Under_The_Whispering_Door_by_TJ_Klune
That stunned him, especially when he remembered what Mei had told himabout physical affection. “Only you could make that sound like a threat.”She set the knives on the closest table before tapping her fingers againsther palm. There was a tiny pulse in the air around them, and then Mei was onhim. He almost fell over as she wrapped her arms around his back, holdingon tightly. He was stunned into inaction, but only for a moment. It was fragile,this, and Wallace couldn’t remember the last time someone had hugged him.He pulled his arms up carefully, hands going to the small of Mei’s back.“Squeeze harder,” she said into his neck. “I’m not going to break.”His eyes burned. He didn’t know why. But he did as she asked. Hesqueezed as hard as he could.When he opened his eyes, he found Hugo watching him, a strangeexpression on his face. They looked at each other for a long time.
CHAPTER12That night, Wallace followed the cable to find Hugo out back, leaning againstthe deck railing. It was cloudy, the stars hidden away. He paused in thedoorway, unsure of his welcome. An odd sense of guilt washed through him,though he didn’t allow it to grow any larger. It was worth it, seeing the smileon Mei’s face.Before he could turn back around and go inside, Hugo said, “Hello.”Wallace scratched the back of his neck. “Hello, Hugo.”“All right?”“I think so. Do you … want to be left alone? I don’t want to intrude oranything.”Hugo shook his head without turning around. “No, it’s okay. I don’t mind.”Wallace went to the railing, keeping a bit of distance between Hugo andhimself. He worried Hugo was angry with him, though he didn’t think Hugoshould be upset over something so trivial as using a Ouija board to scareaway a grifter. Still, it wasn’t his place to tell Hugo what he could or couldnot feel, especially since this was his shop. His home.Hugo said, “You’re thinking about apologizing, aren’t you?”Wallace sighed. “That obvious, huh?”“A little. Don’t.”“Don’t apologize?”Hugo nodded, glancing at him before looking out at the tea garden. “Youdid the right thing.”“I told a woman I was Satan and was going to cannibalize her diver.” Hegrimaced. “That’s not something I ever thought I’d say out loud.”“First time for everything,” Hugo said. “Can I ask you a question?”“Okay.”
- Page 109 and 110: “Obviously,” he said faintly.
- Page 111 and 112: that’s taboo.” She looked away.
- Page 113 and 114: “It’s like you, in a way,” sh
- Page 115 and 116: “Nope.”Wallace groaned. “Then
- Page 117 and 118: things. He had expensive clothes, a
- Page 119 and 120: Nelson grinned. “Fair.” He rubb
- Page 121 and 122: “It’s like that here,” Hugo s
- Page 123 and 124: “It was fast,” Hugo said, stari
- Page 125 and 126: Hugo seemed to let it go. “The Ma
- Page 127 and 128: “You can’t ever go to them,”
- Page 129 and 130: finding the truth within himself. W
- Page 131 and 132: And now here they were in the fifth
- Page 133 and 134: Her fault, he told himself as he sa
- Page 135 and 136: They all fell into a schedule of so
- Page 137 and 138: One of the other women said, “My
- Page 139 and 140: “Because he doesn’t want to,”
- Page 141 and 142: Wallace bit back a sharp retort whe
- Page 143 and 144: stumbled around, making promises to
- Page 145 and 146: Nelson laughed. “Refreshing. Frus
- Page 147 and 148: Hugo, for his part, didn’t look a
- Page 149 and 150: “I mean, there’s always a plea
- Page 151 and 152: came here looking more alive than s
- Page 153 and 154: Nothing.“All the time you—would
- Page 155 and 156: Desdemona gasped, pulling her hands
- Page 157 and 158: “A,” Desdemona said as the plan
- Page 159: followers, and I command you to—
- Page 163 and 164: “Then why didn’t you put a stop
- Page 165 and 166: “It’s not always like this,”
- Page 167 and 168: Wallace closed his eyes. Nancy was
- Page 169 and 170: “A guardian of the doors,” Hugo
- Page 171 and 172: “What does that mean?”“I can
- Page 173 and 174: green door at the end. He walked th
- Page 175 and 176: window looked out into a familiar k
- Page 177 and 178: CHAPTER13At the beginning of his tw
- Page 179 and 180: Hugo shrugged. It was infuriating.
- Page 181 and 182: everything I’m saying right now?
- Page 183 and 184: The tea shop was busy all day. Sinc
- Page 185 and 186: “What will it take?” Wallace as
- Page 187 and 188: Watch.”Wallace stood next to him
- Page 189 and 190: some … some let it become all the
- Page 191 and 192: “Obviously,” Nelson said. He re
- Page 193 and 194: Wallace bit back a retort. They wer
- Page 195 and 196: but my legs didn’t work. My arms
- Page 197 and 198: “Yes,” Hugo said.“I was murde
- Page 199 and 200: behind clouds. The tea plants looke
- Page 201 and 202: people like him.” He swallowed th
- Page 203 and 204: him and he waited, waited, waited f
- Page 205 and 206: CHAPTER15Alan tried to leave.He did
- Page 207 and 208: we’re all traveling on.”Alan sh
- Page 209 and 210: we can do it after—”“Oh, hey,
That stunned him, especially when he remembered what Mei had told him
about physical affection. “Only you could make that sound like a threat.”
She set the knives on the closest table before tapping her fingers against
her palm. There was a tiny pulse in the air around them, and then Mei was on
him. He almost fell over as she wrapped her arms around his back, holding
on tightly. He was stunned into inaction, but only for a moment. It was fragile,
this, and Wallace couldn’t remember the last time someone had hugged him.
He pulled his arms up carefully, hands going to the small of Mei’s back.
“Squeeze harder,” she said into his neck. “I’m not going to break.”
His eyes burned. He didn’t know why. But he did as she asked. He
squeezed as hard as he could.
When he opened his eyes, he found Hugo watching him, a strange
expression on his face. They looked at each other for a long time.
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