Connected (Twists of Fate #1) by Jolyn Palliata Page A

details.” And then he hung up.
    Addison yanked the phone from her ear and stared at it a minute before hanging up. “Jerk.” She flopped back on the bed and rubbed at her eyes. “Why does he have to see me in person for this?”
    He wants to look you in the eye, Rhys murmured absently, his thoughts spiraling in a distant direction.
    ”And why’s that?”
    Xavier’s got a foolproof bullshit detector, but he has to stare your ass down to do its magic.
    “Come on,” she groaned. “Seriously?”
    Hey. The guy’s never wrong. He can spot a lie from fucking Albuquerque. He claims everyone’s got a tell.
    “Great. So what if he reads my nerves as a tell and thinks I’m lying?” Doesn’t work that way. Look, don’t worry about it. You’re not lying so just put it out of your head, okay? In the meantime, let me tell you about this brother of mine.

    *****
    Addison sat in the stiff, vinyl chair at the gate, one hand discretely pressed to her belly as she tried not to look as sick as she felt. The nausea roiled inside her like a gathering storm, building and stacking until she was sure she was going to lose it.

    She whimpered a groan behind her clenched fist. Rhys, you’ve got to knock it off, buddy.
    You’re making me sick.
    You try dying in a fucking plane crash and see how comfortable you are getting back on one.
    Though his logic was flawed, she knew what he meant. Hell, she felt it. There was nothing she could do for him though. Her best recourse was to block as much of her surroundings from him as possible. As far as she knew, he wasn’t even aware of just how close they were to getting on that plane. But he knew it was inevitable.
    Another wave of anxiety slammed through her and all she wanted to do in return was find a nice, quiet corner and curl up in the fetal position.
    Oh God, how was she going to get to Chicago like this?
    Rhys must have known he let the most recent surge of emotion slip free, and was quick to mumble an apology before concentrating harder to hold the link closed. Addison could feel his focus as he tried to protect her from his mental state, but the tension behind their barrier made it clear how much he suffered.
    As her flight was called for boarding, she did the only thing she could: blocked her thoughts and what she could hear as she lurched her way onto the plane. Settling into her seat, she closed her eyes and wished she could reach out to him—to soothe his nerves in some way, to assure him everything would be fine—but she had no clue as how to go about it.
    You’re blocking me again, Rhys said in a muted tone. You do that more often now.
    It dawned on her that he wasn’t just talking about right then and there. He was talking about since they…well…sort of made love.
    There’s so much more to block now, she retorted, a bit more defensively than she had intended.
    Her response could’ve meant she now had to filter out what she was hearing on top of the usual emotions and thoughts, but she knew he’d catch the underlying meaning. She had been careful to block all thoughts she’d had about their night together. And there had been a lot to block. It was too risky to expose what she was feeling. It made her too vulnerable.
    Besides, she huffed, feeling more than a little agitated, you’ve been blocking me too.
    Rhys’ nerves shifted into apprehension. You’re thinking about our night together, aren’t you? The question was probing, gentle, not snide or accusatory.

    Resigned, she figured the truth couldn’t hurt. Much. Yeah.
    I want you to… Will you let me hear you, Addison? I want to know what you’re…feeling.
    The admission was awkward at best, showing how much he was reaching out to her. But it did nothing to assuage her fears. I don’t even understand what I’m feeling yet.
    Are you afraid to show me?
    Rhys—
    Close your eyes, sweetheart.
    Why? Her eyes narrowed and she stared out the window next to her while the plane took off.
    Just do it, he barked,