The normal look of timidity he’d worn around me lately had vanished, replaced by something stern and concerned—something that wouldn’t rest until he knew I was okay. He was no longer the shy author who feared looking at me and always gave me a wide berth. He was once again the man I’d dated, the man who’d always been able to read my moods and step up to help.

“Georgina, please. Please tell me what happened.”

It looked as though my tears were going to stay away, and now that I was indoors, in familiar territory, I allowed myself to feel a little braver. “Why are you being so nice to me again?”

He frowned. “Why wouldn’t I be nice to you?”

“Because . . . because . . . I wasn’t very nice to you the last time we talked. Even after you gave me the book.”

He made a noise in his throat, almost like a laugh, but not quite. “You weren’t yourself, not after all those drinks. It’s fine.”

“I don’t know,” I said contrarily, “maybe I was myself.”

He shook his head. “It wouldn’t matter. Now tell me, what happened out there?”

The warmth in his voice, the concern . . . it was tearing me apart. There was something so familiar and safe about him that I longed for right now, and I couldn’t evade him.

“It’s . . . complicated,” I said at last.

“Immortal intrigue?”

I nodded, feeling tears well in my eyes again. Fuck. I think half of my emotion now was from the way he was looking at me and had nothing to do with the rest of my life’s madness. I stood up and looked away, hoping he wouldn’t see my face, but it was no use.

“Georgina, what’s happened? You’re scaring me.”

I dared a glance back. “You . . . you wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

His face was still filled with worry, but the hint of a smile turned up the edges of his lips. “Can you seriously believe that after half the stuff I’ve seen you go through? Try me.”

“Fair enough,” I admitted. “But I don’t want to get you involved.”

“I want to help,” he said, moving closer. His voice was like velvet, wrapping me up in softness and security. “Please. Tell me what’s going on.”

I wanted to tell him there was nothing he could do, but suddenly, words spilled from my lips.

“Jerome got summoned—which means he’s trapped somewhere and—”

“Whoa, wait. Summoned? Like in Dr. Faustus?”