Tethered Souls | Books 1, 2, and 3

25 | Protector

━━━─── • ───━━━

• Luna •

After connecting to Amir, Luna was puzzled by the words that came from his mouth. She couldn't have heard that, right? That he loved her? He'd never said anything before, but in her mind, she had questioned it. There were little hints she had picked up on, and how he'd say certain things to her that came off as flirtatious. 

Amir expressing that he'd fallen in love with her was something she'd never imagined hearing from his lips. He'd always been guarded and strict with whom he allowed into his life, so this unveiling of his true emotions for her had taken her for a surprise.

She wasn't quite ready to move forward with anyone after Chase. But she knew she would give Amir a chance. The timing of this was too chaotic for her, and she needed to adjust to her new living environment, a place she won't be able to leave for a long time. 

Strolling back to the table with Cami, Luna smiled at her as she remembered what she said before taking off to the restroom.

Her heart pounded for two reasons: Cami's admission to being a Tethered Soul, and the agony she sensed from Amir.

When Cami revealed to her who she was, she was curious about her. Luna didn't tell her she was a tethered soul, but maybe Cami sensed her aura like others can. 

"I thought I was in the mood for spaghetti, but I guess I wasn't," Cami said, staring down at her plate.

"It doesn't look bad."

"Oh, it's not. I guess it's because I saw some of the others with meatloaf and pizza on their plates." She stuck her fork into her salad and swallowed a bite. "The food is good. That's one of the best things about being here."

"Oh." Luna gave her a soft smile, gazing in her direction. "So, how did you know I was a tethered soul?"

"Because I saw a guy with brown skin following you earlier. I knew he wasn't admitted here. The guards weren't worried about him. Is he who you're paired with?"

"Oh. That's Faisal. He's the cousin of the man I'm tethered to. His name is Amir. They dislike I'm here and planning to get this place shut down."

"For real?"

Luna nodded. "Chase admitted me in here, probably because he knew I was going to split with him as soon as we got home on Memorial Day."

"Oh."

"He took advantage of me in my studio's bathroom and assaulted me. I pushed him back and resisted."

"Good for you, but it sucks that he did this to you. He sounds like a real asshole," Cami said, laying her fork down.

"I wish I knew that before all of this happened. I should've just grabbed my daughter and taken the first flight to London. Everything would have been fine then."

Cami pushed her plate to the side after finishing her salad and then looked back at Luna. "London isn't so bad. I've been there."

"I love the city, especially when I can see my mom." Luna guzzled her carton of milk and asked Cami another question. "Where is your companion from?"

"He is from New Zealand. His name is Darren, and he's married to his wife, Sue. He's in his early fifties and a father of two sons, who are in their early twenties. We met on the beach."

"The beach?"

"It happened eight years ago, two days after my twentieth birthday. I was vacationing in Miami. It was evening as I strolled along a beach and somehow ended up in New Zealand. I saw a sign pointing toward a public restroom. So I rushed in there. When I looked into the mirror, I saw a man I'd never seen before. I brought my hand up to the glass and realized we were the same person. When I turned around, I was back in Miami and ran straight to my car."