Chapter 230
Nima
"Guess it's going good?" I say, my voice light, but inside there's a twist I can't untangle.
Poppy is sitting beside me under the —our tree. Or at least it was mine before Daphne claimed it. Technically, I liked this spot long before she ever stretched herself lazily across its branches, but ever since then, the tree feels… hers. I half expect her to drop down right now, tail swishing, ears perked, and demand to know why I'm here with someone else.
But the branches stay empty.
I have to admit it to myself, though the thought makes my chest ache—I miss her.
Poppy doesn't answer my question at first. She's busy tilting her little handheld mirror, fixing the soft curl of her ears and tucking a strand of hair behind them. Her brown eyes catch the light, and she looks more nervous than she wants to admit.
"I don't know what you're talking about," she says primly, smoothing her skirts.
