Page 192 of Harbinger

At first, no one speaks. Then the whispering starts, low murmurs rippling through the room like the buzz of insects.

Shea slides into the water beside me. “You don’t have to do this,” she whispers. “We can leave.”

I stare straight ahead. “I’m fine.”

Apparently, that’s my word of the day.

“You don’t look fine.” She glances around us. “Do you want me to say something?”

“I’ve endured worse.” I shrug. Compared to what happened with Bishop, this is nothing. “And I can take care of myself.”

She nods like she understands.

Silence falls through the chamber again, and I draw a deep breath, preparing to tell everyone to fuck right off. But before I can stand up and let them all have a good look at the harbinger, a shadow falls across the pool. Glancing up, I freeze.

Bishop is standing a few steps away. His arms are folded over his chest, the expression on his face carved from ice as he scans the room, looking at every pool … except the one I’m in.

The whispering dies instantly.

“Oh shit,” Shea breathes.

Perfect.

Ignore me for weeks, but the second people start staring, he’s here to play savior.

Water slides down my skin as I rise from the bath. “I think I’m done after all.”

Shea looks between me and where he’s still glowering like a very handsome gargoyle. “Are you sure?”

“Stay.” Something tells me this is going to be ugly. “Enjoy your relaxation.”

One of us should be able to.

Understanding flickers across her face. “Okay.”

I don’t rush up the steps, and somehow the utter silence is worse than the whispering as everyone tries to make a point of not looking. I swipe my towel from the edge of the pool and wrap it around myself as I walk calmly back into the changing room, counting each second in my head.

I make it to thirty before he follows. For a second, we just stare at each other.

Then the anger hits.

“I don’t need you to protect me,” I snap.

His brows draw together. “Arden—”

“No,” I cut him off. “You don’t get to ignore me for weeks and then show up claiming I’m some huge burden. Stop acting like you’re in charge of my life.”

“I wanted you to feel safe.” He holds up his hands, backing away a step. “That’s the arrangement.”

I laugh harshly. “The arrangement was to train me to take care of myself, which is what I’ve been doing while you skulked around the country, forgetting I exist. I don’t want your protection anymore.”

But he shakes his head. “As long as you’re under my roof—”

“I’ll find another one,” I interrupt.

The words hang there, both of us knowing that’s easier said than done. But I can’t stay here if he’s going to make me feel like I’m nothing more than a mistake he made. One that he’s now stuck watching over.

Bishop goes completely still. “You don’t mean that.”