Free Pink Princess Fairytini (Fairy Files #2) by Katharine Sadler Page B

“I’ve got to take this.”
    He left and Vin went with him, walking him out and heading home to get some sleep before she had to face Missella in the morning. “I should get to the restaurant,” I said, feeling a bit not myself after Harvey’s obvious insecurity about my fae nature. It wasn’t as though I’d expected him to be excited about the news, but it would have been nice if he’d been just the tiniest bit supportive.
    Frost nodded, lost in thought. “He’s a tough guy, Chloe. Don’t take his attitude too personally. With everything we just laid on him, most humans would be freaking out, but he stayed and agreed to help. He’ll be there for you when it counts.”
    I considered kicking Frost in the balls for butting into my relationship with Harvey and for seeing my insecurity, but I wanted to hear his opinion more than I wanted to hurt him. Just one more reason romance was bad, it made me needy and vulnerable. “What does that even mean, Frost? He’s a tough guy so he can’t look at me when I tell him I’m a fairy princess?” Yeah, I guess I was more pissed at Harvey than I realized, but I liked being pissed at Frost even more.
    “He’s a tough guy. He doesn’t like anything, any problem, he can’t punch or shoot his way out of, but he cares about you and what you told him changes how he sees you. It changes what he thought he knew about you and that probably makes him uncomfortable. Don’t you think?”
    I nodded.
    “Right. He doesn’t like it that the woman he’s been pursuing for however many years has huge secrets, but he can’t cry about it or talk about his feelings, and he can’t punch you or kick you, so he has to withdraw for a little while, maybe go punch or kick someone else. Then, he’ll come back to you and he’ll be supportive the way you need, though it may not be all hearts and flowers the way you want.”
    “Since when did you become an expert on men’s psychology?” I was hurt by Harvey’s withdrawal and annoyed at Frost for being so rational and making so much sense, and I couldn’t see the logic of what he was saying. I didn’t want to. “And I don’t need hearts and flowers. I’m not that kind of girl.”
    Frost smirked and I took three steps back from him, so I wouldn’t slap him. “I’m a tough guy myself, princess, so I know what he’s feeling. And you need hearts and flowers more than any other girl I’ve ever known. You deserve an outpouring of love so heavy and deep you feel like you’re drowning, to make up for all the love you didn’t get from your waste of a mother.”
    I took another two steps from him, but I was trembling with fury, and with some other emotion that I refused to consider. How dare he? He didn’t know me, and I didn’t need his pity for my past. I’d had a fine childhood, I’d never been abused or mistreated. “I’ll see you in the morning,” I said. “Meet at the portal?”
    He nodded and walked back to his desk. I turned and walked past the three empty desks in the main room, trying to pretend I didn’t hear his parting shot. “I don’t know why I waste my breath.”
    I could have used that as an excuse to go back and take my anger and hurt out on him, but I just wanted to get as far from him as I could.

 
     
     
CHAPTER SIX
     
     
    I’ve got nothing against people who believe in true love, any more than I’ve got a beef with people who believe in zombies or unicorns. Just keep your beliefs out of my life . –Chloe Frangipani
     
    There is nothing worse than loving someone who can’t love you back . –Althea Frangipani
     
     
    I arrived at Ephemeral in such a daze from my heated exchange with Frost that I didn’t even notice something was wrong until I tried the door. It was locked. It shouldn’t have been locked. The doorway shouldn’t have been dark. There should have been a steady stream of patrons heading in and out of my club. I unlocked the door and went inside to find the place empty and silent.