Page 27 of Guardians for the Vamp
“Hide your joy.”
My brows pinch, not understanding.
“When you laugh, you cover your mouth. When you smile, you look away or look down at your feet.”
Oh. I didn’t realize…
“Please don’t hide your smile. It’s like a bright light in a room blanketed in darkness,” Thorne says, his voice soft and quiet. “And your laughter…”
His words trail off, his eyes widening. He drops his hand, as if realizing he was about to cross that boundary line again.
“What is it?”
He shakes his head.
I’m about to demand he tell me about my laughter because how do you just say something like that but refuse to finish your sentence?! The broody mother fucker. When I open my mouth to yell at him, a guard interrupts to let us know the driver is here. Thorne is already on the move, opening the penthouse door for me.
The town car is silent as we head to WOVE headquarters. Thorne stares out the window whileIstare at him.
He sighs and turns his head to me.
“Yes, my queen?”
I hadn’t expected him to address me so formally, and I scrunch my nose, which makes him grin.
Getting a grin from Thorne is like striking gold!
“So, are you done avoiding me?”
“I wasn’t—”
“You absolutely were, like the fucking plague. No, I lived through the plague. Even the rats got more attention than me.”
He scrubs his hands over his face. “I’m sorry, Layla. I needed some distance. I’ve been struggling to control my urges around you.”
“Have they been controlled then?”
“No, and I’m pretty sure staying away from you made it worse.”
I let his words sink in, only the sounds of the city outside filling the quiet interior of the SUV. There’s really only one explanation as to why we’re both having these intense reactions to one another. Why we’re both in physical pain when apart. But I’m struggling to believe that the three of us are mates.
“Well, I’m glad you’re back,” I finally say to Thorne.
I’m also relieved. My chest has been tight for the past week. Just having Thorne here now, sitting next to me in this SUV, feels as if whatever weight that was crushing my chest has been lifted.
Well, not entirely. There’s still a pressure there. As if my undead heart is attempting to come to life, digging into my sternum and trying to escape.
No doubt for my missing piece.
Trying to find Vara.
“Tell me about my laughter,” I demand, needing to change the subject.
“What?”
“You said my smile could light up a room blanketed in darkness and my laughter…”
I wave my hand around as if that would help him spit it out.
