Dissever (Unbinding Fate Book One) (18 page)

He shook his head as she spoke and tipped her head
back to make her look up at him. “We’re not arguing, and things between us will
never
be that way again. It never should’ve been like that.”

Feeling tired and overwhelmed, she walked over and sat
down on the edge of her bed with her hands over her face.

He followed and stood in front of her, smoothing her
hair. “This doesn’t seem like our home anymore.”

Addy put her arms around his waist and pulled him
closer so she was resting her head on his stomach. “No, it doesn’t.”

She doubted the estate would ever feel like home
again. Almost every detail of her life there had been in some way or another
untrue. She was tempted to feel angry at Fate for keeping her and Jax apart,
but she kept reminding herself that he did what he had to do to keep them both
safe.

Gage’s fingers running through her hair made her
already tired body relax to the point where she was about to fall asleep
sitting there.

He started to pull away. “C’mon, you need to get to
sleep.”

Addy tightened her arms around him and pulled Gage
closer. “I’m sorry you were out looking for me.”

“You don’t have to apologize.” He kneeled down so they
were face to face. “Just don’t take off without telling anyone again.”

Gage stood her up and helped her into her bed. He
pulled the blanket up over her, disturbing Moose who gave him an irritated meow
before hopping off the bed.

“Get to sleep. I’ll see you in the morning.”

He started to leave but she reached up and hooked one
of his belt loops with her index finger. He was the only thing that felt
familiar with her life completely turned upside down—she didn’t want him to go.

“Addy, I can’t—” He hesitated, but she didn’t let go
and tugged him toward her.

Giving up, Gage pulled his shirt over his head and
kicked off his shoes. Moving in next to her, she scooted close and he slipped
his arms around her. She rested her head on his chest and closed her eyes.

Chapter 16

The thin curtains waved wildly from the warm breeze
that filled the room with sea-scented air. It was mid-morning and the sun was
shining brightly outside.

Opening her eyes, Addy froze when she remembered she
wasn’t alone. Assessing the situation, she noted she was lying on her side up
against Gage, who was on his back. Her head was on his shoulder and her arm was
across his chest, tucked under his shoulder. One of her legs was even looped
around his. He moved slightly and she could tell he was already awake.

 Addy braced herself and peeked up at Gage. “You’re
still here.”

He smiled down at her. “It was kind of hard to get out
of your iron grip.”

Addy bit her lip, realizing he was her hostage. She
started to move but he pulled her back, making her feel a little less like
she’d been holding him against his will.

Addy scooted up so her chin was resting on his
shoulder and he ran his fingers through her hair.

“I expected you to have princess or pony sheets on
your bed still.”

Addy buried her face in his shoulder and lifted the
blanket to show him the other side of it.

“You have a
reversible kitten comforter
on your
bed?” Grinning, he moved so he was on his side with his head on his elbow. “The
truth is out—you’re not a grown-up at all.”

“Shhh… don’t tell,” she said, giggling.

He set his head down on the pillow next to hers so
they were lying on their sides, face to face and his fingers traced the outline
of her neck. The light touch of his fingertips made her skin tingle and she
closed her eyes. He slid his arms around her and pulled her closer.

Addy’s mind was racing. There was no
possible
way
all the events of the past few weeks really added up to Gage in her bed. Twenty-four
hours earlier, she’d been plotting how to get into Jax’s house with Tanner. The
day was starting out way too smoothly, and she opened her eyes just to make
sure Gage was really there.

Feeling somewhat guilty about her perfect morning, she
figured she may as well get one thing checked off her to do list.

 She shifted her body and spoke quietly. “Gage?”

“Hmm?” His hand ran down her back, giving her chills.

She almost forgot what she wanted to say. “The day I
passed out after practice—we never really
talked
about it.”

He pulled her closer to him. “There’s not much to talk
about, it just happened,” he said, shifting his body to look at her. “I’m glad
it did.”

Addy laced her fingers through his and scooted against
him. “There’s something I need to tell you.”

He wrapped his arms around her tighter and began
tickling her ribs.

Squealing, she twisted and turned trying to squirm out
of his grasp, but it only seemed to make Gage more determined to hold her there.

“Seriously?” she asked, laughing after finally fighting
him off. She ended up straddling him with his hands pinned at his sides.

He looked a little too pleased with himself, which she
found annoying.

“Pay attention,” she said, trying to be serious, but
he was staring up at her with a mischievous smile.

His blue eyes stared up at her. “I let you win.”

“You never let
anyone
win.”

“Huh.” He lifted his eyebrows and looked her up and
down. “I guess I
was
the winner.”

Trying to hide her smile, she rolled her eyes and climbed
off him, flopping herself down on the bed so her feet were resting on the
headboard. Addy struggled to get her mind back on track. Gage was a huge
distraction.

“Jax told me Fate knew another Akori who could heal,”
she said, before he could derail her again.

He sat up and looked at her. “You told
Jax
I
healed you?”

Scooting over so her head was on his knee, she peered
up at him. “Of course I didn’t tell him.” She was a little hurt he would
automatically think that.

Starting at the beginning, she repeated what Jax told
her about the day her parents died, leaving out a few details like the part
about the group of Akori who called themselves Mesen being responsible for it.
He looked almost relieved when she was finished.

“So I’m not the only one who can heal then.”

She shrugged her shoulders. “Guess not.”

Addy climbed off the bed and caught her reflection in
the mirror. She suddenly felt naked wearing only a light pink lacy cami and
white boy shorts. She grabbed his t-shirt off the floor and slipped it on while
walking over to the patio door. Birds hopped around pecking at the grass and
Moose was at her feet going crazy over all the activity.

Gage stood up and stretched. “I probably should’ve
told Fate about the healing, but with his health, I didn’t want to put that on him
too.” He walked over and looked at the pictures stuck to her mirror. “Nice canoe
trip from hell pictures—remember how
cold
that water was?”

“It’s kind of hard to forget,” she said over her
shoulder. “If you and Mattie hadn’t kept
tipping the boat,
it wouldn’t
have been so bad.”

Fate and Josh took them on a canoe trip once when they
had a small stretch of mild weather where they were living. The boys kept
knocking them all into the water the entire day. That was the last time she set
foot on a boat with Gage or Matt.

“It was still fun,” Gage said as he studied the
pictures closely. “We all look so little.”

Addy leaned over, checking the clock. It was already
11am. “It’s pretty late. We should probably get to the house and see what’s
going on with the search,” Addy said. She was also thinking people might be
looking for them as she peeked at him, shirtless and headed in her direction.

Gage walked up behind her and put his fingers on her
hips. She tipped her head back and smiled up at him.

“I’m gonna go back to my room and shower,” he said,
sliding the screen open. He ran his hand down her arm and then stepped out onto
the patio.

Bags of new clothes and accessories were all piled on Addy’s
sofa. She dug through them, looking for a pink sundress she bought. She wanted
to wear it with the pink wedge sandals she’d picked up. She dried and
straightened her hair, which was still very long, but easier to do since it was
cut and layered.

Moose made sure she knew how starving he was by tripping
her every chance he got. She was sure to top off his still half-f bowl
before she left for the main house.

The garden was beginning to grow and small pink
flowers dotted some of the bushes. Catching her reflection in one of the windows,
she admired what a difference new clothes and a haircut could make. She didn’t
even look like the same person, which she figured went well with the changes to
her life.

Jax was outside of the library talking to two Akori
she didn’t recognize, and one she did.

“My gorgeous sister arrives, looking beautiful as
usual.” He gestured toward Addy.

Addy didn’t get why he had to be so dramatic—he knew
her for like
one
day.

“Good morning,” Addy said. “I’m Addison Sanders.” She
figured she’d better keep up the formalities.

“Pleased to meet you, I’m Sade LaCroft, and this is my
son Patrick.” She spoke in an extremely well mannered voice.

Addy noticed they were both wearing silver necklaces
and each had a charm in the shape of an Akori symbol with a gold
L
over
it. The design was similar to the ring Gage wore.

Jax looked at Addy. “Sade and Pat will be joining us
here at Tremain.”

“Wonderful,” Addy said with a little too much
enthusiasm. “I look forward to getting to know both of you.”

Mitchell West took her hand and kissed it. “It’s very
nice to see you again, Miss Sanders.”

That was something she’d never experienced before and
had no clue what the appropriate response was, so she just kept smiling. He was
the man who’d spoken up when Preston Worthington attempted to rattle her the
day she had tried to claim the stone. Her brother grew up with him.

“Will you be staying with us as well?” she asked him.

Mitchell glanced at the other three. “Unfortunately I
cannot.
My business requires that I travel.”

“Speaking of business, if you’ll excuse us, my sister
and I have family business to discuss.”

Mitchell lightly hugged Jax and said he’d see him
soon.

Jax ushered her into the library and closed the doors.

“Is Preston Worthington part of the Mesen?” Addy asked
as soon as the doors were closed.

Jax turned around, looking surprised. “What made you
ask that?”

“I met him and Mitchell the day I got the mark from
touching the Overseer’s Stone.”

“No, Preston’s not with the Mesen—he’s not really with
the Akori either. He says he is, but he’s completely self-serving, probably
worse than the Mesen.”

Addy leaned up against the table. “What about Mitchell,
how’s he related to Juliette?”

“Mitchell’s her father, and he’s like a father to me
too,” he said. “Their family’s been close with ours for generations. That’s why
Fate placed me with them.”

Addy frowned. “That’s just another thing you know more
about than I do.”

“They kept their distance once I went to live with
them, for obvious reasons.” Jax walked over and spun the globe near the
fireplace. “You look lovely in pink by the way.”

“Thanks,” she said, running her hands down her dress.
“Jax I’m sorry I talked to you like that in front of everyone last night.” She
wasn’t exactly
that
sorry about it because he was acting like an ass,
but she didn’t want any animosity between them.

Jax just smiled, pointing to the end of the table.

The Overseer’s Stone was back.

She shifted her eyes from the stone to her brother.
“You found it?”

“Whoever took it decided to return it last night.
Right after several Mesen tried to stop Juliette from getting to my house.”

 He explained that he never needed anything; he was
just testing the people in the library’s loyalty and trustworthiness by making
them think he could locate the stone.

“Once they thought I could track the stone down,
whoever took it brought it back.”

Addy was silent.

“One of the people we met with is either responsible
for stealing the stone, or knows who took it,” he said, crossing his arms. “Someone
here is working with the Mesen.”

She was stunned that he thought one of them would do
such a thing. “Those people are my
friends.
They would never—”

“Addison, yes, one of them did. We have spies within
the Mesen, it’s only logical that they’d do the same.” He placed a hand on each
of her shoulders forcing her to sit. She noticed he was still wearing the
bracelet he had on the day before. “Now we need to discuss each of them to
determine which one it is.”

“But you asked for the people I trusted the most.”

Jax told her whoever was working with the Mesen was someone
who had access to private information. That’s why he asked for the people she
trusted. They went through each person and she explained who they were and what
her relationship was to each of them.

“The human, Kim?” he asked.

Addy told him the story of how they met and became
friends. “She doesn’t have much interest in any of this.”

“What about her boyfriend, Matt?”

She explained how Josh, Renee, and Matt ended up living
at Tremain after their parents Scattered. “And Matt’s not Kim’s boyfriend, by
the way. They just spend a lot of time together.”

Jax gave her a knowing smile and nodded. “We covered
Molly, what about that brooding son of hers?”

Getting tired of defending all of her friends, Addy
answered in a resentful tone. “His
name
is Gage, and he’s completely
trustworthy. He was very close with Fate.” She explained Gage’s duties, and the
training Bernard had given him.