Total pages in book: 149
Estimated words: 151384 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 757(@200wpm)___ 606(@250wpm)___ 505(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 151384 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 757(@200wpm)___ 606(@250wpm)___ 505(@300wpm)
“Of course not,” Immy told Jenner.
She really hoped he couldn’t tell that she was lying. The way Tobias was holding her meant she couldn’t squirm and give herself away. But the suspicious look Jenner gave her told her that she was hoping in vain.
Tobias set her down on the bed, then he reached for her cloak.
Which she’d forgotten that she was wearing.
Also embarrassing.
“What are you doing?” she cried, brushing his hands away.
“Taking this off. Put your hands down.”
His face was so stern that she found herself doing what he commanded. She couldn’t see a hint of his usual amusement or softness when he generally talked to her. He undid the cloak and drew it away, off her shoulders and legs.
Then he crouched and grabbed hold of her calf. Immy could still feel a throbbing in her bottom from where he’d smacked her. And now he was touching her bare skin.
In front of Jenner.
It was almost too much.
“Is her leg all right?” Jenner asked, peering over Tobias’s shoulder.
“Looks red and sore,” Tobias replied. “Skin’s not broken. Get some ice.”
“Maybe you should get the ice,” Jenner suggested, giving Tobias a sharp look.
Tobias just stared back at him. The tension between them was enough to make her feel nauseous.
“I’ll get the ice,” she exclaimed.
“You will not,” Tobias snapped.
“Stay there,” Jenner said at the same time.
Sheesh. They didn’t have to be quite so bossy. Or grouchy.
“Just trying to help,” she muttered.
“No helping. You’re the one who is injured,” Jenner said.
“I’m not injured. It’s just a bit of a bruise.”
“I’ll get the ice,” Tobias stated, standing.
He headed out of the room and Immy’s shoulders drooped. She was such an idiot. Why had she run off like that? So he’d slapped her ass. So what? It wasn’t like she hadn’t dreamed of someone doing that to her for years.
It was only . . . she’d thought Jenner would be the one to do it.
And now everything was all messed up in her head.
She was messed up.
“Immy? Are you all right? Did Tobias do something to you? You can tell me,” Jenner said, crouching in front of her. “I’ll take care of it if he did.”
Lord, he was beautiful.
It honestly stole her breath.
“He didn’t do anything,” she said honestly. “If anything, I’m the one behaving badly toward him.”
Jenner frowned. “I doubt that.”
“It’s true. I said something that wasn’t nice and then I ran after him . . . outside.”
Concern filled his face. “Baby, into the dark?”
She nodded. To her shock, tears dripped down her cheeks. “S-sorry.”
“Why are you apologizing?” Jenner sat on the bed next to her and lifted her into his lap. “Hey, hey now. Everything is okay. But what happened?”
“I . . . I think I fainted.”
“You think you fainted?” he repeated. “Is your fear getting worse?”
“I don’t know. Maybe? I couldn’t breathe and I just . . . everything went dark. Then I woke up in the living room with him and I wouldn’t tell him why I went outside. And . . . I don’t know, I just ended up running out of the room because I was embarrassed and then I slipped because I’m wearing this stupid cloak. Another reason I should be embarrassed. What kind of idiot runs around in a cloak, casting stupid spells in her secret room with a fake wand? Me! I’m that dumb idiot.”
“Immy!” Jenner said, sounding shocked. “Stop that. You can’t talk about yourself like that.”
“I can. Who faints from going outside in the dark? Me! The idiot!”
“Immy.” Tobias’s firm voice as he walked into the room shocked her into silence.
She wasn’t sure she liked his ability to immediately ground her.
He crouched on the floor facing her and set the ice pack on her leg.
“You will stop talking about yourself like that. Now.”
She bit her lip, glancing from him to Jenner.
“It’s just the truth,” she whispered.
“No, it’s not. And you’ll cease talking about yourself like that. Now.”
What shocked her was that those words came from Jenner. Not Tobias.
Tobias grunted in approval, though.
What was this? Gang up on Immy?
She sniffled. “I should be able to talk about myself how I like.”
“Words can hurt, Immy,” Jenner said quietly. “And your mean words are hurting you. And they hurt me. So I don’t want to hear them coming out of your mouth. Understand me?”
Immy opened her mouth, but she had nothing to say to that. Her mean words did hurt.
She’d meant them to hurt her. But she never wanted to hurt anyone else.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, feeling a tear drip down her cheek. “This entire night has just been a disaster.”
“Look at me, Immy,” Tobias pressed.
She glanced down at him and he lightly squeezed her hand. “You’ve got nothing to be embarrassed or upset about.”
“I made a fool of myself. I fainted just because I went outside. Who does that?”