He shook his head, his eyes fierce.
“I really care about you—”
“Shut up.”
My eyes widened at the slap he’d just landed with his words.
“I don’t want to hear how much you care about me. I don’t want to hear you call me your friend. It’s insulting. Anything you say that doesn’t match what I say is just annoying. So just don’t say anything at all.” He looked at me with the same glare he showed Tristan. It seemed like he wanted to wrap his large hands around my neck and strangle me until I was no longer on this earth.
“I don’t want it to be this way.”
“Then don’t talk about it. Problem solved.”
“We need to talk about it. It obviously bothers you—”
“I’m fine, Adelina. You meant nothing to me once upon a time. You’ll mean nothing to me again.”
* * *
Cane ignored me for the next few days.
We slept in the same bed the way we did before, but that was because I refused to sleep anywhere else. I’d be lying if I said I was completely okay after what happened, and sleeping next to Cane made me feel safe. Tristan was dead, and there was no one out there to get me, but listening to him breathe as I fell asleep was the most comforting thing in the world.
I spent my time watching TV and reading. He spent his time working out, running errands, and maintaining the yard outside. He interviewed a few people for the butler position—all men.
One afternoon, he grabbed his wallet and keys and prepared to leave.
“Where are you going?”
He gave me a dark look that told me I shouldn’t have asked.
“If you’re going to see Crow, I’d like to come.”
After a long pause, he nodded. “Then let’s go.”
We got into the car together and drove across the fields to his brother’s house. Instead of letting the silence linger in the car, Cane turned on the radio and had it at a volume louder than necessary, just to make sure I understood he had no interest in speaking to me.
Message received.
We arrived at the house, and Lars greeted us. He wasn’t as friendly to Cane as he was to Pearl and me. I wasn’t sure what caused the slight tension between them, but I knew Cane wouldn’t tell me if I asked—not anymore.
Pearl came downstairs and greeted us in the entryway. “Here to check on your brother?” Pearl hugged Cane hard before she stepped back.
“Yeah,” Cane answered. “How’s he doing?”
“He’s getting better every single day.” She hugged me next. “He’s been moody staying in bed constantly, and his sourness is aggravating sometimes.”
“Maybe a blow job wouldn’t hurt,” Cane advised with a smile.
“I’m not gonna tell Crow you said that because he’d come down here and kick your ass.” She placed her hands on her hips but spoke with a smile. “But he’s been getting plenty of those, not that it’s any of your business.”
“Then you must be doing it wrong because he wouldn’t be so pissed if you were doing it right,” Cane teased.
Pearl smacked him on the arm. “Maybe I will tell him.”
“He’s looking for an excuse to punch me anyway.” Cane made his way to the stairs and went up to the third floor where Crow’s bedroom was located.
Pearl turned back to me, wearing dark jeans and a black t-shirt. She didn’t seem pregnant at all, but in a few months, her belly would finally start to show. “You’re welcome to go up and say hi as well. But I’m sure the men want to speak alone for a bit. They tend to do that…be secretive.”
“Yeah, I picked up on that.”
“You want to come outside with me and help me with the garden? The flowers that were destroyed had to be replaced because they couldn’t recover from the tires and glass.”
“Yeah, sure.”
We went outside together, pulled on some gloves, and dug into the earth.
“Crow is doing well?” I asked.
“Yeah. The doctor came by to check on him, and he said Crow’s in great shape. He just needs to be more patient and let everything heal. His leg seems to be better, but I want him to rest in bed a little longer.”
“Sounds good to me.”
“I need him to heal correctly, because when I’m seven months into my pregnancy, I’m gonna need a strong man to help me out.” When she talked about the baby, she possessed an undeniable glow. Her smile was infectious, and joy twinkled in her eyes like Christmas lights.
“You’re excited, huh?”
“I wasn’t ready to have a baby immediately, but now that it’s coming, it feels right.”
“How many do you want to have?”
“Crow thinks we’re going to have two, but we’re going to have four.”
I chuckled. “He’s in for a surprise.”
“Once the first two arrive, he’ll realize we need more.”
“You’re probably right.”
She dug the dirt out of the hole in the earth and set it into the pail at our side. “How are you doing, Adelina? Everything alright?”