Page 140 of Hate Me

“How come?”

“A couple of days ago after you dealt with Jett, you mentioned wanting to visit your mom’s grave.”

My breath caught in my throat. “And you wanted me to decompress from that op first and all the intensity that came along with it.”

“And you have.” He took my free hand in his. “If you’d still like to go, we can leave in a few moments. Bastian is on his way home from his support group and Caleb has just finished up a project he was working on for the last couple of days.”

“I’d love to.”

He smiled and gave my hand a squeeze, leading me inside.

As we walked into the kitchen, he tensed a little.

“What is it?” I asked.

“So attuned to us now, aren’t you, love?”

“Just like the three of you are with me.”

He looked at me adoringly, then that tension was back, as he told me, “You’ll need to prepare yourself. Your house… it’s in ruins, Skylar. Initially, I considered rebuilding it should you ever return so you wouldn’t have to see it in that state, but ultimately I decided against it, not wanting to do so without your agreement.”

The fact he’d actually thought to do that was unbelievably touching and so incredible.

“I’m prepared,” I assured him. I put my sketchbook and pencil down on the kitchen island, then wrapped my arms around his waist. “Thank you. So much, Caspian.”

He held me to him and rested his head on mine. “Of course, love, whatever you need, we’re here for you.”

“I know. I know you are,” I breathed against him.

Maria Bennett.

Beloved Wife and Mother.

I knelt in the grass in front of the white marble gravestone.

An intricately designed rockery encompassed it, fresh white lilies—her favorite flowers—in crystal vases positioned every few feet.

I smiled, knowing it was the work of Caspian. He’d not only made it so beautiful, he’d also had it taken care of so well.

Even when I’d seemed lost to them forever. He’d still gone out of his way for me.

I looked over my shoulder at the three of them standing a few feet away watching me and being here for me, while also giving me some space to be with my mom.

I tried to ignore the sight of my former family home behind them—or what little was left of it. Caspian really hadn’t been exaggerating when he’d said it was in ruins. In fact, he’d been very literal about it.

And it hadn’t just been the bricks and mortar of the family home that had been decimated that day. It had been my actual family too.

Losing my mom. Then losing my dad in a whole other way.

I focused on them. On my men. My found family.

They made that easy to do with Caspian smiling out at me, Caleb giving me an encouraging thumbs-up, and Bastian blowing me a kiss.

I sucked in a breath, then turned back to my mom’s grave.

“I’m sorry it took me so long to come here,” I spoke softly. “I’m even more sorry that I couldn’t come to your funeral to say a proper goodbye.” I shoved a hand through my hair. “Honestly, I don’t think I’ll ever really be able to say goodbye to you, Mom. I don’t want to. I want to feel you here with me, even when you can’t be physically.” Emotion started to choke me as I voiced what I’d been keeping to myself all this time. “I got him. The one who did this to you. He’s gone. It’s over. Finally over. I just… I just wish I’d managed it before that night, before it had come to this. Losing you, losing so much almost broke me, but I’m getting better.” I stroked her headstone. “And I’m going to get back on track with school and everything. Make you proud.”

Some of our last words we’d spoken where we’d finally been on the same page rolled through me.

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