Page 235

Ash crossed to my side, brushing his fingers through my hair. The touch comforted me, but hollowness ate at me.

Ezra sighed. “You can still say goodbye.”

I lifted my gaze to his.

“I ensured Lymsrana placed a condition on the spell.”

Ash leaned his hip against the counter, continuing to stroke my hair. “What condition?”

“The day we leave, you can say a proper farewell to your friends.”

“How?” I shook my head. “If they believe I’ve already moved slap across the country…”

“They believe they helped you pack, and you’re officially leaving in a week. Until then, you’re making final preparations and can’t visit or work.”

“Oh,” I whispered, picking at the edge of the counter.

“Does that satisfy you?”

I glanced up at him. “Um…”

Ash chuckled.

Ezra pinned me with that unwavering stare, giving nothing away.

“That’ll work,” I mumbled, breaking eye contact. “Thank you.”

The unexpected kindness threw me off.

Ezra had never been cruel, but he wasn’t the kindest man either.

Still, he’d gone out of his way to have Lymsrana alter the spell for me, anticipating my need to say goodbye without my ever saying a word.

Anyone would want that, sure, but he hadn’t factored in my family—who I didn’t want to speak with. It made me wonder how much he’d paid attention in his short time on Earth with me.

I cleared my throat and stepped away. “I’m gonna go take a shower and start packing, I guess.” I looked between them. “The food in the fridge is probably spoiled by now, so I’m gonna order pizza after. Anything special you want?”

“What you got before works for me,” Ash said, then glanced at Ezra. “Do they have wings or something?”

I nodded. “Yeah, why?”

“Barbecue sauce,” Ezra said, picking up his water bottle for another drink.

Oh shit. “I forgot. You don’t like pizza,” I said, shaking my head. “I’m sorry.”

“All things considered, I didn’t expect you to retain that sort of information.”

Ash smiled at me. “Zeke likes extra cheese. Cyn will eat whatever you give him.”

“Pizza isn’t pizza without extra cheese. Okay, I’ll order two large and some barbecue wings for Ezra. Anything else?”

“Go shower, Little Blackbird. I’ll bring the food up when it gets here.”

I shook my head, still not used to someone wanting to take care of me the way Ash did.

Part of me wanted to push back and refuse the care I could so easily lose—like I almost did days ago. But a bigger part of me wanted someone to take care of me for once.

I needed to find the balance between accepting care and pushing back for independence.