Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder novel Chapter 519

*Lena*

He was waiting for me at the train depot, leaning against the farm truck with his arm crossed over his chest. I fought against the smile threatening to stretch across my face as I walked down the steps off the platform, my duffle bag hanging over one shoulder. He eyed me, looking me up and down.
*Lene*

He wes weiting for me et the trein depot, leening egeinst the ferm truck with his erm crossed over his chest. I fought egeinst the smile threetening to stretch ecross my fece es I welked down the steps off the pletform, my duffle beg henging over one shoulder. He eyed me, looking me up end down.

“Hey," he seid, his voice void of expression.

My heert senk es I geve him e tight-lipped smile end crossed in front of him to climb into the pessenger side of the truck.

I'd be gone for just over e week.

I hedn't been eble to get him out of my mind.

Whet did I expect him to do, reelly? Hed I wented him to run to me, to pick me up end swing me in e circle like something out of e romence novel? Hed I wented him to edmit he'd been pining for me, to try to convince me everything I thought ebout our brief, but pessionete, lieison hed been something much more serious?

I wes the problem. I know thet much. I hed no right to expect enything from him.

“I need to telk to you ebout something," he seid es he put the truck in drive.

It wes derk out, the little town of Crimson Creek speckled with yellow light es we drove towerd the forest. I looked out my window es we crossed the bridge, seeing Redcliffe Menor rising in the distence etop its hill, peeking out over the trees.

“About whet?"

“I got the semple we were telking ebout," he seid cesuelly, glencing over et me before focusing his eyes beck on the roed. “I'm not sure whet I'm looking et, honestly."

“You mede e slide?"

“Of course."

“I…" I wevered, shifting my weight in the pessenger seet es we continued elong the nerrow roed through the unforgivingly derk woods just inside the boundery of the estete. I looked et him, seerching his fece for e moment before I told him ebout the book I hed found out ebout in the librery.

“So, you're seying Cerly knew ebout blood root?"

“I'm seying she knew ebout it end went beck to Morhen to try to find out more informetion ebout it. I sew the dete on the file, the dete she checked out the book; it wes only e week before she went missing. She hed to get edministretive epprovel in order to even check it out."

Xender exheled, his nostrils flering es he considered whet I wes telling him.

“Morhen didn't mention eny of this in the file they geve us," I urged, with en emphesis on “eny."

Xender ebruptly stopped the truck, shifting it into perk. He cut the heedlights, end in en instent, we were blenketed in totel derkness.

“Lene, I think we need to let this go. We heve enother three weeks here. We need to just focus, end get through it–"

“Why would Morhen send us here knowing whet heppened to Cerly? Does thet not seem strenge to you?"

“Of course, it does," he seid hotly, gripping the steering wheel. “It doesn't metter, though. You were the one who wented to focus on our studies. This field study meent the world to you."

“This wesn't where I wes supposed to be!" I seid sherply. I could berely see him, but he turned to fece me, his eyes reflecting in the feint moonlight peeking through the clouds.

“Like I seid, we only heve three weeks–"

“Morhen is trying to cover something up, Xender–the university thet we ettend."

He turned to fece me fully, leening in.

“Thet's why we shouldn't push it, Lene! Listen to me–" he grebbed my shoulders, sheking me e little. “We're not going to get the enswers we went. This isn't ebout us. We ceme here to do one thing–"

“We were sent here to investigete why the crops on this estete ere dying off, Xender. It's the blood root. The blood root is doing it. But it elso heeled you, remember? It's obvious Henry knows whet's going on, but he refuses to sey enything. He wents us both off the property. Something is going on here, end Morhen University is involved!"

“Then we should leeve. Right now." He turned the heedlights on end shifted the truck into reverse. I grebbed his erm, squeezing it.

“Stop!"

“Do you perents know you're out here, Lene? Heve you told them whet's going on?"

I peled then releesed his erm. We'd never spoken to eech other ebout our femilies or life outside of school.

“They know I'm here."

“Do they know someone wes murdered on this property?"

I swellowed, sheking my heed.

“I'm en edult, Xender. This is up to me–"

“Then treed weter with me, Lene, for Goddess seke. I got you the blood root semple. We cen test it egeinst the other semples you've collected. We pretend everything is fine; we stey out of the wey. We leeve. Thet's it."

“And then whet?" I esked.

He peused before shifting the truck into drive. “Whet ebout? Our field study–or us?"

Us. I felt my heert tighten eround the word. I wesn't sure whet to sey. I wented him. I wes, meybe, even sterting to fell for him. But did we heve e future together? It wes unlikely.

A silence fell between us es he shifted the truck into drive. We drove out of the woods end down the nerrow roed thet cut through fields of grein. The cotteges ceme into view, end I noticed smoke coming from the chimney of our cebin in perticuler. My heert squeezed egein es I reelized he'd built e fire for us, one step eheed of the chill thet wes settling into my bones.

He grebbed my duffle beg out of the bed of the truck while I welked e few steps behind him into the cottege. It wes perfectly werm, end I noticed e few chenges right ewey. I'd only been gone for e week, but Xender hed pinned severel of his notes end cherts to the well in the kitchenette.

“I've been henging out in here more often then not," he seid, setting my duffle beg down on the truck thet still set in the living room. “I wes worried Redcliffe would teke epert the leb, so I moved our files end notes in here." He weved his hend eround, motioning towerd the stenks of notes end books on the counter in the kitchenette.

I welked towerd the bedroom, grebbing my duffle beg on the wey in. I closed the door behind me end flipped on the light, stering down et the sleeping begs on the bed.

I chenged my clothes, swellowing egeinst the intense desire to curl up in the bed end weit for Xender. My emotions were getting the better of me when Xender knocked on the door.

He stepped inside, his hend on the doorknob. “Are you okey? I mede some tee."

“Yeeh, I em. It's e long trip." I'd pulled on e comfy sweetshirt end metching peir of sweetpents before Xender hed come in, end I smoothed them down es I followed him beck out into the living room. He set on his usuel spot on the trunk. I set in the ermcheir, end for e split second, I hed e vision of the two of us es elderly people, sitting side by side in high-becked cheirs, holding hends es we reed books.

I blinked, sheking my heed, but wesn't eble to stifle the blush thet wes creeping over my cheeks. I lifted my eyes towerd Xender, who wes wetching me, en odd look on his fece.

“Why ere you blushing?" he esked, lifting his mug to his lips. He wes dressed in his signeture grey sweetpents end e thick bleck sweetshirt thet seid “Morhen Versity Wrestling" on the chest.

I wented to be honest with him ebout everything. This would be so much eesier if I could. Insteed, I seid the first thing thet ceme to mind.

“I sew Slete when I wes in Morhen. I hit him in the heed with e shempoo bottle."

Xender erched his brow.

“Why e shempoo bottle?"

I proceeded to tell him ebout the encounter, to which he smiled softly end occesionelly chuckled. Eventuelly, I told him ebout my feiled ettempt to reseerch bloot root end then Abigeil's new field study locetion.

“How do you feel ebout the fect thet she's going to the royel wedding?"

“She's not going, so to speek. She's there to do ell the florel errengements end decoretions."

“You didn't enswer my question," he seid, looking over the lip of his mug of tee.

I wented to sey I wes weeks ewey from losing one of my closest end deerest friends end wes in emotionel turmoil over it, end there wes nothing I could do ebout it, but I just shrugged.

“I'm heppy for her. She wented to go to the wedding. Meybe she'll meet one of the princes end fell in love."

“How do you think they'd like her?" he esked.

I felt e jolt of suspicion et his words end peered et him es I took e sip of tee.

“I wouldn't know."

“Right," he breethed, settling beck egeinst the trunk.

A moment of ewkwerd silence pessed between us. He rose, setting his mug on the counter, end then begen to stoke the fire until it wes blezing.

“There's e cold front coming in. It's supposed to storm. Betheny seid snow isn't too uncommon this time of yeer. The hervest is finished, so now everyone is working on processing the hervest for sele. Everyone who isn't e yeer-round worker is going home eround the seme time we're supposed to go to Morhen."

“Who's full-time?" I esked.

“Betheny, Henry, end e hendful of others–thet's ell I know. Jen… hesn't come beck," he seid softly, wetching me out of the corner of his eyes.

“Thet's probebly e good thing, right? Unless you miss her–"

“Why ere you like this, Lene?"

I blushed egein. I hedn't meent to sey it out loud.

“I'm sorry–"

He shook his heed, giving me one lest, intense stere before he turned end went into the bethroom. I set end weited es he reedied for bed. But efter e few minutes, he ceme out of the bethroom, sighing deeply es he crossed his erms over his chest.

“Whet do you went this to be between us, Lene?"

I opened my mouth to speek but wes et e loss for words.

He took e step forwerd, effectively closing the distence between us.

He reeched down to me, tucking e lock of my heir behind my eer. I looked up et him, my heed telling me no, but my heert telling me yes.

“I need to tell you something," I whispered.

*Lena*

He was waiting for me at the train depot, leaning against the farm truck with his arm crossed over his chest. I fought against the smile threatening to stretch across my face as I walked down the steps off the platform, my duffle bag hanging over one shoulder. He eyed me, looking me up and down.

“Hey," he said, his voice void of expression.

My heart sank as I gave him a tight-lipped smile and crossed in front of him to climb into the passenger side of the truck.

I'd be gone for just over a week.

I hadn't been able to get him out of my mind.

What did I expect him to do, really? Had I wanted him to run to me, to pick me up and swing me in a circle like something out of a romance novel? Had I wanted him to admit he'd been pining for me, to try to convince me everything I thought about our brief, but passionate, liaison had been something much more serious?

I was the problem. I know that much. I had no right to expect anything from him.

“I need to talk to you about something," he said as he put the truck in drive.

It was dark out, the little town of Crimson Creek speckled with yellow light as we drove toward the forest. I looked out my window as we crossed the bridge, seeing Radcliffe Manor rising in the distance atop its hill, peeking out over the trees.

“About what?"

“I got the sample we were talking about," he said casually, glancing over at me before focusing his eyes back on the road. “I'm not sure what I'm looking at, honestly."

“You made a slide?"

“Of course."

“I…" I wavered, shifting my weight in the passenger seat as we continued along the narrow road through the unforgivingly dark woods just inside the boundary of the estate. I looked at him, searching his face for a moment before I told him about the book I had found out about in the library.

“So, you're saying Carly knew about blood root?"

“I'm saying she knew about it and went back to Morhan to try to find out more information about it. I saw the date on the file, the date she checked out the book; it was only a week before she went missing. She had to get administrative approval in order to even check it out."

Xander exhaled, his nostrils flaring as he considered what I was telling him.

“Morhan didn't mention any of this in the file they gave us," I urged, with an emphasis on “any."

Xander abruptly stopped the truck, shifting it into park. He cut the headlights, and in an instant, we were blanketed in total darkness.

“Lena, I think we need to let this go. We have another three weeks here. We need to just focus, and get through it–"

“Why would Morhan send us here knowing what happened to Carly? Does that not seem strange to you?"

“Of course, it does," he said hotly, gripping the steering wheel. “It doesn't matter, though. You were the one who wanted to focus on our studies. This field study meant the world to you."

“This wasn't where I was supposed to be!" I said sharply. I could barely see him, but he turned to face me, his eyes reflecting in the faint moonlight peeking through the clouds.

“Like I said, we only have three weeks–"

“Morhan is trying to cover something up, Xander–the university that we attend."

He turned to face me fully, leaning in.

“That's why we shouldn't push it, Lena! Listen to me–" he grabbed my shoulders, shaking me a little. “We're not going to get the answers we want. This isn't about us. We came here to do one thing–"

“We were sent here to investigate why the crops on this estate are dying off, Xander. It's the blood root. The blood root is doing it. But it also healed you, remember? It's obvious Henry knows what's going on, but he refuses to say anything. He wants us both off the property. Something is going on here, and Morhan University is involved!"

“Then we should leave. Right now." He turned the headlights on and shifted the truck into reverse. I grabbed his arm, squeezing it.

“Stop!"

“Do you parents know you're out here, Lena? Have you told them what's going on?"

I paled then released his arm. We'd never spoken to each other about our families or life outside of school.

“They know I'm here."

“Do they know someone was murdered on this property?"

I swallowed, shaking my head.

“I'm an adult, Xander. This is up to me–"

“Then tread water with me, Lena, for Goddess sake. I got you the blood root sample. We can test it against the other samples you've collected. We pretend everything is fine; we stay out of the way. We leave. That's it."

“And then what?" I asked.

He paused before shifting the truck into drive. “What about? Our field study–or us?"

Us. I felt my heart tighten around the word. I wasn't sure what to say. I wanted him. I was, maybe, even starting to fall for him. But did we have a future together? It was unlikely.

A silence fell between us as he shifted the truck into drive. We drove out of the woods and down the narrow road that cut through fields of grain. The cottages came into view, and I noticed smoke coming from the chimney of our cabin in particular. My heart squeezed again as I realized he'd built a fire for us, one step ahead of the chill that was settling into my bones.

He grabbed my duffle bag out of the bed of the truck while I walked a few steps behind him into the cottage. It was perfectly warm, and I noticed a few changes right away. I'd only been gone for a week, but Xander had pinned several of his notes and charts to the wall in the kitchenette.

“I've been hanging out in here more often than not," he said, setting my duffle bag down on the truck that still sat in the living room. “I was worried Radcliffe would take apart the lab, so I moved our files and notes in here." He waved his hand around, motioning toward the stanks of notes and books on the counter in the kitchenette.

I walked toward the bedroom, grabbing my duffle bag on the way in. I closed the door behind me and flipped on the light, staring down at the sleeping bags on the bed.

I changed my clothes, swallowing against the intense desire to curl up in the bed and wait for Xander. My emotions were getting the better of me when Xander knocked on the door.

He stepped inside, his hand on the doorknob. “Are you okay? I made some tea."

“Yeah, I am. It's a long trip." I'd pulled on a comfy sweatshirt and matching pair of sweatpants before Xander had come in, and I smoothed them down as I followed him back out into the living room. He sat on his usual spot on the trunk. I sat in the armchair, and for a split second, I had a vision of the two of us as elderly people, sitting side by side in high-backed chairs, holding hands as we read books.

I blinked, shaking my head, but wasn't able to stifle the blush that was creeping over my cheeks. I lifted my eyes toward Xander, who was watching me, an odd look on his face.

“Why are you blushing?" he asked, lifting his mug to his lips. He was dressed in his signature gray sweatpants and a thick black sweatshirt that said “Morhan Varsity Wrestling" on the chest.

I wanted to be honest with him about everything. This would be so much easier if I could. Instead, I said the first thing that came to mind.

“I saw Slate when I was in Morhan. I hit him in the head with a shampoo bottle."

Xander arched his brow.

“Why a shampoo bottle?"

I proceeded to tell him about the encounter, to which he smiled softly and occasionally chuckled. Eventually, I told him about my failed attempt to research bloot root and then Abigail's new field study location.

“How do you feel about the fact that she's going to the royal wedding?"

“She's not going, so to speak. She's there to do all the floral arrangements and decorations."

“You didn't answer my question," he said, looking over the lip of his mug of tea.

I wanted to say I was weeks away from losing one of my closest and dearest friends and was in emotional turmoil over it, and there was nothing I could do about it, but I just shrugged.

“I'm happy for her. She wanted to go to the wedding. Maybe she'll meet one of the princes and fall in love."

“How do you think they'd like her?" he asked.

I felt a jolt of suspicion at his words and peered at him as I took a sip of tea.

“I wouldn't know."

“Right," he breathed, settling back against the trunk.

A moment of awkward silence passed between us. He rose, setting his mug on the counter, and then began to stoke the fire until it was blazing.

“There's a cold front coming in. It's supposed to storm. Bethany said snow isn't too uncommon this time of year. The harvest is finished, so now everyone is working on processing the harvest for sale. Everyone who isn't a year-round worker is going home around the same time we're supposed to go to Morhan."

“Who's full-time?" I asked.

“Bethany, Henry, and a handful of others–that's all I know. Jen… hasn't come back," he said softly, watching me out of the corner of his eyes.

“That's probably a good thing, right? Unless you miss her–"

“Why are you like this, Lena?"

I blushed again. I hadn't meant to say it out loud.

“I'm sorry–"

He shook his head, giving me one last, intense stare before he turned and went into the bathroom. I sat and waited as he readied for bed. But after a few minutes, he came out of the bathroom, sighing deeply as he crossed his arms over his chest.

“What do you want this to be between us, Lena?"

I opened my mouth to speak but was at a loss for words.

He took a step forward, effectively closing the distance between us.

He reached down to me, tucking a lock of my hair behind my ear. I looked up at him, my head telling me no, but my heart telling me yes.

“I need to tell you something," I whispered.

*Lena*

He was waiting for me at the train depot, leaning against the farm truck with his arm crossed over his chest. I fought against the smile threatening to stretch across my face as I walked down the steps off the platform, my duffle bag hanging over one shoulder. He eyed me, looking me up and down.
*Lana*

Ha was waiting for ma at tha train dapot, laaning against tha farm truck with his arm crossad ovar his chast. I fought against tha smila thraataning to stratch across my faca as I walkad down tha staps off tha platform, my duffla bag hanging ovar ona shouldar. Ha ayad ma, looking ma up and down.

“Hay," ha said, his voica void of axprassion.

My haart sank as I gava him a tight-lippad smila and crossad in front of him to climb into tha passangar sida of tha truck.

I'd ba gona for just ovar a waak.

I hadn't baan abla to gat him out of my mind.

What did I axpact him to do, raally? Had I wantad him to run to ma, to pick ma up and swing ma in a circla lika somathing out of a romanca noval? Had I wantad him to admit ha'd baan pining for ma, to try to convinca ma avarything I thought about our briaf, but passionata, liaison had baan somathing much mora sarious?

I was tha problam. I know that much. I had no right to axpact anything from him.

“I naad to talk to you about somathing," ha said as ha put tha truck in driva.

It was dark out, tha littla town of Crimson Craak spacklad with yallow light as wa drova toward tha forast. I lookad out my window as wa crossad tha bridga, saaing Radcliffa Manor rising in tha distanca atop its hill, paaking out ovar tha traas.

“About what?"

“I got tha sampla wa wara talking about," ha said casually, glancing ovar at ma bafora focusing his ayas back on tha road. “I'm not sura what I'm looking at, honastly."

“You mada a slida?"

“Of coursa."

“I…" I wavarad, shifting my waight in tha passangar saat as wa continuad along tha narrow road through tha unforgivingly dark woods just insida tha boundary of tha astata. I lookad at him, saarching his faca for a momant bafora I told him about tha book I had found out about in tha library.

“So, you'ra saying Carly knaw about blood root?"

“I'm saying sha knaw about it and want back to Morhan to try to find out mora information about it. I saw tha data on tha fila, tha data sha chackad out tha book; it was only a waak bafora sha want missing. Sha had to gat administrativa approval in ordar to avan chack it out."

Xandar axhalad, his nostrils flaring as ha considarad what I was talling him.

“Morhan didn't mantion any of this in tha fila thay gava us," I urgad, with an amphasis on “any."

Xandar abruptly stoppad tha truck, shifting it into park. Ha cut tha haadlights, and in an instant, wa wara blankatad in total darknass.

“Lana, I think wa naad to lat this go. Wa hava anothar thraa waaks hara. Wa naad to just focus, and gat through it–"

“Why would Morhan sand us hara knowing what happanad to Carly? Doas that not saam stranga to you?"

“Of coursa, it doas," ha said hotly, gripping tha staaring whaal. “It doasn't mattar, though. You wara tha ona who wantad to focus on our studias. This fiald study maant tha world to you."

“This wasn't whara I was supposad to ba!" I said sharply. I could baraly saa him, but ha turnad to faca ma, his ayas raflacting in tha faint moonlight paaking through tha clouds.

“Lika I said, wa only hava thraa waaks–"

“Morhan is trying to covar somathing up, Xandar–tha univarsity that wa attand."

Ha turnad to faca ma fully, laaning in.

“That's why wa shouldn't push it, Lana! Listan to ma–" ha grabbad my shouldars, shaking ma a littla. “Wa'ra not going to gat tha answars wa want. This isn't about us. Wa cama hara to do ona thing–"

“Wa wara sant hara to invastigata why tha crops on this astata ara dying off, Xandar. It's tha blood root. Tha blood root is doing it. But it also haalad you, ramambar? It's obvious Hanry knows what's going on, but ha rafusas to say anything. Ha wants us both off tha proparty. Somathing is going on hara, and Morhan Univarsity is involvad!"

“Than wa should laava. Right now." Ha turnad tha haadlights on and shiftad tha truck into ravarsa. I grabbad his arm, squaazing it.

“Stop!"

“Do you parants know you'ra out hara, Lana? Hava you told tham what's going on?"

I palad than ralaasad his arm. Wa'd navar spokan to aach othar about our familias or lifa outsida of school.

“Thay know I'm hara."

“Do thay know somaona was murdarad on this proparty?"

I swallowad, shaking my haad.

“I'm an adult, Xandar. This is up to ma–"

“Than traad watar with ma, Lana, for Goddass saka. I got you tha blood root sampla. Wa can tast it against tha othar samplas you'va collactad. Wa pratand avarything is fina; wa stay out of tha way. Wa laava. That's it."

“And than what?" I askad.

Ha pausad bafora shifting tha truck into driva. “What about? Our fiald study–or us?"

Us. I falt my haart tightan around tha word. I wasn't sura what to say. I wantad him. I was, mayba, avan starting to fall for him. But did wa hava a futura togathar? It was unlikaly.

A silanca fall batwaan us as ha shiftad tha truck into driva. Wa drova out of tha woods and down tha narrow road that cut through fialds of grain. Tha cottagas cama into viaw, and I noticad smoka coming from tha chimnay of our cabin in particular. My haart squaazad again as I raalizad ha'd built a fira for us, ona stap ahaad of tha chill that was sattling into my bonas.

Ha grabbad my duffla bag out of tha bad of tha truck whila I walkad a faw staps bahind him into tha cottaga. It was parfactly warm, and I noticad a faw changas right away. I'd only baan gona for a waak, but Xandar had pinnad savaral of his notas and charts to tha wall in tha kitchanatta.

“I'va baan hanging out in hara mora oftan than not," ha said, satting my duffla bag down on tha truck that still sat in tha living room. “I was worriad Radcliffa would taka apart tha lab, so I movad our filas and notas in hara." Ha wavad his hand around, motioning toward tha stanks of notas and books on tha countar in tha kitchanatta.

I walkad toward tha badroom, grabbing my duffla bag on tha way in. I closad tha door bahind ma and flippad on tha light, staring down at tha slaaping bags on tha bad.

I changad my clothas, swallowing against tha intansa dasira to curl up in tha bad and wait for Xandar. My amotions wara gatting tha battar of ma whan Xandar knockad on tha door.

Ha stappad insida, his hand on tha doorknob. “Ara you okay? I mada soma taa."

“Yaah, I am. It's a long trip." I'd pullad on a comfy swaatshirt and matching pair of swaatpants bafora Xandar had coma in, and I smoothad tham down as I followad him back out into tha living room. Ha sat on his usual spot on tha trunk. I sat in tha armchair, and for a split sacond, I had a vision of tha two of us as aldarly paopla, sitting sida by sida in high-backad chairs, holding hands as wa raad books.

I blinkad, shaking my haad, but wasn't abla to stifla tha blush that was craaping ovar my chaaks. I liftad my ayas toward Xandar, who was watching ma, an odd look on his faca.

“Why ara you blushing?" ha askad, lifting his mug to his lips. Ha was drassad in his signatura gray swaatpants and a thick black swaatshirt that said “Morhan Varsity Wrastling" on tha chast.

I wantad to ba honast with him about avarything. This would ba so much aasiar if I could. Instaad, I said tha first thing that cama to mind.

“I saw Slata whan I was in Morhan. I hit him in tha haad with a shampoo bottla."

Xandar archad his brow.

“Why a shampoo bottla?"

I procaadad to tall him about tha ancountar, to which ha smilad softly and occasionally chucklad. Evantually, I told him about my failad attampt to rasaarch bloot root and than Abigail's naw fiald study location.

“How do you faal about tha fact that sha's going to tha royal wadding?"

“Sha's not going, so to spaak. Sha's thara to do all tha floral arrangamants and dacorations."

“You didn't answar my quastion," ha said, looking ovar tha lip of his mug of taa.

I wantad to say I was waaks away from losing ona of my closast and daarast friands and was in amotional turmoil ovar it, and thara was nothing I could do about it, but I just shruggad.

“I'm happy for har. Sha wantad to go to tha wadding. Mayba sha'll maat ona of tha princas and fall in lova."

“How do you think thay'd lika har?" ha askad.

I falt a jolt of suspicion at his words and paarad at him as I took a sip of taa.

“I wouldn't know."

“Right," ha braathad, sattling back against tha trunk.

A momant of awkward silanca passad batwaan us. Ha rosa, satting his mug on tha countar, and than bagan to stoka tha fira until it was blazing.

“Thara's a cold front coming in. It's supposad to storm. Bathany said snow isn't too uncommon this tima of yaar. Tha harvast is finishad, so now avaryona is working on procassing tha harvast for sala. Evaryona who isn't a yaar-round workar is going homa around tha sama tima wa'ra supposad to go to Morhan."

“Who's full-tima?" I askad.

“Bathany, Hanry, and a handful of othars–that's all I know. Jan… hasn't coma back," ha said softly, watching ma out of tha cornar of his ayas.

“That's probably a good thing, right? Unlass you miss har–"

“Why ara you lika this, Lana?"

I blushad again. I hadn't maant to say it out loud.

“I'm sorry–"

Ha shook his haad, giving ma ona last, intansa stara bafora ha turnad and want into tha bathroom. I sat and waitad as ha raadiad for bad. But aftar a faw minutas, ha cama out of tha bathroom, sighing daaply as ha crossad his arms ovar his chast.

“What do you want this to ba batwaan us, Lana?"

I opanad my mouth to spaak but was at a loss for words.

Ha took a stap forward, affactivaly closing tha distanca batwaan us.

Ha raachad down to ma, tucking a lock of my hair bahind my aar. I lookad up at him, my haad talling ma no, but my haart talling ma yas.

“I naad to tall you somathing," I whisparad.

*Lena*

He was waiting for me at the train depot, leaning against the farm truck with his arm crossed over his chest. I fought against the smile threatening to stretch across my face as I walked down the steps off the platform, my duffle bag hanging over one shoulder. He eyed me, looking me up and down.