Page 162 of The Casualty of Us
So who the fuck am I to stand in the way of that?
She could have done worse, I guess.
I drag the chair from the corner of his room over to right up next to the bed, and he finally deigns to look up at me.
“Hey.”
The quiet greeting lets me know that he’s not trying to wake her anytime soon, and I drop down into the chair with a sigh, trying not to think about where I just came from by finally voicing something else instead. “You really do love her.”
He gives me a tight nod, gaze moving back down to her before joking, “Just don’t tell her that.”
“Can’t have her taking a book to my face, I guess.”
A soft sound of amusement leaves him, and he runs a finger over her nose before looking back at me curiously. “Where have you been, by the way?”
“Things took longer than I expected, then I went back out there to find her phone.” I drop my head down while pulling her phone from my pocket and placing it on his nightstand. Not mentioning that Marley was actually the one to go back and get it for her. “You know she’d lose it if she woke up in the morning and realized it was still at the Ruins.”
I look back to find a curiosity lingering on his face, but he gives me a nod after a second. “You’re right,” he scoffs. “She totally would.”
Letting me get away with the lie if he notices.
“My mom texted by the way.” I offer the one piece of good news that’s come since I left O’s dorm twenty minutes ago. “Shesaid that my dad got the head of the goddamn board up and that we at least have until next semester before Thomas might be allowed back.”
“Thank fuck,” he seems to gasp, which I get because I don’t know how I would have been able to function with him on campus still either. “I swear to God we’re going to have to move schools if they let him come back.”
And his words have me tossing out the observation that surprised me the most tonight. “I didn’t know you could be like that.” Even if it does make me feel slightly better about him seemingly appointing himself her protector. “That shit with Thomas,” I clarify when he gives me a confused look. “I mean, I did, I do, but that was pretty dark.”
“Darker than saying you were going to kill him slowly?” He lifts his brows at me.
Ah shit. “Fair.” I nod before shrugging. “Still surprised me, though.”
“I think…” he starts slowly, eyes immediately dropping back down to O while continuing to trace the shape of her face. “That one of the most honorable things in life is protecting the people we care about, yeah?” His gaze comes back to me briefly. “There’s nothing dark about that to me.”
“Really?” I snort. “There’s nothing dark about asphyxiation?”
“Okay.” His mouth twists with a smile, but he doesn’t look away from O. “Maybe, but she’s mine, Ollie.”
I frown, automatically wanting to correct him and say that she’s ours, but—
He drops a gentle kiss to her forehead, obviously not giving a fuck that I’m here, and she gives a happy little sigh in her sleep, somehow easing my anxiety at his statement because…I guess he’s earned it. Her.
Goddammit.
“She’s still my twin,” I grumble, reaching for one of her hands. “You have to share.”
Possessive asshole.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
OPHELIA - NOVEMBER 2013
“Ophelia!”
Zoey’s eyes brighten at the sight of me, and I return the wide smile she gives me despite the way my heart is racing. “Aw, you missed me.”
“Maybe.” She laughs, gaze moving to where Talan is standing at my back with both of us still sweating from our run. “So is everyone back for Thanksgiving?”
“Yeah, just for a few days,” I breathe in the smell of apple and cinnamon filling the café, using it to battle some of my rapidly rising anxiety. “Whatcha got for me today?”
