Page 9 of Exile and Embrace

I hug Zoe back, squeezing her tight. “Don’t know. I was only there long enough to tell her that I was done with her before taking off.”

We pull apart slightly, so I can look into her eyes. “I’m moving up the Oregon timeline, though. I need to get out of this state. My last day at work is supposed to be in two days. I think I’m going to leave shortly after that.”

“This feels like you’re running away.” Zoe takes a step back and holds me at arm’s length. “That doesn’t feel like you, Aves.”

“I’m not running away. You know that I want to find out who Dad really was. I just need to get out of here for a while. Tennessee hasn’t felt like home in a long time, and to be honest, apart from you, there isn’t much holding me here.”

“That’s on Mom.” Zoe loops her arm through mine and guides me over to the stairs, forcing me to sit beside her as we look up at the stars. “You’re the best part of our family, Aves.”

“You are my family, Zoe. But I need to find out who I am now. Without the dysfunctional family. I’ve spent so long rebelling against Mom and Dad that I don’t know if that person is who I am, or if she’s someone else I invited to keep myself safe.”

“I get it.” Zoe leans her head on my shoulder. “I’m just going to miss you. Promise to call me whenever you can. I don’t know how I’m going to survive without my big sister.”

“You’ll do just fine, just like you always have. Besides, you have Christian now too. We both know that man would light the world on fire for you.”

“Maybe when you’re out in Oregon you’ll find that for yourself.”

Or maybe I’ll be tied to the brother of a man I can’t stand who may have the connections I might need.

For the last two days, all I’ve been thinking about is heading to Oregon with Finn. I go back and forth on it in my head every night.

On one hand, I don’t want to be tied to Finn and his family again. I already broke away from that, and I have no intentions of going back.

On the other hand, if I need connections to find out how deep my father was in with all his problems, I have that connection with Finn.

I could ask Christian, but I don’t know if he would be honest with me.

Zoe is holding things back when it comes to our father, I know she is, and if she tells him to keep his mouth shut, then that’s what he’s going to do.

As I sit in the infirmary, waiting for the guards to bring Finn up for his pre-release exam, my heart pounds against my chest.

My hands shake as I pull out the forms I need to complete and attach them to the clipboard.

Everything is going to be fine. I’m going to tell him that I’ll go along with his crazy plan and then I’m going to pretend that I’m not going to regret it.

Unless I’m making the wrong choice, and it takes me back to a life I hate.

But at least I have a choice, unlike my sister. So, this is it.

I take a deep breath as the door to the infirmary swings open.

Finn comes in and takes a seat in the hard plastic chair on the other side of my desk. His hands are cuffed together in front of him, and he pushes the metal out of the way as much as he can to rub the red rings around his wrists.

“Take the cuffs off.” I nod to the metal around his wrists. “I need to be able to do the exam without him confined.”

“One cuff,” the guard says as he leans down and unlocks one cuff. He takes the empty cuff and closes it around the leg of my desk. “I’ll be right outside, Byrne. Make sure that you don’t give the nice nurse a problem.”

I scowl.

The patronizing is nothing new. Most of the guards here seem to be on a power trip.

Normally, I would stand up for myself, but right now I need the guard to leave so I can speak to Finn without anyone listening to our conversation.

The guard gives me what I’m sure he thinks is a charming smile before heading for the door.

As soon as it closes behind him, I turn my attention to Finn, glancing toward the door every now and then.

“You’re going to be doing my exam?” Finn asks, smirking as he leans back. “If you wanted to see me naked, all you had to do was pretend to be my fiancée.”

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