Page 19 of Siccitas

Chapter Thirteen

Von glances at thedoor curiously as he chews on a piece of pancake that he’s sectioned off.

With a smile, I reach for my cane and get to my feet, making my way toward the knocks.

“It’s probably my brother. He told me he would be back soon,” I tell him reassuringly before I walk out of the living room.

He nods as he swallows the food in his mouth, then scoops up a helping of scrambled eggs.

I linger in the doorway for a couple of seconds, envious of how simple life could have possibly been, had I met him under different circumstances.

Or I wasn’t a broken version of myself. Inside and out.

Another round of knocks on the door and I blow out an impatient breath.

“Give me a second!” I call out as I hobble a little faster. Either Dalton has already forgotten that I need a cane to walk, or maybe he’s got some good news.

...but wouldn’t he have a key to his own home?

I can hear theclankof the fork hitting the plate, then the sound of Von rubbing his hands together.

“I’ll get it,” he offers as he gets to his feet.

I chew the inside of my mouth thoughtfully before I nod once and retreat back into the living room.

Sitting down in the recliner that I’m so fond of, I turn my eyes to the window and the world outside.

“What’s his name again? Your brother?” Von asks as he peeks in at me.

“Dalton.”

With a nod, he disappears from you, his footsteps heavy and confident as they stroll toward the front door.

I can hear it open slightly and Von engages with whoever has been knocking.

Closing my eyes, I decide to tune them out, because I know that if it’s important, he’ll tell me what it was about.

If it’s not, then it’s nothing to worry about and I won’t waste time thinking about it.

I roll my right shoulder and bite back against a quick, sharp pain.

I wonder what my sweet Skylar is doing right now. I wonder if her brother is as good as she is. Is he like Darby too?

Knock, knock, knock.

I startle slightly as I glance toward the living room door.

Von is smiling at me, his body half-hidden as he leans into the room slightly.

“You’ve got a visitor.”

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