Page 43 of Heimlock

After giving me a half smile, she says, “No guarantees.”

Contemplating the outcome, I eventually nod. “Fine. What is it?”

“Promise me you won’t tell him.”

My frown deepens. “Okay? I promise?”

Instead of giving me a straight answer, she asks, “What do you think a soulmate is?”

“Someone who completes you?”

“What does completion feel like?”

I want so badly to make an orgasm joke, but instead, I shrug. “I can barely get a woman to stick around for a month. I have no answer for that.”

She nods. “I don’t know if there is an answer. People talk about soulmates like they exist, that they’re out there, waiting for you to slam right into them on the street. But how do you know?”

Giving her a helpless look, I ask, “Are you not happy with my brother?”

Rhuth straightens. “I’m very happy with Fynn. Please don’t mistake this philosophical discussion to be one of complaints. But I’ve been wondering about this … how do you know if someone is a soulmate?”

“I would think you’d just … know?”

“Then I simply cannot answer your question, Trinte.”

My stomach sinks. The concept of them not being soulmates is unfathomable. They’re so happy all the time. I’ve never seen them fight. While I can’t claim to know what happens when I’m not around, Rhuth seems perfect. My brother is deeply in love with her. How is she not a soulmate for him?

“Why can’t you answer it?”

A timer goes off, and Rhuth bustles over to the oven. Opening the door, she grabs the loaf pan with her bare hands. Placing it on the stove, she says, “Because there’s always been something inside me that thinks there’s more out there for him.”

I scrunch my nose. “More? You want more for him?”

Rhuth gives me a dry look. “You should always want more for someone you love.”

“But that ‘more’ isn’t you?”

Rhuth turns off the oven. “I don’t think so.”

Unexpected anger adds an edge to my tone. “Why are you with him? Are you going to leave him?” I motion to her belly. “You’re literally pregnant, Rhuth.”

This doesn’t make sense. She doesn’t make sense. Why get married and work to become pregnant if you don’t expect to stick around? It feels so … entitled, when some of us aren’t lucky enough to be loved once.

Instead of meeting my anger, Rhuth softens. She leans against the counter, watching me. “Do you think you’ll ever see your father again?”

“What?” I rear back like she’s hit me. “Why would you even ask me that?”

Rhuth’s eyes scan my face for answers as she repeats, “Do you think you’ll see him again?”

“I have no idea.”

“What does your gut say?”

I pause, entertaining her madness for a second. Rhuth is the most sane person I know, so there must be some reason for this line of questioning.

Will I see my father again? Objectively, it’s unlikely that I’ll go the next few decades without seeing him. But my gut tells me there’s more to it. That eventually we’ll finish what we started years ago.

“Yes, I’ll see him again.” She nods as if this answers her question. However, it doesn’t answer mine. “So you don’t feel like he’s it for you?”