Crush: a fated mates paranormal romance (Elemental Warriors Book 3) by Joanna Morgan & Mystic Owl

Author:Joanna Morgan & Mystic Owl [Morgan, Joanna & Owl, Mystic]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781648984204
Publisher: City Owl Press: Mystic Owl
Published: 2023-10-18T16:00:00+00:00

16

Jade listened to Micah’s story, her heart breaking for him. He’d lost so much, so many people. It was no wonder, really, that he’d withdrawn so far inside himself. Pain and guilt could make a person do that.

And he’d never learned to get past it.

She’d thought she learned from the sting of her ex’s betrayal…Don’t trust men and don’t trust mining partners. Don’t trust anyone with what was important to her, what could hurt her. But maybe she was wrong, perhaps that wasn’t what she was supposed to learn.

Thinking about it without all the high emotions blinding her, it was a little bit clearer that she’d been pushing Tony away well before he’d left her. He didn’t understand her grief over losing her father, the relentless grief and sorrow from losing her mother in phases. He still had both of his parents, and she’d lost both of hers. He’d repeatedly said he didn’t know what to do for her, even asked her how he could help, at first. But she’d shut him out. Not intentionally, but she’d resented that he didn’t understand her pain, and why she couldn’t just move on.

Maybe it was because she was supposed to share the pain. Maybe if she had, things would have turned out differently.

But then again, perhaps not with Tony. There’d been more issues between them than just those.

She’d shared her pain with Micah, and he’d shared his with her. They were inexorably bound together by firelight, and the pain of losing loved ones.

Micah had loved that boy, those people. She saw it on his face, heard it in his words. And as bad as losing her parents was—and would be—it was still a few degrees of agony off losing an entire family, an entire community in a natural disaster. And then to have no emotional support? For how long?

She studied his unsmiling, thoughtful face again. How many years had Micah been mourning alone?

A long time. Too long.

Jade scooted closer until their sides were touching and picked up his large hand in both of hers. Neither spoke, but she stroked her thumb across his hand as they both stared into the fire. She didn't want to leave his side, for his sake and for hers, the two of them raw and bereft.

But at least neither of them were alone, now.

She sat there in silence, trying to transmit healing and comfort through their hands to him. And taking a little bit for herself.

Micah singing to her had been a balm, shopping a welcome distraction. Listening to Micah’s pain had put hers into better perspective, but her visit with her mom still hurt. The kind of wound that would sting for years to come.

And it would only get worse, wouldn’t it?

It was a sign of the disease progressing. And the guilt she had for leaving, for just walking out the door without telling her mother goodbye. Even if her mom didn’t remember it, it was a sign of Jade pulling away.

She’d been bracing for this for at least a year now, for the moment she realized she’d really and truly lost her mother.

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