“Are you okay?” Solana asks as I get up and walk to my dresser, searching for gum or something to get rid of my toxic morning breath. I settle for a crushed Mento that’s probably been in my pocket for at least a month, but hey, it’s minty—not that I’m trying to impress Solana. Which is good because I also catch a glimpse of my hair in the mirror, and dang, I never realized it could be tall-andbumpy and greasy-and-plastered-to-my-head all at the same time.
“Yeah, I’m fine. I’m just still tired.”
“I know. The Gales said you hadn’t slept in weeks.” She drops her eyes to her hands, twisting a wide gold cuff on her wrist. “They asked if I’d be willing to stay with you at night to help you sleep. I told them I would, if you were okay with it.”
I accidentally swallow my Mento.
I’m coughing so hard I can’t speak, which is probably better because I don’t know what to do with the idea of having a hot girl in my bed all night. I mean, that’s kinda the ultimate fantasy, except . . .
Wrong girl.
And what if Audra came home and found us together?
“That sounds like a really bad idea,” I tell her when my voice is finally working again.
“Why?”
“Because . . .” I can’t believe I even have to explain this. She’s my ex-fiancée—sorta—and I usually sleep in my boxers! “I don’t know. You really don’t think it would be weird?”
Solana shrugs and looks away, and I can see her cheeks turning pink. And that’s when I realize . . .
When I woke up, her arm was wrapped around me.
All this time I’ve been assuming Solana’s just as relieved about the no-more-betrothal as me. But maybe . . .
Solana pulls her hair around her face, hiding behind it as she picks up a framed photo from my desk. It’s a picture of me with my parents on a hiking trip from a few years ago.
“I guess we come from two different worlds,” she says quietly. “You grew up here, in a house with a family—not knowing anything about sylphs or Raiden or me. But I’ve spent my whole life on the run, never having a home or more possessions than what I could carry. Even my guardians were sometimes taken from me . . .” Her voice cracks and she sets the picture down and turns to face me. “The only thing I ever had to hold on to was you.”
It’s hard to swallow again, but this time it’s a lump in my throat, not a Mento.
I clear it away. “Solana—”
“Don’t,” she whispers. “I’m not saying I’m in love with you. I don’t even know you. I just . . .” Her eyes well with tears and she blinks them back. “It’s just hard getting used to the idea of a completely different life.”
I can definitely understand that feeling.
“I’m sorry,” I mumble, sitting back down on the bed. “This is all such a mess, isn’t it?”
“It is,” she agrees, sniffling.
It’s so insane. Solana’s standing here crying over me—meanwhile Audra may have already dumped me.
I sigh. “You’re better off without me. Really. I’m a pain. And I’m horrible with girls. Just ask anyone I’ve ever dated.”
“Oh. So . . . you’ve dated?”
My brain turns into a running stream of expletives.
Why? Why did I bring this up?
“Um . . . well . . . that’s kinda what everyone does around here, so . . . yeah. But Audra always stepped in and broke things up before anything could happen so—”
“Audra went on your dates?”
I can’t help smiling as I remember some of my most infamous dating disasters. “Let’s just say she took her job very seriously.”
“Oh.” Solana sweeps back her hair and adjusts her dress, making her cleavage pop out even more. “That’s good, I guess. I always thought it was strange that the Gales chose her as your guardian. I mean, isn’t she our age?”
“She is.”
I’m about to say more when I realize that the frown on Solana’s face looks a lot like jealousy. And the last thing I need is any AudraSolana drama.
A really really really really really really really really long, uncomfortable silence follows. I’m reaching the point of wanting to scream into a pillow when Solana finally says, “So . . .”
She hovers near the edge of the bed, like she’s debating about whether she should sit next to me. I scoot over and she sits.
It’s hard to ignore the part of my brain screaming, PRETTY GIRL ON MY BED!!!!!!! Especially when she turns to me and asks, “So, you really don’t want to sleep with me?”
I can’t help blushing. “I don’t know.”
“You need to sleep, right?”
I really do—and it’s a pretty sweet bonus that her little dream trick also helps me bring back more memories.
I clear my throat. “I guess we could try it. But I’m not up for every night.”
“Don’t worry. I have to sleep sometimes too.”
“Oh, right. Wait—were you awake last night?”
She nods and I can’t decide if that’s embarrassing or creepy—but I’m guessing it’s both because I feel almost violated.
Especially when she adds, “You mumble sometimes.”
My face seriously feels like it’s going to burst into flames at this point. “Do I want to know what I said?”
“Probably not.”
“Oh, God.”
“Relax, I’m kidding. I honestly couldn’t understand most of it. The only word I caught was ‘stay’.”