Page 28 of Plus-Size Sold Mate
It’s quieter over here, but not by much. At the very least, the water is calm during twilight, with light ripples moving along the surface.
My feet dangle just above the water, and the wood planks are still warm from the sun beating down on them. Though even as I try to ignore the bond for now, it simmers low and steady with Luke being nearby.
I know he’s giving me space, and he only invited the others to take the pressure off me, but a part of me still hates that I even notice his attempts at soothing me.
As quiet footsteps approach softly along the dock, I don’t turn around immediately. Instead, I catch in my peripheral vision as Eve lowers herself beside me wordlessly.
For a long moment, we just sit there in silence, almost like she’s considering her words. I’m glad she doesn’t immediately push.
“I like it out here, too. It’s less overwhelming,” she says gently, almost like speaking to a skittish animal. In all honesty, that’s sort of how I feel.
When I glance at her, she’s watching the water inside of me.
“Am I that obvious?”
She smiles faintly, dirty-blonde hair up in a slouchy ponytail, while the grey sweater practically swallows her up. “You looked like you wanted to bolt earlier.”
A huffed breath escapes me, close enough to be a laugh, but lacking the effort. “I’m not used to this,” I say before I can stop myself. “Being in the middle of things.”
Even nods slowly like she understands, but given how the others look at her when she talks, and the way she soaks in the friendly banter, I doubt she does. Not in the same sense, at least.
“They can be a lot, especially when they’re curious.”
“That’s one way to put it.”
I feel as Eve studies me, but I don’t bring myself to look at her fully. “I know it feels like a lot, but you don’t owe anyone anything tonight. No explanations, smiles, or anything. We’re not here to judge you.”
The softness in her voice hits me harder than I want it to, and my throat tightens in response.
In a way, it would be easier if she were cruel. In that case, I’d know how to carry myself and which coping mechanisms to equip myself with. Instead, she’s being kind, and it’s more disarming than hostility ever could be.
Taking a slow breath, I look out at the water again. “I hate him.”
Surprisingly, Eve doesn’t rush to defend her brother or urge me to take it back. She doesn’t argue, either. Instead, she just nods. “I figured as much, and I don’t blame you.”
My own words echo in my mind, sounding unnecessarily bitter. But I’m not going to pretend that I see him any differently now. Not when everything is still so raw.
“Luke isn’t good at all of this,” she says after a moment, sighing to herself. “I know it doesn’t seem this way, but he ties himself into knots trying to say the correct thing, and to do what he believes is right, and it stops him from saying anything at all.”
“I noticed.”
“But he’s trying, even if in small ways,” she offers, tone gentle.
I stiffen slightly, not liking how it immediately forces me to think back to today. His backtracking about my magic book, giving me space for most of the afternoon, and even inviting the others to make things less awkward for me. They aren’t absolute fixes, but it is something.
“It doesn’t undo what he did,” I murmur, unwilling to let it go just from a short conversation.
“No, it doesn’t,” Eve agrees, idly swinging her legs. “He’s been trying to push the pack more and more about loosening restrictions on magic, and rethinking our ways. He’s working from a blueprint he has to make as he goes.”
Considering the words, the thought of being part of that blueprint feels like a stitch in my side. “And do you…support him?”
“I support him making positive change, even when it’s messy.”
Given how warm Eve is and how she seems to easily put her faith in her brother, it feels like another reason not to doubt his intentions, even if it would be easier.
I take a deep breath, feeling every contradiction moving through me. Messy certainly sounds accurate.
Her shoulder lightly bumps against mine, and she gives me a kind smile. “You don’t have to forgive him yet. Maybe notever if you feel like it. But you’re also allowed to take up space here.”
