my hair. “Change isn’t always bad.”

With my chest shaking, my inhalation was fragmented. “It
hurts
when he’s gone.”

“I know,” he whispered, kissing my temple again.

I realized his actions were that of parental compassion. The revelation almost caused my thoughts to derail further.
This is how a loving parent is supposed to act.
I couldn’t say it made me feel any better, but it was unique.

I didn’t move, for fear his manifestation of affection would vanish too quickly.

Even if I wasn’t sure I wanted it.

But, as if he knew I
needed
it, he continued consoling me. Simply…caring.

I had no flipping idea what I was supposed to do with that.

Many minutes passed before he stood. “Take the day to rest, but I will want you at breakfast tomorrow.” Quick like an unwanted spark, he was back to business. He began walking away, uttering over his shoulder, “We had guests arrive this morning, and it won’t do to have the Prodigy Elemental missing.”

Thank him. I should thank him.

My voice hoarse, I croaked, “Thank you.”

At least I had the day to wallow—though it was certainly not long enough to recover.

It was a day to hide the hurt.

Either way, I had done it before. I could do it again.

I pulled Sin’s pillow against my face, while Isolde curled against my stomach.

“You’re welcome, Caro.” He locked the door behind him as he left.

Exiting the shower later that night, I moved on autopilot. A day’s worth of awful, sporadic weeping had taken its toll. My face was a puffy mess. My eyes could rival blood splatters.

Attractive, I was not. Not that I gave a damn.

Really, I didn’t give a fuck about much at this point.

I wrapped a large, soft towel around my body, but I paused when I heard the sound of my television playing in the bedroom. Pretty sure I hadn’t turned it on during the day, I lifted my gun from the bathroom’s benchtop—still not panicked as I should be with a possible threat—and slowly opened the door, my gun aimed.

Silver eyes flicked to me, unhurriedly roaming my face, then lowered to my towel-covered body. As if an afterthought, he glanced at the gun I held before calmly peering back to the television. Leric lay reclined on my bed, dressed casually in a pair of white flannel pajama pants and a white cotton t-shirt. “I didn’t knock.”

I lowered my gun, setting it back on the bathroom benchtop. “And I’m in no mood for company.”

He only put his hands under his head on the pillow as he got more comfortable and continued to watch television. “I know.” He carefully maneuvered his bare, tanned feet around where Isolde watched him from her puffed up position on the end of my bed, her bitty growl emanating from her equally tiny chest as he stretched his legs out. “But I’d like to watch a movie. In here.”

I snorted, tightening the towel around my body as I moved into the room, digging through the dresser drawers for my pajamas. “You mean, you’re going to watch it in here no matter what I say.”

He hummed quietly. “Yes. Pretty much.”

“Wonderful,” I grumbled, grabbing a spare t-shirt of Sin’s I had stolen and a pair of pajama shorts. “Don’t expect me to talk.”

“That shouldn’t be an issue. Talking isn’t required when watching a movie.” He paused as he leaned to the side and lifted a large brown bag from the bedside table. He placed it in the center of the bed. “I brought food since you weren’t at any of the meals today.”

As if by command, my stomach growled. I still stared at the bag with distaste. “I’ll pass.”

He shrugged a shoulder, his attention back on the television as he used the remote to change the channel to the movie selection. “It’s there if you want it. Some of it’s mine though.”

I moved into the bathroom to change into my nightclothes and brush my teeth in a mechanical routine. Leric had already chosen a movie when I glanced out again, a comedy I had seen a million times, but it was a classic that never grew old. Deciding there could be worse things to occupy my thoughts, I left the bathroom light on, flicked off the overhead, and burrowed into bed. I watched as he absently dug into the enormous brown bag, rifling through it until he pulled out a round tin with a clear lid and flipped off the top.

My stomach growled again under the covers as a wonderful smell permeated the air from his uncovered dish. Isolde curled up between my feet and rested her tiny chin on my right foot, staring at Leric and growling. “Hush.” I jiggled her face even as I peeked at Leric’s food, and her bitty growl cut off. My stomach was suddenly churning.