Page 137 of Coveted

My hand pauses. “Why do you say that?”

“Honey, I’ve worked with you every week for years.” Her brow arches. “You struggle to accept a scrap of help from anyone. Of course you feel overwhelmed when a man wants to give you everything.”

Gazing out the foggy gray windows, I nibble my lip. Is María right? Do I resist Lucan because I can’t accept help?

It does track. I enjoy doing things for other people, but asking the same of them feels wrong somehow, like I’m bothering them. With an absent father and sick mother, taking care of myself became the norm.

Lucan never seems bothered doing things for me though. The opposite. It pains him when I deny his assistance.

So am I in the wrong? Is he?

I speak my main objection aloud. “But he watches me on cameras and monitors my heart rate.”

María moves her head side to side. “Yeah, he might need to cool it on that front. But you’ve been attacked twice, Sadie. He’s worried you’ll die.”

While I was distracted by my thoughts, she had inched the package from under the counter to open it.

I sigh. “María!”

Her eyes scan the front page. “The lawyer says they need your signature.” She flips to a red sticky tab. “It’s the deed to Ink & Ivy Books.” She gives a low whistle. “Holy shit. Plus the building.”

“Yeah. Lucan bought it for me.”

She chokes out laughter. “I’m sorry, what?”

“It was last week, before I said I need space.” A dull pressure grows in my chest. “I can’t accept it after everything. I’ll write the lawyer back and say there’s been a change of plan.”

María heaves a dramatic sigh. “But this guy is perfect for you.”

“He stalked me!”

“He did research.”

“Whose side are you on anyway?” I ask.

She winks. “Yours, believe it or not.”

“Lucan and I are from different worlds.” A wave of exhaustion washes over me. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s best I stay in my own.”

After work in the evening, I attend a high-school friend’s gathering. The last time I saw many of these people was at our graduation or just briefly around town.

I figure it’ll be good for me to be in familiar territory again. All semester, I’ve felt like a fish out of water. By returning to my roots, maybe I’ll feel back at home.

On the way, I pick up a six-pack of hard apple cider. Briarvale is heavily decorated for upcoming Halloween, with skeletons guarding houses and grinning pumpkins in windows.

Sometime around high school, I lost my taste for Halloween, despite it being my favorite holiday as a child. Perhaps because my real life became too scary, with my mom’s diagnosis and Russell’s appearance.

I’ve missed the fun of Halloween though. This year, maybe I can enjoy it again, even if my heart is aching.

“Sadie!” cries Linh, who’s hosting the gathering.

Roughly a dozen people crowd around a bonfire in the backyard, the flames warding off the creeping chill.

“Hey, everyone,” I say, sliding my gaze politely over my ex, Chace.

“Hi, Sadie,” everyone choruses back.

“Little Miss Princess of Darkbloom,” adds somebody in a snarky tone on the other side of the fire. A few people titter.