章 17: Chapter 17: To Rubies Red

“Scarlet?” Rowan asked in his bed next to mine, some minutes after I thought he was already asleep.

“Yes?”

“Did I wake you?”

“No.”

“Good.” He rolled over to look at me. “When you said you liked me, what did you mean by that?” He didn’t seem worried or anxious the way a boy would when asking if his crush liked him. He seemed intensely curious.

“I meant exactly that. I like you.”

“Ah. I might’ve read into that. I apologize. Anyway, you said this was a bad thing. Why?”

He really liked me.

I focused on the question. “Because… It means I’m trusting you. And it frightens me.” It was true but this wasn’t the primary reason, and the omissive lie curdled in my gut. It came out so naturally. Trusting him put me in a predicament with the Ivory Court’s plans and seeing the people I cared about again.

A quick grin flicked the corner of his mouth. “I’m sorry it frightens you. But I’m glad you’re trusting me.”