Rhage smiled at Elyn. “It’s always cookie night at Safe Place. Just so you know.”
The Brother escorted his mate and the social worker to the door—and as the three went out and clustered together to talk quietly on the front stoop, Nate had a feeling they were doing it on purpose, to give him and Elyn a chance to say goodbye.
“You’re going to be okay with them,” he said as he looked over at her. “I promise you.”
As Elyn’s hands twisted in her lap, he wanted to hold them. Hold her.
“I am sorry I lied to you.” Her silver eyes lifted to his. “About knowing English. But I do not know who to trust.”
“Totally forgiven.” He swept the air with his hand. “Forgotten.”
Her head turned toward the front door. “I think perhaps I must go the now.”
God, he could listen to that accent for hours. “Maybe I’ll see you again—”
“Yes, please,” she said. Before quickly adding, “But I do not want to be a burden—”
“Never!” He cleared his throat. “I mean, you know, don’t worry about that. Ever. Let me give you my cell phone number.”
He all but jumped over the sofa to get to the kitchen. And when he started to frantically pull open drawers, Rhage came back in and took a Sharpie out of the pocket of his leather jacket.
“Here,” the Brother murmured with a knowing look. “And use this to write on, it’s not perfect, but it’ll do.”
Nate took the Tootsie Pop wrapper he was offered like it was a sheet of gold and hastily scribbled his digits. On the way back to the couch, he flapped the purple waxed paper back and forth to make sure the ink dried.
Elyn got to her feet as he came over to her, and he really wanted to put his digits deep into a pocket of hers, just to make sure nothing was lost. Instead, as she took the wrapper, he removed that leaf that was still nestled in the lengths of her hair.
When she seemed startled, he flushed. “Sorry, I just . . . would you like it back?”
Dumbass. Dumbass—
Except she wasn’t looking at him.
Instead, she was focused on a mirror that had been mounted on the opposite wall, and as she stared at her reflection, she seemed haunted. Almost afraid.
Like she was in a trance, she went over and stood before the glass. With a shaking hand, she touched the hair that curled out of the hood.
“Are you all right?” he said softly.
Her eyes met his in the mirror. “No, I do not believe I am.”
Abruptly, tears trembled on her lashes. But she wiped them away and squared her shoulders.
Clearing her throat, she said, “I am very sorry I lied to you. I do not know who to trust.”
Nate nodded—and had a thought that she had no idea what she was saying, no clue that she was repeating things.
Abruptly, she turned away from herself and looked at what he’d written. As her brows pulled together, he worried that the numbers had been smudged. They hadn’t been—so he worried whether she was rethinking taking them.
At least she put the wrapper away in her robing.
As wind whistled outside, he wanted to give her his coat. But of course, he hadn’t put one on as he’d bolted out of his house.
“Good eve, Nate,” she said as she lowered herself in a brief curtsy.
Nate bowed even though he had no clue what he was doing. “Just call me. Anytime.”
Today, he thought. Maybe as soon as you get to Safe Place.
Before he could say anything else—although, really, what else was there that wouldn’t make him seem like more of a jackass—she was gone, that long, loose cape-thingy she was wearing trailing behind her as she stepped out of the house. As the door closed behind her, the smudges of mud on its hem stuck with him, and it took him a minute to figure out why: She knew what it was like to be alone and afraid.
Guess that made them soul mates.
“You okay, son?” Rhage asked.
Nate did a double take. “Oh, I thought you’d left.”
“I am now.” The Brother went over to where he’d been on an armchair. “I forgot my jacket and had to come back for it.”
There was a pause, and it was clear the older male wanted to say something. And not about the weather.
“Please don’t tell my dad . . .” Nate mumbled.
“What, that you gave a female your number for the first time?” As Nate blushed, Rhage nodded. “Not to worry. That’s your story to share, not mine. Take care of yourself, son.”
Ten minutes later, Nate was still standing in the newly kitted-out living room when the front door opened again and the guys started coming in with their overalls and their tools. As he nodded at the crew, and tried to play it cool, he had a thought that there wasn’t much else to do at the site—and what a pity that was. Considering this was an extension of Safe Place, he felt like as long as Elyn was there and he was here, a connection between them still existed.