Page 70 of Forgiving Fate

Nodding, I climb off of him and back into my chair. I know I should feel awkward that I just sat in the lap of my only friend at the moment for who knows how long, but I don’t. I needed that and I know for certain, if I didn’t get it, my mind would be in a place that is far darker than I wish to be.

A few minutes later, Landon comes inside, his beanie covered in snow and his arms filled with wood. His nose is red, and he is shivering.

“Hey, there is this thing called a jacket. Maybe you should try one?” I say, trying to lighten the mood in the room.

“Yeah yeah, Miss southern belle. This is nothing but a little snow.”

Rolling my eyes, I watch as he gets the fire going again and places a stack of logs in a rack next to the fireplace.

After dusting himself off, he turns to me. I notice his hands shaking and I think he catches me looking because he shoves his hands in his pocket. “I’m gonna get going if you are okay. Doc said you should be okay from now on. I don’t want to overwhelm you by sticking around, plus I need to get home and.. uh—check on the house. If you need anything, just call me and I’ll come back. There’s enough wood to get you to the morning. I’ll come back and check on things before I head out of town.”

Head out of town? I wrack my brain and try to remember if he mentioned needing to go on a mission and cannot, for the life of me, remember him saying anything.

“Okay. When do you leave?”

“I was supposed to leave last night but the storm and I wanted to be here with you, so I am leaving tomorrow morning after I check on you.”

Nodding, I feel an odd sense of disappointment that he is leaving and could be gone for a few days. The idea of being alone again after just feeling that overwhelming sense of safety hits me hard and I turn my head so he doesn’t get the idea that something is wrong.

But of course, he did, and he says, “Al? I’m sorry. I want to stay. I promise you I would rather sit here and kick your ass at Uno again, but my brothers and the team need me. But if you need someone to talk to, I am just a phone call away. I will try to be back as soon as possible, but you know how these things can take time.”

“I understand. Take your time and be safe.” I can feel my mask slipping back into place and it’s to no fault of his own. I just need to find ways to survive my mind and not be so dependent on the company of someone else.

I am about to say stay safe when my mind catches on to one key detail as he starts to walk out the door. “Hey!”

Landon spins around and, by the smirk on his face, I can tell he knows I finally caught on. “You did not kick my ass at Uno. You fucking cheated!”

Landon shakes his head and laughs. “Mhmm. Be sure to tell that version to your friends you spill all your secrets to in your dreams. Because I can promise you, sweetheart, that is the only way that version will ring true.”

My mouth drops open and his head falls back in laughter as he walks out the door.

I sit back in my chair and shake my head with a smile on my face. “Freaking asshole.”

Chapter Twenty-Six

Landon

Allie wins.

Fucking hell. Not again. I don’t even bother putting my phone away because I know she is going to text me.

Allie: Still telling yourself that I’m cheating?

Landon: You got lucky. I was in the middle of a conference call and got distracted.

Allie: Sureeeee. Whatever you have to tell yourself.

Landon: Start the next game and quit talking shit. I’ll make you eat your words Evans.

Allie: *throws up* sorry. Couldn’t stomach your NEED to win one game out of what was that…6.

A notification pops up from Resilience and I make sure it’s not urgent before swiping it away.

Landon: Just start the game. Your smack talk is giving me more of a headache than my brothers.

I watch as typing bubbles appear and disappear for the next few minutes. Shit. She must really be going hard with the smack talk on this one. But when her text finally comes through, I immediately know something is up.

Allie: Okay.

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