Her First Mistake

Chapter Fifty-One: Smart TVs Can Do a Google

    Tate glanced towards the window and suddenly smiled. "It's snowing."

    "Is it really?" Sure enough, light flakes fell through the sky and spiraled towards the ground.

    "I couldn't smell it coming, because it was downwind when we were outside," he mused. "But it looks like it might snow pretty good. I didn't think it snowed that much in September."

   "Pretty sure that TV is a smart TV," I remarked. "You can Google it."

   He shrugged. "No need. Maybe it'll stick." 

   I wrung out the last of my hair and set down the brush, yawning. Tate unmuted the TV as I wandered back into the bathroom to change into the pajamas. I spent the next half hour braiding my hair back out of my face. He glanced my way. "So, what are you going to do while you wait?"

   "Sleep." I flopped back onto the mattress. "I haven't slept in a bed without threat of crythals or Alexie in five months. I haven't actually gone to sleep in days, either."

   Tate flicked off the TV. I waved a hand lazily at the curtains and dragged them closed from a distance. The light turned off as I pulled back the covers. It was maybe eight in the morning, but I'd been awake for too long. Burying myself into the cool sheets, I blew out a breath and immediately felt myself start to fall asleep.

   Maybe a few hours later, my ears picked up on a rustling. My mind woke up automatically. Gritting my teeth, I rolled over. Having been in the stupid Ghost Realm had tuned my ears to listen for anything that signaled danger. The lightest sound woke me up, now. I'd been a hell of a deep sleeper until then. Stupid, stupid Ghost Realm.

   The rustle quieted. I cracked an eye open tiredly to see that Tate was awake. He was lying on his back and looking up at the ceiling. He looked far from tired.

   A small breath blew out of his lips. "Go back to sleep, Rox. Sorry for waking you."

   Bah. He heard me wake up. Damn shifter hearing. I detected something in his tone. My hand rubbed my eye. "What's the matter? I'm amazed you're awake."

   "Nothing you need to worry about."

   "Well, it's obviously worrying you." I stretched my legs and nestled my head further into the pillow, still half-asleep. "So spill."

    Tate's fingers twitched from where they rested. "I just . . . I just haven't been on a proper bed in so long. I slept on a cot for two years, and then a tree branch for months. It doesn't feel right to be on a bed."

   My eyebrows pinched a bit. "Doesn't it feel relieving, though?"

   "Not enough for me to relax," he muttered. "Every sound in the building keeps me awake. Housekeepers, guests, facilities, appliances, and even when the front door opens."

   Oh . . . I hadn't considered that before. If the slightest rustle woke me up, I couldn't imagine everything that was keeping Tate awake. His hearing was a hundred times better than mine. He had to be miserable. I made a decision to stay awake for the time being and rolled onto my side better, lifting my head onto my hand. "What's it like, having that kind of hearing?"

   Tate glanced my way and saw how I was wide awake. "Well, it can be really useful. I know when someone is lying, sneaking up on me, and I can determine a lot about how they're feeling by the sounds their body makes. But at the same time, I never have silence. There's always something. It can be a cricket in a forest a mile away, but I'll still hear it. It's not easy."

   "Would you ever willingly give that away?"

   His head shifted slightly. After a moment, he said thoughtfully, "No."