The petite woman snapped her fingers in his face. “Don’t give me that. There’s a medical emergency in the orchards. We need you there, not acting like a child in the halls.”

Houston snapped to attention. “Yes, sir!” he said before sprinting down to his surgery.

Tina’s gaze softened as she looked at Elara. “Elara, dear. How are you settling in? Mr James has said you’re catching on very quickly.”

Elara beamed under the praise, while Romy inwardly gaped.

“Thank you, Miss Rogers. I find it all fascinating.”

Tina’s laugh tinkled. “Please, call me Tina.”

Seriously?

Pink with pride, Elara grabbed Romy’s hand to go. As though with great effort, Tina turned her fierce green gaze to Romy.

“Yes, Rosemary. Run along to the archives now.”

Romy sarcastically mimicked Houston’s salute. “At once, Miss Rogers.” She wasn’t quite brave enough to call the woman “sir”.

Tina’s eyes narrowed at the motion and Romy’s insides shuddered a little. Trust her snarkiness to decide to show up at the worst time.

Elara squeezed Romy’s hand. She broke away from Tina’s perusal.

“Just try not to make any innocent children cry.”

Romy ground her teeth as she strode away, hand in hand with her knot mate.

They pair got outside into the fresh air. Fresh was not entirely accurate; it was muggy, similar to the weather before the storm on the beach. Romy hoped there wouldn’t be a repeat of the three-day onslaught of rain.

“So, Tina doesn’t like you very much,” Elara started.

Romy looked back. “Yeah. Can’t say I feel any differently.”

“Because of Atlas?”

Romy turned to stare at her friend.

Elara winked. “He's always staring at you.”

It was Romy’s turn to go pink. “No. I don’t think that’s why.”

But Elara continued. “Well, Tristan, one of the sentries, said Atlas and her get it on.”

She felt her eyes widen in response. “Reproduce?”

Elara snorted. “Well, kinda. But without the kid. But yeah, they sleep together.”

Sleep together. Present tense. Romy felt like she’d been punched in the stomach. She swallowed her reaction with difficulty. Elara continued on, oblivious to the injury she’d dealt her friend.

“I mean, she’s welcome to him, right? He’s scary.”

Romy echoed her empty agreement.

* * *

At some level Romy had known there was history there. Why else did Tina touch Atlas so much? But it hurt that she was so attracted to Atlas, only to find out he liked someone else.

She found herself overanalysing the kiss on the cheek. Did he take a breath because he was shocked? Or worse, did he see her advances as childlike? He didn’t look all that much older than Romy, though he was always so confident and self-assured. Did he view her as someone too young to be attracted to?