Page 73 of Shadow and Skulls

Later that night, I tiptoe from my room, pausing in their doorway. My mom gets out of bed and holds the covers up for me. I rush in and slide under them beside my dad. She gets back in, and I curl into her. My dad drapes his arm over me, resting it on her hip. I’ve never felt so safe … so loved.

“I’ve never done this before. I just wanted to know what it felt like to sneak into my parent’s bed,” I joke. But really I just need to be close to them.

My dad chuckles, his big body shaking the entire bed.

“The twins used to climb into our bed whenever it stormed,” my mom reminisces, lazily running her fingers through my hair. She sighs contentedly and gives me a squeeze.

“I just don’t want to wake up with your foot in my face,” my dad teases.

It makes me giggle. “I love you guys so much.”

My mom presses her lips to my head. “Get some sleep, baby. We’ve got a big day tomorrow.”

I smile, happy I’m going to see my grandparents tomorrow. My eyes fall closed. There’s just one thing that makes me sad about going to the Harvest Festival, and that’s the fact I can’t share it with the man I love.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Kelsie

I’m kicking rocks off the path, scowling at my mom and dad as they walk in front of us hand in hand. My grandpa and I are following behind them at a slower pace, since he’s pushing my grandmother in the wheelchair we brought for her.

“Talk to me, kiddo,” he says after I roll my eyes when my mom hops on my dad’s back.

“They act like teenagers,” I grumble. My jealousy seeps out between my words. I don’t like the way it sounds, but it’s where I find myself.

He laughs heartily. My grandmother tips her head back at the sound, squinting her eyes against the sun.

“That’s love for you,” he says.

“Yeah, I’msohappy they get to be with the person they love.”

He stops, pointing to a bench off the path. My dad turns around to check on us. Grandpa waves to him. “We’re just going to take a little rest.”

Dad smiles back at Mom before pretending to drop her. She squeals, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck.

Grandpa pulls Grandma up beside the bench before sitting down beside me. She pats her hair, her gaze roaming over the sunflower field in front of us.

“I’m sorry,” I say. “I don’t mean to be a Debbie-downer.”

He pats my leg. “Aw, that’s okay, honey. We all have bad days.”

“And sunny ones,” my grandmother says mindlessly, not looking at us.

My grandfather smiles over at her before setting his eyes back on me. “Your dad told me about the man you were seeing without his permission.”

“Permission?” I snort.

He raises an eyebrow.

“Yeah, well, I’m not seeing him anymore. In fact, I’m not sure he even exists. He hasn’t tried to contact me.”

Grandpa leans back, running his finger over his mouth. “Could it be he’s just respecting your dad’s wishes?”

I shrug. “It feels like he ghosted me. I mean, one minute he was my whole world and then poof, my dad waves his wand over him and he vanishes.”

“Are you hoping your dad will change his mind?”

“Well, yeah, I guess. I haven’t stopped loving Tank. With each day I’m away from him, I feel like a part of me is withering away.”

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