Chapter Sixteen
“I am sorry,” Yehfe said. “I did not mean to startle you.”
“No, no.” Her voice stammered. “I came in without permission, I’m sorry.”
Yehfe hated the tremor in her voice. He hated that she looked away from him. He ached in his soul to watch her shoulders hunch in rejection.
“It’s just…” Beulah stopped and then started again. “It’s crazy, but I felt like you needed me. I felt like you wanted me here. That’s why I came.”
Yehfe held his breath. He felt that if he even blinked she would know the truth; that he ached to touch her. That it was more than for the health of his brother. It was for his very livelihood.
The silence stretched between them. Beulah’s smile wavered even more. Her eyes sank down to the floor. And still, he couldn’t move. If he did, he knew he would sw
