Page 135 of Reckless
“Everything is a courtroom.”
Avril hid her smile behind her tea.“She’s not wrong.”
“She’s always wrong,” I said.“She’s just also always right.”
He crossed to the tea service with all the calm in the world, and every woman at the table was very interested in her own glass.
Traitors.
He poured his tea.Took a sip.Then looked at me and said, in that low voice that made simple words reckless, “Good morning.”
I smiled before I could stop it.
“Good morning.”
“You slept.”
“Is that an observation or an accusation?”
“Neither.You look rested.”
“You keep saying that like it’s a surprise.”
“It is.You normally look like a woman plotting something.”
“Who says I’m not plotting something right now?”
“Your face.It’s too soft.”
“Don’t call my face soft in front of people.”
“Why?”
“Because then they’ll know.”
“They already know.”
“Shut up.”
Open.
It was also not all.
He came to stand near my chair while Charlie bellowed something from the hall and Hope rose to go rescue the day from him.
The room loosened.Moved.People standing.Sitting.Drifting.
And in the middle of that ordinary family motion, Xerses leaned close enough that only I could hear him.
“You’re glowing,” he murmured.
“Shut up.”
“Everyone can see it.”
“Then stop making it worse.”
“I’m not doing anything.”
