"I don't know!" I insisted. "I'm still figuring it out, ok? Fuck. Talk about making this awkward!"
And finally, he laughed. "And that's the truth too." But he sounded almost relieved.
"I like your sister," I promised. "A lot. I've also never dated a girl before,so I'm kinda figuring it all out, and I'm scared enough that I'm going to screw up, so I don't really need your help."
He just nodded. "Yeah. And I am sorry, Rain. About the kiss. That it was a fake kiss, that it was dangerous and stupid and a risk I shouldn't have taken."
"There's a big ol' 'but' hanging in that sentence, Torian."
He laughed once. "I'm not sorry I kissed you - or that you kissed back." Then he smiled. "So have fun at the party. You might try drinking some nectar."
I just tossed up my arms in frustration and turned to get me some of the oak syrup. God, that guy could be so annoying. Mostly because of his arrogance. The worst part was, he had every right to it!
Torian was beautiful, sexy, and knew it. His problem was he expected me to fawn all over him, and fuck that. I'd been in enough schools in my life to learn the best-looking guys were rarely the nice ones. Instead, they were arrogant, egotistical, stuck on themselves… Yeah, kinda like Torian most days.
At least the silver oak was easy to find in here, being the biggest tree in the atrium. I also knew it was where I'd find the "nectar," as the fae called it. If I was lucky, Torian wouldn't follow me.
I didn't even make it all the way over before Wilder intercepted me. "Keir has a glass for you," he said, making his way around me in the packed space.
"Where are you going?" I demanded.
"To keep a promise," he replied. But when I caught his arm, ready to demand more, he added, "To handle Tor."
"You're a good man." I released him. "Don't forget to dance tonight?"
"With you?" he asked.
"With both of us!" I grinned and turned, needing that drink now more than ever.
Because I was pretty sure I'd just pissed off Torian, had led Wilder on, and I'd abandoned Hawke. Somehow, this was going to bite me in the ass, I just knew it. Still, Aspen's half-brother had a way of irritating me which I couldn't quite explain.
Thankfully, I found Keir easily. "Drink?" he asked, pushing a full cup towards me.
"Oh, you're amazing," I breathed, lifting it immediately and sucking back one hell of a gulp. Dancing was thirsty work!
"It'll still get you tipsy," he warned. But I kept drinking, causing him to ease my hand back. "Rain? You ok?"
"Fucking Torian!" I hissed. "That prick has a way of screwing up even his nicest moments."
Keir chuckled. "Glad it's not just me. But tell me you're having fun otherwise?"
"I wanted to catch my breath so I could keep dancing," I admitted.
Hooking my chin with a finger, Keir tilted my face up to his - and I felt it. Something warm and comforting radiated out from that touch, and I was pretty sure it wasn't just my imagination.
"Then dance," he said. "See, this is exactly what my shitty healing ability is good for."
Hoping the warm feeling meant he'd fixed something, I turned the glass, holding it between us. "And if I chug the rest of this?"
The corner of his lip lifted. "I give you my word that you will make it back to your bed tonight. I do not promise you'll stay there."
And now I was smiling, because the people around us had likely taken that all wrong, but Keir? Yeah, he'd just made it clear we were on the same page. So, lifting my cup again, I sucked back the rest without pausing and offered him the empty cup.
"You promised me something else tonight too," I reminded him.
His eyes slid down my body. "Trust me, I haven't forgotten. I am, however, glad you mentioned it before the nectar kicks in."
Then he nudged me back towards the dance floor. Yep, I went. I also had a little extra bounce in my step.
