Page 142 of Reluctantly You

But honestly, what more could go wrong?

I pull out my phone and call Magnus. The one person who I can trust to support me, who knows exactly where I am, who has been my rock through all of this.

I don’t deserve him.

“Hey,” he says softly, a door shutting and the sound of kids screaming fades slightly. “You okay?”

“Yeah. No. Just…not sure.”

“You there yet?”

“Yeah, outside his house. Just…what if he doesn’t want to see me? What if he doesn’t want me?” My voice breaks, and I hear Magnus sigh.

“There’s no way. I don’t know who this guy is, but he has to want you, Mitch. He has to.”

I hold my breath, unsure what to do, what to say. I have no words.

“Want me to come out? Sem will watch the kids.”

“No, I can…I need to do this alone. I need to face this.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah. I have to do this alone…well, with Little Pants.”

I stare down at the little orange fluff ball and stroke her tenderly. She’s been a champ this entire time. Only fussed once when she was unsure where we were going, but as the hours dragged on, she slipped into my lap and purred as I drove down the highway.

It calmed me.

If all else fails, I still have her.

Right?

I stare at the well-kept house at the end of the street, the yard abutting a field and shake my head.

“I just needed to hear your voice.”

“Well, I’m here. To talk, whatever you need. And if all else fails, you can come back home. You can stop by our place and meet the kids.”

I let out a small laugh. “And Sem?”

“He’s come to terms with it. I promise.”

I don’t believe that, but at the same time, maybe I deserve a few more black eyes to make up for the shit I put my youngest brother through.

“Fuck, Magnus. I’m so fucking sorry.”

“I know.”

I let out a shuddering breath and turn my gaze forward once more.

“I’ll let you know what I decide.”

“Good, and call me as soon as you meet him or if you decide to leave and come straight here.”

I close my eyes and nod.

Magnus is silent a moment and then I hear him sigh. “Just so you know, Gideon’s called. Several times. I haven’t told him where you are.”

---