Page 109 of Grim Tidings

Chapter Twenty-Five

Gabriel

What’s going on with you?” I ask Darcy quietly, wiping down the bar in front of her. I’ve been cleaning the same spot for about fifteen minutes now, watching her pluck the pits out of olives and spear them on a toothpick. She hasn’t wanted any of the fruity drinks she usually likes. Instead, she’s opted for tonic water and a bowl full of olives.

Like she’s punishing herself.

“Nothing is going on with me,” she answers. Another olive goes on the toothpick.

I frown.

“Is it your magic?” I ask.

“My magic is fine.” Her eyes flick up quickly, then down again. “Whatever you did the other night, it’s been calm ever since.”

I fear whatever I did the other night has sliced me right open. There’s a tuning fork in the middle of my chest that vibrates to the frequency of Darcy. Even when she’s not around, I swear I can feel her there, tucked between my ribs. Her fears, her worries, her wants, and her wishes. All of it is carved into my skin like one of my tattoos.

It’s like she’s crawled right inside and made a home for herself there.

I lean forward abandoning my washcloth. “Is it Frank?”

It’s just the two of us in the bar right now, but I keep my voice low. I turned on the light twenty minutes ago, and I’m expecting the regulars any minute. With one notable exception.

Frank hasn’t stepped foot in the bar since the night he discovered the truth about Darcy. He’s been keeping the shop closed, too. I’ve gone by three separate times to try to talk to him, but he hasn’t answered the door once.

“I can talk to him,” I assure her. “Whatever he said, I’m sure—”

“I don’t want you to talk to him,” Darcy cuts me off. She stabs the next olive harder than she means to, and it goes flying behind the bar. “I’m serious. It’s not your place. I don’t want you involved.”

I do my best to keep myself from reacting to that. She’s hurt, I remind myself. She doesn’t mean it. “Why not?”

“Because it’s not something you can fix.” Her shoulders lift and then fall. “I’m not something you can fix. I am what I am.”

“And what does that mean?”

“It means I don’t blame him for hating me. I took away the people he loved most.” She lets out a shaky breath, her eyes filling with tears. “I’d hate me, too.”

I duck down. “That’s what you think?”

She stays silent.

“What happened to the girl who wanted something different, huh? Who knew she was capable of good?”

Darcy plucks at the edge of her braid. “I don’t know. I’m starting to think all of that might have been foolish.”

I push off the bar, frustrated. “Bullshit,” I tell her.

Her nose wrinkles. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me.” I brace my hands on the bar and lean into her space. “Things get hard and you decide to abandon everything you believe in.” I take her cup of olives away and dump it beneath the counter. “You’re giving up.”

Darcy’s eyes flash. “This isn’t a little speed bump, Gabriel. I took his entire family away.”

“You didn’t. It was an accident, Darcy. You did your job.”

“Semantics don’t matter. I took them away from him. I ruined his life.”

“That car did. Not you. Don’t give up on the things you want for yourself. Stay right here with me. Fight for it.”