Page 53 of Stutter

“Yeah, okay.”

I lead him to the living room, to the farthest window by the Christmas tree, pop open a blind with my index and middle finger and step away so he can take my place when I spot it. He does, and his head inclines to the side, until I know he sees it and he stands up straight. “You saw it before or after the snowplows came through?”

“After. It’s on the side of the street. Wouldn’t the window be covered in snow if it was empty? I mean, the rest of the car in covered but you’re telling me just one window was safe? Damon, we don’t know if they saw baby girl get out of Mav’s Navi with him the other night. I know we haven’t let her step foot outside; I’ve worn my gear-“

“When Lottie came.”

“Huh?”

“The car wasn’t there when Miss Charlotte came to help us decorate. I would have seen it. Even now it sticks out like a sore thumb. But in any instance, they’ve seen Maverick’s car here. He’s right. Now that the streets are clear, we’re gonna have to make a show of him leaving. We’re all now tied together. If they’re watching us now, we have to be even more careful with both of you. He and I are… out.” He says with his jaw clenching.

That still makes me want to giggle.

“We’re expected to be seen together now. But keeping you and Raven as a secret has to stay exactly that.”

“So what do we do?”

He shrugs. “I have no idea. Keep her safe to the best of our abilities. Pray for the best and prepare for the worst.”

There’s a sinking in my gut all over again at his words that make my heart slow and a ringing in my ears begins. “This is gonna get worse before it gets better, isn’t it?”

He shakes his head in that way where he simply doesn’t know what to say or do, lost in his mind, afraid to say the words. “If we can keep ourselves in line for a few weeks or months, until the snow melts, maybe they’ll get bored.”

“Maybe they’ll get bored?That’syour best solution?”

“Christ, Jonas, what do you want from me? I’ve never been in this situation before but mulling it over and over and worrying about it until I’m dizzy and sick isn’t going to help us either.”

“He’s right.” Maverick says from behind us, Raven on his arm. I can’t help but grin at my gorgeous girl. Her lips are puffy and bruised like she’s been kissed to death and Mav’s hair is messed up, sticking out at odd angles. “Don’t worry, I got her up to speed when I dismissed my class for the day.”

“I’m sure you did,” Archer murmurs from where he stands. He sounds irate and a bit frustrated, but Raven goes to him and when she places a kiss on his chin, I can see him visibly relax.

“I just got the email that campus will be opening again tomorrow now that the roads have been plowed and the bridge is free of snow and debris. So, I’ll go to my house tonight and pack a few more essential items to bring here. If the need strikes within the next few months and Archer needs to stay at my house for whatever reason, he’s more than welcome to do so. But the more he and I are seen… as an item, the better.”

“Nothing to hide, nothing to fear.” Damon swallows thickly.

I warm up (just a little) towards Maverick calling his house a ‘house’ and not a ‘home.’ Because he knows where home is, just like I know it, just like Damon does.

Home isn’t always a house. Sometimes it’s a person. Sometimes it’s a dysfunctional family that somehow makes it work because the love there makes it home.

________

We have dinner, Damon making a delicious Italian meal for the four of us, complete with salad, breaking open a bottle of redwine and we talk about anything that doesn’t involve what’s going on outside.

But that fucking feeling in my stomach just won’t go away. We put on a front, we laugh when it’s funny, but all in all, it’s in the back of our minds. It’s there. We’re just ignoring it but to me, it feels like a fucking ticking time bomb.

When Maverick is leaving, Damon walks him to the door and just like he did me at Inferno when we were seducing Tyler to his death, Damon grabs him and kisses the ever-loving fuck out of Mav. They pull apart, breathless, mouths open and lips glistening. I cast my gaze over to Raven who’s kneeling on the sofa backwards, holding the edge of the couch, everything but her eyes hidden by the oversized grey microfiber cushion. Her lids are heavy as she watches the display beneath her lashes, a wicked smirk on her face. She catches me staring and blushes, quickly turning around and settling back into the couch. I fall back, landing beside her and we both giggle like schoolchildren.

________

It’s midday on Friday the next week when we’re trekking across the freshly shoveled walkways next to the snow-covered bell tower to our last class of the day. I’m talking about playing against Yale tonight. I know she probably doesn’t care about the game, but she listens to me intently and it makes me feel all warm inside. She squeezes my hand like an interruption, and I know that’s when she’s asking a question.

I love it so much when she’s responsive. I know my poor baby girl has been sleeping roughly these last few days, but she still listens. She still cares. Whatever I have to say, it’s as if it’s the most important thing ever.

I stop talking and pause in my steps to simply admire her before I tug down her scarf and reveal her lips to me so I can kiss her properly. We’re lost, there in our own little world, nothing but us when we hear a scream, specifically,“RAAAAVVVVVEEEENNNNNNNNNN!”

We look up to see two hooded figures in the bell tower.

It happens in the blink of an eye.

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