Page 57 of Where We Ended

“We didn’t get to talk much, but she tried to help me the first night I was there…she made me a little escape bag…but I wasn’t given the chance to use it.”

Laura placed her hand over Killian’s, gripping it firm as tears began welling in his eyes.

It was Wes who spoke up, ordering men around.

“Rune, get a team prepped, we’re heading back out immediately.”

Rune jumped up, along with the other members around the table, all but Wes, Jameson and Killian, and filed out of the room.

Laura waited until they were gone and cleared her throat and asked me, “Are you sure?”

I could understand her desire to protect the man she loved; she didn’t want to get his hopes up.

“I’m positive.” I glanced back over at Killian. “She has your eyes, mentioned you…said she only ever wanted you to be happy.”

Laura’s lip wobbled, her chin quivered and then she was out of her chair and throwing herself into Killian’s lap, whispering something in his ear. He buried his face in her neck as he held her to him, and he murmured something back.

It seemed the rest of us wanted to give them a moment of privacy, so we all stood and exited the room. Silas was at my back, his hand guiding me as we walked. Penelope came up next to me and wrapped her arm around mine.

“We need to catch up. Connor needs some more stuffed penises, care to teach me how to create those masterpieces?”

I broke into a laugh as Silas asked from behind me, “You knit stuffed penises?”

“Look what you’ve done, Pen, you started a rumor!” I joked, swatting her side.

She laughed into my shoulder. “They’re supposed to be squids according to her, but they don’t look it. Just think one day you two might have kids, and your entire nursery will look very phallic.”

I nearly started choking at Silas picturing a nursery full of squished penises, but more than that, us having a kid. We were married; it shouldn’t feel that insane to imagine, but it did.

The silence at my back was loud enough to make the swooping in my gut feel like a failed nose dive from a plane.

Silas would never want that…he had his club, and no doubt he’d be after Fable now that he was back, just like he had been all our lives.

Penelope flicked a glance over her shoulder, obviously catching on to the awkwardness of the moment. I didn’t look, but whatever she saw had her lips pursing and her grip going slack.

“Well, when you’re free, why don’t you come over to my house and you can see Connor. We’ll go to that pond you love so much in the back.”

“Sure, sounds good.” I squeezed her hand and she walked ahead of us, exiting the club while Silas led me to the stairs, and we headed back up to my room.

Once we were inside, I walked to the sink and started rooting around for cleaning supplies. It had only been days, but I just felt so weird and out of place…like I needed to reset. Silas walked past me, heading toward my bookshelf, where he picked up one of the small plush squids I had knitted.

I assumed maybe he’d comment on the way it looked like a penis like Pen had, but he cradled it like it was precious and then he gently set it back in place and moved on to one of my framed photos. It was of Penelope, Callie, Laura and me at The Hollow. It was after Laura had sung a full set, taking the entire night for herself. Her fans requested it, and we were all so proud of her.

“I’ve been in your room several times. I’ve looked through your things, and I’ve never noticed these things.” He turned toward me, looking lost. “Not with context.”

“And what does having context help with?”

“Knowing you.”

I laughed, dropping my chin to my chest. “Silas, you know me better than anyone.”

He was in front of me when I lifted my gaze again, his eyes softening as he reached forward and tugged one of my curls until it wrapped around his finger.

“I know the old you, Natty. I don’t know this version of who you are now. You wake up before anyone else, and bake for fun, you knit tiny creatures that resemble dicks, you have friends that would die for you…”

I stepped closer to him until my forehead pressed into his chin, and his hands came around my waist.

“I still catch frogs…I just do it in Pen’s fancy pond. Much to her dismay and annoyance.”

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