Page 187 of The Casualty of Us
“I wasn’t even sure what to look for at first, how to help myself.” I shrug helplessly. “Whether there would be anything to find, and if there was, if it would even pan out.” His face fills with an unhappy look that has me admitting, “And it felt…wrong too.” Because I do understand where they’re coming from. “Like I’d be betraying his trust somehow.”
Silence fills the room following that, and I look between my father and mother as they share one that I can’t decipher before her eyes come back to me. “I suppose it is your money at the end of the day, although it’s supposed to not be until you’re twenty-one.” She lifts a brow, granting something between forgiveness and cursing in French. “I will admit the cause wasn’t an entirely unworthy one, though.”
“Thank you.” I breathe out in relief.
“Ophelia.” My father’s voice has me looking back at him and finding a serious expression on his face. “Do you really love this boy?”
The quiet words hold a weight that has me biting my bottom lip to stop the tremble before giving him a nod. “I do.”
Quickly glancing Ollie’s way to check on him, the acceptance there brings with it everything I need to settle any lingeringworry inside of me. Knowing that as long as we’re okay and Hayes and I are okay too, then the rest can be worked out. Everything can be worked out then.
“Then we’ll figure the rest out later,” my father sighs, bringing my gaze back to him in time to see the wry look rising there. “After I unpack and take a nap.”
“One last thing,” I rush to add, looking back at the kitchen door to see Mia standing against it and smiling widely now. Nosy nellies, all of them. “I’d like for him to have a place here—Hayes—the guestroom, maybe, and I’d like to go out and get him some things since he’ll be here for Christmas.” Using the reminder of how much pain this trip is probably about to cost me to keep from stomping my foot at the smile that springs to life on my mother’s face. “His mom sucked, and his dad was always gone, and I just want him to have a place that’s safe and a nice Christmas, so I’m going to take Mia and go do that now.”
The crooked grin spreading on Ollie’s face by the end of my speech has me scowling while taking that first step and trying not to look like I’m in pain as Mia springs to life as well. I pass by my parents’ amused faces before coming up to Ollie, seeing the obvious curiosity there as he tosses out, “Want some company?”
“No, you’ll be bored to tears.” I give him a quick shake of my head. “Would you mind filling Hayes in when he wakes up, though? Just tell him that his mom won’t be a problem anymore.” He gives me a nod and I lower my voice to a barely there whisper to add, “Drop some clothes for him too.”
His face turns all kinds of grumpy and he rolls his eyes at me. “Fine. Whatever.”
“Thanks, big brother.” A soft laugh leaves me as I step past him, meeting Talan’s stare from where he’s standing by the door, and the unsettled note to it has me frowning. “You okay?”
“What?” He clears his throat, giving his head a little shake like he’s coming out of a daze. “Yeah, yeah. Heading out now.”
I pause, cocking my head at him. “You sure?”
“Yeah.” His brows fall. “Merry Christmas, kid.”
He turns when I open my mouth to press the issue, walking to the front door and opening it as Mia sidles up next to me with a happy sigh. “Just so you know, this is my favorite job since my undercover work with Miami PD.”
I turn to look at her, genuinely surprised. “Really?”
“Oh yeah.” She nods with a grin. “Never a dull moment around here. Plus, Bobby and I have a running bet on who you’re going to end up with one day, Squirt. You’re practically family at this point.”
“Oh.” I nod because there’s really not much else to do in the face of that and let my hair out of the clip before pulling the hood of my sweatshirt up. Hiding the mark on my neck with some hair too for good measure while heading for the door and waiting until it shuts behind us to add casually, “Hey, Mia, I’m going to need to walk slowly on this trip, okay?”
Telling myself to be thankful it’s her and not Talan or Bobby or, God forbid, Jack.
She only laughs once before taking pity on me. “I gotcha.”
And even though every bump in the road has me shifting—the trip taking three hours longer than my original estimate due to some major retail therapy—there’s still a happy warmth wrapped around my heart all through it. Like he sealed himself there last night. Maybe by my acceptance.
Either way, it has a little smile playing at my lips from time to time, happy that I was able to slay at least one of our monsters.
If only my own turned out the same.
Chapter Forty-Three
OPHELIA - DECEMBER, 2013
I get home aroundone in the afternoon, barely able to lift my feet by the time I make it to the top of the stairs without having seen anyone else yet. My parents are probably still napping in preparation for Christmas Eve tonight, but Ollie and Hayes are conspicuously absent. Especially considering that I’ve sent almost every purchase to the house in advance. For five hours now.
Not that I bought anything too crazy, but still.
I figured Hayes would at least find the Doubtful Souls shirt I threw in for him at one of the stores amusing enough to maybe give me a ring. Not that I really know what his reaction will be to all of this or what exactly Ollie told him about everything that transpired. Howdoesone react to one’s girlfriend blackmailing their mother for blackmailing and embezzling from them?
Definitely don’t think that one is in any handbook.
