Free Halfling (Black Petals Book 1) by Tarisa Marie Page A

five weeks straight together. I think that’s more than enough time to decide if you like someone as more than a friend. Of course, I don’t think it’s enough time to fall in love with someone, but I think it’s enough time to decide whether or not you want to see someone. See someone as in date someone.” Suddenly he looks deep in thought. He takes a deep breath and then continues. Have I hurt his feelings by blaming the kiss on something other than true feelings? “I really like you, Megan, I do, don’t get me wrong. It’s just that, you’ve been really open and straight forward with me, and I haven’t been the same with you. In fact, you know next to nothing about me.”
    “I know that you love pizza, you’re a doctor, your uncle sells houses, you love watching TV, and you recently moved here…” I list off. He knows next to everything about me. I’ve spent hours and hours telling him about me and my life, but it was always one way. He’s right, I hardly know anything about him. Anytime I try to get something out of him, he changes the subject.
    “Yeah, and that’s all you know about me basically. Thing is, you ask about me all the time, and I find a way to evade your questions, because I can’t answer them truthfully without putting you in danger,” he mutters. Then he digs into his pocket. He pulls out something silver and green. It’s my father’s ring.
    I gape. Where the hell did he get that?
    “It’s not your father’s. It’s mine ,” he explains to my confusion. He turns the ring, so I can read what is scrolled on the interior. In the same font as my father’s ring, ‘Crispen Ranchiller’ is written on this piece of jewelry. Crispen told me once that his last name was Desmond. Ranchiller is the last name of the guy on the inside of my father’s ring. Are they related or something?
    It doesn’t take long for my mind to throw together the pieces. This gang or whatever my father was somehow involved with, Crispen must also be involved in. Those guys that kidnapped me, he must be one of them or wanted by them. What if Crispen is the guy who they sent to kill me? If so, why hasn’t he yet?
    He watches me carefully and takes a step back, letting me breathe. I’m tempted to throw the door in his face, but I don’t. Obviously he’s come here to explain something, and quite frankly, I’m desperate for answers.
    “I have to be careful with what I tell you because too much information can be dangerous for you, but I hate lying to you. First of all, Megan, it’s not a gang. It’s a…. family business so to speak,” he offers, still watching me intently. “It is for this reason, this ring and this business that we cannot be more than friends. I’ve done some research on your father and this Darius Ranchiller . Darius was a distant cousin of mine sort of. Your father killed him. Your father made it his duty to kill anyone wearing a ring like this one here. He collected the rings afterwards as some sort of trophy. He must’ve forgotten to take my cousins when he ran from you and your mother.”
    I have to physically refrain from letting my jaw drop. He can’t be serious. How would he find out this information anyway?
    “You expect me to believe this?” my mouth speaks without consulting my brain.
    “Believe whatever you want, but I assure you that this is the truth,” he attempts with a soft, cautious smile. “I mean it’s as truthful information as I can give you without putting you in danger. What I’m saying, Megan, is that we can’t be more than friends, because our families have hated each other for a very long time. You and I were born to be enemies. You and I even being friends is a pretty far stretch, but I like you. I like you an awful lot,” he sums up quickly. “I want to be friends with you, even if it’s wrong.”
    How is it wrong? If what he says is true, then our families are enemies, and that doesn’t mean that we have to be. I look at him dubiously. Am I