Page 160 of Once Upon a Fable

“Okay.” I patted his hand and gave him a gentle smile. “I’ll fix it.”

“You will?” He looked at me as if I held his world. As if I was some mythical guardian who would protect him for always.

“Yes. I’ll be right back.”

For days, I’d suspected his arm was broken but had no way of splinting it. Now? Now I had another version of Kas that I wasn’t afraid of, and time was of the essence to help him before he switched again.

Pushing to my feet, I dashed out of the library, ran to the garden, and grabbed a small bamboo stake that I’d seen in the pea vine part of the veggie patch. Bolting back into the house, I skidded to a halt and dropped into the blankets.

For a second, I froze.

What if he’d switched while I was gone?

I’d just given him the perfect opportunity to kill me.

However, he shifted away from me as if my freezing like a cornered cat unsettled him. “What? What is it?” he asked warily, his eyes darting over my shoulder, looking for something he should be afraid of. “Is something out there?”

His voice remained sweet and young.

Unbroken before abuse.

“No.” I exhaled heavily. “Nothing is out there.” I forced myself to relax and scoot closer to him. “It’s nothing, truly. I was just worried about you, that’s all.”

“Me?” He gave me a shaky smile. “Why?”

“Because you’re hurt.” I frowned at his swollen arm he was cradling. “You remember what we talked about?”

He frowned and looked to the side, his mind obviously struggling to recall something that only happened a few minutes ago.

God, what did this mean for him?

Would he be destined to spend the rest of his life flickering in and out of reality and mirages?

Dropping his gaze, he stared at his arm, then twitched as if memories physically pinched him inside. “Oh, I remember.” He nodded. “My arm is broken. It hurts.”

“I know.” I resisted the urge to cup his cheek. To justtouchhim. I ached to touch him—to somehow keep his mind from straying, aging, breaking. “Should we fix it?”

He made eye contact and smiled again. This time, it was the most beautiful smile I’d ever seen. It made me tremble as he carefully placed his arm into my lap and shuffled closer until our knees touched. Until his body heat from the blankets tingled over my skin.

The same chemistry that existed between us from the very first moment we met existed even now. A gentle buzzing from his body to mine, sending my blood shivering as well as my bones and breath.

He inhaled sharply.

I stiffened, ever so jumpy in case the kid had become the killer again. But instead of angry dark eyes filled with murderous intent, they stayed a syrupy golden brown filled with absolute trust and gratitude.

“I like you,” he murmured, licking his lips. “I think I know you fromsomewhere. I feel it...” He tapped his chest with his free hand. “In here.”

I struggled to swallow, doing my best to ignore the humming electricity twining around us. “I like you too.”

He blushed.

Actually blushed.

And I swallowed tears because what kind of boy could blush at the confession of affection after every sexual desecration he’d been through.

“Thank you for looking after me,” he murmured.

“You’re welcome.” My heart absolutely pounded, wanted.