Dark Hearts (Light in the Dark 3)

The person that simply exists.

After about ten minutes of sipping my coffee and gazing out the window, I decide it’s time I injected something into the conversation.

“Did you decide how you’re going to surprise Xander?”

Thea nods. “Scare tactic for sure. I hope he pees his pants.”

Cade shakes his head. “You’re nuts. Poor guy.”

“Hey,” Thea defends, “we’re married. We have to keep things interesting. Can’t have him getting bored.”

Cade snorts. “You’ve only been married like three months. What could possibly be boring? Shouldn’t it all be new and exciting?”

Thea shrugs. “I like to keep him on his toes and always guessing.”

Cade shakes his head, completely mystified by his sister. Thea is a creature all her own. She’s a total girly girl with the sweetest heart and the sassiest tongue.

“Here you go, guys,” the waitress says with a smile, appearing with a tray of food. She passes out our food, and I eye my eggs and toast with disdain. My stomach feels like a block of lead is lodged there and I haven’t even taken a bite. “Is there anything else I can get you?” she asks when all the dishes are on the table. We shake our heads. “All right, I’ll be back in a bit.”

I push my eggs around the plate with my fork and take a bite of toast. It tastes like cardboard in my mouth, and I try not to gag.

Everyone else eats and chats, oblivious to the fact that I’m barely hanging on to my sanity.

Two years. No one has touched me in two years and no one has ever touched me like that and he just fucking leaves. That’s not okay. I’m a strong girl, I’ve had to be, but that hurt.

I know the connection between us isn’t one sided but when he acts like that it makes me feel like it is.

I would’ve never left him.

Ugh.

Boys suck.

I sigh and force myself to eat three bites of egg so my plate looks a little empty.

Everyone finishes and we head over to the hotel Xander and his team are staying at since they should be heading out for practice soon, if they haven’t already.

I keep checking my phone, expecting a text from Jace, but none comes.

I itch to ask Cade if he’s heard from him, but Cade’s not stupid. He’ll pick up on something and start asking questions if I sound too worried or nosy.

We file into the hotel lobby and Rae, Cade, and I take a seat while Thea hides behind a potted plant near the elevators. I keep expecting her to pull out a pair of binoculars.

“She’s insane,” I say to Rae. She sits beside Cade with her legs draped over his. He rubs his hand over her thigh, and I don’t think he even realizes he’s doing it. It’s just second nature for him to touch her in some way.

Rae shrugs, brushing her

long brown hair over her shoulder. She flashes a smile. “There has to be at least one crazy in every group. She’s ours.”

“I guess that’s true,” I agree.

“So … Joel?” she muses with a raised brow.

“What about him?” I ask at the same time Cade asks, “Who’s that?”

“Just some guy in our classes,” Rae supplies. “He has a thing for Nova.”

Cade glances over at me, shaking his shaggy hair from his eyes. “Do you like him?”