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His smile reappeared, and I mimicked his expression as some emotion returned in his eyes.

“I’ll text Jason to tell him that we’ll go back tomorrow. Unless that’s not enough time for you.”

Fennec shrugged, but he didn’t suggest staying longer than that.

“I have Papa’s phone in my backpack. I’ll also let Mama know that you’re okay.”

He watched me put the backpack onto the mattress and then pull out the phone to message both Jason and Mama, and once I did, I put the phone down and looked at Fennec with a smile.

“You need tea to heal whatever is wrong with your throat. Does it hurt when you swallow?” I asked.

He shook his head.

“That’s good. I think there’s still mint in the cooler.” I walked over to him and bent down to open the cooler he was standing next to, but before I could open it, he grabbed my wrist and pulled me to him.

“I’m glad you’re not mad at me anymore. I was an ignorant asshole to you.”

I eyed him before shaking my head at his words. “I forgive you, Fen. I wasn’t exactly treating you right either,” I confessed.

“No, but I deserved being treated like that. You didn’t. You’ve always been good to me. So damn good. I’m sorry I upset you, and I promise I won’t do it again.”

I believed every single word he said, and he made me love him even more now than I did before.

With my hands on his chest, I let him pull me against his body with his arms around my back, and when his lips met mine, I immediately melted into his kiss.

No matter what was wrong with him, and no matter if Papa thought Fennec didn’t care about him, Fennec was compassionate. It might’ve been hard for him to show, but we’d soon figure out why he had acted the way he had.

“Do you still love me?” he whispered against my lips.

I leaned back to look into his eyes again. “I hate how you have to ask me this question. Of course I still love you. I’ve never stopped loving you, Fennec.”

“Good. I can’t live without your love.”

And neither could I.

36

Vespyr’s naïve.

And maybe that’s why we got along so well.

Many times I wondered if she heard me correctly, or even realized the deeper meanings of my words, but I couldn’t care less about that at this point.

She was here with me, taking good care of me.

That’s all that mattered at this moment.

Going back to Fairbanks would mean facing Papa again, but even after his accident, I didn’t feel like seeing him again.

Nor did I wanna see Mama, knowing what she’d make me do.

She told me too many times that I needed help with whatever was going on with my brain, and even on Christmas, she couldn’t help herself from pointing out all the good things that could come from talking to a therapist.

I didn’t need a damn therapist to cope with my issues.

No, you’ll need so much fucking more, psycho.

I pushed the voices aside and cleared my throat which started to feel less sore than before.

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