Page 29 of Inked in Bloom
“Are you following me?”
“What if I was? I wanted to speak with you after what happened today.” He crosses his arms and glances down the dark corridor toward The Nestling Fields, then arches a brow at me. “Though I have to admit, I wasn’t expecting to see you here.”
“Why’s that?” I lift my chin for emphasis. “Don’t think I’m wild enough to be screwing my brains out like the other Blooms?”
“I’m sure you are, but somehow I highly doubt that’s what happened.” He presses his lips together, stifling whatever he really wants to say.
“You could have told me who you were. When we spoke after orientation—” I press the pointy tip of my nail between his pronounced pecs. “You could have warned me.”
“I tried to?—”
“Don’t.” I shove my palms against his chest. Briar doesn’t move, rooted in place, but his eyes drop to the ground between us.
His lips part?—
“There’s nothing you can say,” I scoff, spotting the exit and walking straight through the mirror, not sure if it’ll work or I’ll slam into it. Fortunately, it’s the former.
I land with my ankle tilted, tripping over my heel that’s caught between two cobblestones. Just as I’m about to slam my knee into stone, a sage hand catches under my arm and hoists me back up.
“Did you think I wouldn’t recognize you?” I growl at Briar as he releases his grasp, not caring that he helped me. I wiggle my foot back and forth until my heel comes free and then trudge ahead, my glasses half hanging off my nose.
I need to get out of here. Now. But Briar’s boots pound faster than I can manage in heels. Halting, I spin toward him, pushing my glasses up.
“Did you think I’d get over it because I live here?” I gesture wildly around the courtyard. “Yes, it’s beautiful and impeccably lit and full of stunning flowers, but I didn’t ask for this. This is the last place I want to be.”
“I know.” He lowers his voice, eyes darting toward the harbingers who have stopped their revelry. “Can we go somewhere and talk?”
“Why would I go anywhere with you? You’re the last person I want to talk to.” Crossing my arms, I trace my fingers up and down the lace and focus on keeping my voice level. “You’re the reason I’m dead.”
The ball of his throat works, inked vines rolling along hisneck. “I know.”
The admission halts the next round of venom I was prepared to spit at him.
His lavender gaze is penetrating and he takes a step toward me “And I’m so?—”
“Sorry?” I step back, and he stumbles forward. Every ounce of rage boiling within me rises to the surface and I shake my head at him. “Sorry does nothing for me now.”
I storm away from him, eager to get the hell home and not embarrass myself further. The last thing I need is an emotional outburst in front of a bunch of strangers. I’ve been humiliated enough for one day.
Briar’s palm wraps around my upper arm, and I jerk away from him. “I told you to leave me alone.”
He drops his hand and points toward the opposite direction of where I was heading. “The exit is that way.”
My cheeks flame. “I knew that.” Pivoting, I try to ignore the gossiping onlookers. “Just stay out of my way. I need to complete my training, and I know you’re my professor, but outside of class, you don’t exist to me.”
“If that’s what you want,” he says and steps aside.
Without giving him or any of the busybody Blooms another glance, I stomp off toward the cottage, ready to erase the last few weeks and Briar Bloom completely from my mind.
13
BRIAR
Despite Monroe asking me to stay away, I can’t help but double check she makes it home without getting lost. Once she crosses The Fluffle’s threshold, I veer in the direction of The Nest, her words haunting me the rest of my ride.
Finally home for the evening, all I want is a big glass of water, to say goodnight to my sprouts, and get to bed. But the moment I walk through the door and spot Dani sitting at the kitchen table, alert and waiting for me, that plan scampers away.
“What is it?” I ask, already knowing I’m not going to like whatever they have to say.
