“Really?” They’d gone to the nightclub before Ryker and Brynleigh’s wedding, years ago. River had always thought she and Nikhail had been discreet with the way they casually watched each other, but maybe that wasn’t the case.
“Yeah.” Brynleigh put her blood in the microwave. Leaning against the counter, she crossed her ankles. “You deserve to be happy, River.”
The soft words were spoken with love, yet they struck River like a bolt of lightning, piercing her heart.
Her voice trembled as she feigned misunderstanding, gripping the kitchen island behind her. “I’m not sure what you mean.”
Brynleigh lifted her left hand, and her wedding ring glinted in the low evening light. Shadows spun around her fingers, a blooming darkness.
“I know what it’s like, you know,” Brynleigh murmured, twisting her fingers. The shadows followed her movements. “Feeling like you don’t deserve to be loved because of your past.”
The microwave beeped, and they both ignored it.
Brynleigh met River’s gaze. “That voice inside you, the one telling you that you are better off alone, is wrong.”
River sucked in a sharp breath, and her head pounded behind her temples. “I don’t?—”
“You are allowed to be happy, and you can find joy. You don’t have to remain stuck in the past, shackled by events of long ago.” Brynleigh traced the mark of her bond with Ryker, a soft, private smile dancing on her lips. “You can move forward andlive. And if Nikhail is the person you want to do that with, then by all means, you should.”
River felt seen, and she wasn’t sure she liked it. It was disconcerting, the way her sister-in-law seemed to peer directly into her soul. And this conversation, on top of everything else that had happened today, felt like too much.
“I’m not sure…”
“You don’t need to tell me anything. I just want you to know that I understand more than most how the things we’ve done can weigh us down. Just think about it, okay?”
That, River could do.
And she did think about it, long into the night. She took her leave of Brynleigh and headed upstairs, eager to put this day to bed. Not long after that, a car came up the driveway. A few minutes later, a single set of footsteps entered the home.
Soft murmurs came from the base of the stairs.
“Let her sleep, Ry,” Brynleigh said softly. “You can talk to her in the morning. You both need space.”
River didn’t catch her brother’s reply, but since he didn’t come up, she assumed he agreed with his wife.
After a quick shower, River changed into a tank top and pajama shorts. She took some pills for her head and climbed into bed, pulling out her phone. She dimmed the display, and her fingers flew over the screen.
River
Are you still alive, or did my brother murder you and bury your body?
Nikhail
No murdering took place, fortunately.
You could be texting me from the grave. Send proof of life.
Your wish is my command.
Is this proof enough for you?
A selfie filled River’s screen. Nikhail had clearly just stepped out of the shower himself. A towel was slung low on his hips, a tantalizing trail of hair leading from his abs, disappearing below the fabric.
River groaned, and her mouth watered. The photo was high quality, allowing her to make out the individual drops of wateron Nikhail’s bare, glistening chest. He was built like a god, all muscles and strength. Even the scars that littered his flesh didn’t detract from his beauty. There wasn’t any sign of the fight earlier, his fae healing having taken care of those injuries.
Was it appropriate to ogle Nikhail on the night of her father’s memorial service?
Probably not.