"No!" Roane jerked forward, but stopped. His hand was in the air. He reached out to me, but he didn't move or say anything more. A myriad of emotions flashed over his face before his hand moved back to his side. "Where were you?"
My eyebrows shot up. That was what he settled with? No hug? No kiss? No 'I missed you and was so worried about you?' My blood started to boil. "Are you serious? That's all you have to say to me?" Maybe I hadn't been gone that long? And maybe Roane hadn't missed me as much as I hoped he would.
"I…" He opened his mouth, but shut it without saying anything, again.
The door burst open behind him and Gavin came inside. He flashed me a smile. "Well, well, well. The prodigal superpower is back again. Where've you been, darling?" Then he opened his arms wide to lift me in the air.
Finally. Someone was happy to see me.
He twirled me in a circle.
I laughed and glared at the same time. "Put me down." But it was nice to know someone missed me.
Gavin set me back down and glanced over his shoulder. "Aren't you going to give your girl a kiss? You've been worrying enough to give your immortal body an ulcer. And a splendid body he has, Davy. He really does, but then again, I think you already know this."
I felt him patting my shoulder and knew he was trying to reassure me, but it wasn't helping. Roane still hadn't moved. He seemed normal now, no shock residing. His eyes were clear and focused on me, but I didn't see what I had hoped I would. Gavin was wrong, Roane hadn't missed me. If he was worried, it was about the Immortal being gone. It was all about the Immortal, not me.
"Gavin, can you give us a moment?"
"Sure." Gavin flashed another smile and winked at me before he left.
I remembered being annoyed with him the last time I saw him but now I didn't want him to go. He wore a white track suit that still gave him the athletic look, but somehow he made it look natural. All vampires should dress like that. When the door closed behind him, I wondered what color his track suit would be the next time I saw him. Then Roane cleared his throat and I no longer cared.
"You've been gone for three months." He moved around me to his desk.
We brushed shoulders as he moved past, but it wasn't close enough. I sucked in a breath and felt my body yearn for his touch. When it didn't happen, I felt cheated, but I turned and regarded him. "Has it been that long?"
Roane turned his back to me and looked out over the dance floor. "What happened that day? Gavin was there. He said you were fine. You were with your roommate and a witch. I've spoken to Emily and I've read the police reports from the witch and wolf. None of them know what happened and there's no video of you leaving."
Wow, the police had been called. "Emily's mate has Immortal essence in him. He was made with magic and I had to leave. He would've sensed the Immortal in me and tried to drain me. I might not have been able to control myself and I was scared of what could've happened. I could've killed everybody. So I left."
"Left where?" He turned now with his eyes narrowed.
I tried to sense inside of him, but was blocked. I could've pushed through, but it didn't take away the fact that Roane didn't want me in his head. He was guarded against me and I realized that he didn't trust me. Pain flooded me at that thought. I felt a knife to my gut.
"Where did you go, Davy?"
I sucked in my breath and blinked back tears. It shouldn't hurt that much, but it did.
"Where did you go? You said you left, but there's no footage of you leaving. Did you disappear in thin air? Can you do that now?"
He was so cold. I shivered in his office and wrapped my arms around myself. "It's an Immortal thing that I didn't know I could do. I came back once I figured out how to control it, not that I really can, but I think I'm figuring it out."
"You came back? You came back here?" Roane still stood in front of the glass wall, as far away from me as possible.
"I came here. I wanted to see you. I know that I'm stronger when I'm with you. I can control my powers better…" I trailed off because he didn't look convinced. He looked alarmed, but what was wrong about that? I hadn't expected any of this from him. He should've been happy I was back. He shouldn't be cautious.
"But where did you go?"
"I don't know, not really. I was in some castle somewhere."
"Alone?"
"I—yes." I had no idea why I kept Saren and Sireenia a secret, but if he was being cautious then I would too.
"And you decided to come back now?"
"No." Why wouldn't he understand? "I couldn't come back because I didn't know how. I couldn't control my powers and I don't know what to do about Emily's mate. He can't know I'm the Immortal. I don't know why he can't know, but I just know that he can't. It wouldn't be good if he did." And I was rambling like an idiot. 'Smooth move, Davy. Just remind him that you're still a dork and he really won't see what he liked about you before.'