Page 6 of Exile

Wait, so he is here, and she does know him.

And I didn’t even think of using a fake name to check in when I booked this place. Not that it would’ve worked, anyway.

I smiled tightly and crossed my arms loosely across my chest. “I’m his granddaughter.”

Theresa watched me closely, her opinion of me not changing. She didn’t like that I was here. But, hey, she couldn’t kick me out now. Besides, I paid for this place for the next fourteen days.

“Does he know you’re here?”

“Uh, no. And I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t run to him and tell him.”

“Why not? I’m his friend. I should tell him.”

Damn you, Theresa, you old witch.

“Because I don’t think he even remembers that I exist.”

“Are you fucking with me, child?”

I would never, I gasped in my mind.

“No, Ma’am.”

“Why would you come here then? He’s a busy man.”

Busy?

Here?

In the middle of nowhere?”

“How busy? I thought he retired.”

“He did, but that doesn’t mean he—” She stopped and held up a hand. “Why are you looking for him when he doesn’t even know you exist?”

“I want to see how he’s doing. Even if I haven’t ever seen him, he’s still family. And after everything that happened, I want to ensure he’s okay.”

“Hm. How old are you?”

“Twenty-one.”

She studied me again, her eyes wandering all over my face. She was trying to put the pieces together, to find something familiar in my features that might match her memory of Caspian.

Or Caz, as she called him.

Her lips pressed into a thin line as she leaned against the small kitchen counter, still inspecting me like I was some kind of alien.

“You don’t look like him,” she said as if that would decide my story’s legitimacy.

“Yeah, well, I take after my dad’s side of the family, I guess.” Which I only assumed because I truly didn’t look like my mother. And I had no idea what my father looked like. “But my mom always said I had his stubborn streak.”

Theresa snorted. “That sounds about right.” She paused, narrowing her eyes. “You said you have never met him. Why now? Why bother looking him up after all this time?”

I shifted uncomfortably. It was a good question, one I hadn’t fully answered for myself. I guess I just wanted to check on him, but I knew that reasoning wouldn’t be enough for her. “I just want to connect with my roots. With him. Family’s complicated, you know?”

Theresa’s expression softened ever so slightly, but her skepticism remained intact. “Complicated, huh?”

I nodded, unsure what else to say. She seemed to be weighing her next move, and I didn’t want to push her too hard in case she decided I wasn’t worth the trouble. Finally, she sighed and pushed herself off the counter.

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