Page 52 of Into the Fire: After
Lin continued, “We have these, as do half a dozen different lawyers, with explicit instructions on what to do with them should any of us fall out of communication or trigger an active release.” His fingers squeezed mine. “So, where we go from here, is we gohome.”
Surprisingnoonebutme, I slept again shortly after the most earth-shattering conversation of my damn life. Another day passed, and the next time I woke, I felt—well, still like a balloon in a street gutter, but aHAPPY BIRTHDAYballoon instead of aSORRY FOR YOUR LOSSone.
Small victories.
Brooks, as my self-appointed health guardian, granted permission for me to have some chicken broth. Only to then take it away when I tried to guzzle straight from the bowl.
“Spoon!” he said with the cutest stern frown in the world. “Slowly! You’ve been without solid food of any kind for at least a week. You’ll make yourself sick.”
“Don’t care!” I said, reaching for the delectable essence of chicken. “Gimme!”
“Listen to your doctor, Omega,” Brea crooned in my ear. “He’s taken such good care of you.”
Fuck, her tone wasn’t seductive in the least, and I felt about as sexy as—well, as a used up birthday balloon. But a small part of mewantedher to be seducing me.
With a pout, I agreed to slow, reasonable sips of soup.
The next day brought a real treat—crackers!
By my fourth waking day, my sleep schedule had more or less returned to normal, and I could stand up from the bed and walk for a solid half hour before I was too jelly-legged to continue. “Your strength will come back quickly,” Brooks assured me as I collapsed, exhausted, onto the couch after having braved the stairs. “Especially once you’re back to eating full meals again.”
“Which will be dinnertime tonight, right?” I said hopefully.
“Ha!” Brooks smirked and pressed a kiss to my temple. “Soon, though. Better to take it slow than speed through it and make you sick.” He stood behind the couch, combing his fingers through my long hair and separating it into sections.
“Yeah, yeah, you try the all-liquid diet then come tell me how much better it is.”
“Pfft, no way. You’ve got me counting my blessings every time I make a sandwich from now on.”
“I hate you.”
“No, you don’t.” The gentle pressure of his braiding was soothing as he dropped a kiss on my crown. “In fact, I’m pretty sure you love me.”
“I’m pretty sure I told thegranolathat I loved it, and that has never been more true than this very moment.”
Brooks dropped my loose braid over the top of the couch and swung around to sit next to me. “Hey, sweetness?” he said with a tilted smirk. “Reassure your beta boy, please.”
I sighed, running one of his curls around my forefinger.
His breathtaking, shining curls. Silk on my skin. Golds and browns I could never have adequately imagined, even if I hadn't been actively avoiding doing just that. Dimples I’d promised myself I’d see again. A scent I’d mourned in the lowest depths of despair.
“You, Brooks Alphonse Arceneaux,” I said softly as I traced his cheek, “are one of the greatest gifts of my life. I love you dearly.”
A tiny tear fell from the corner of his eye down to his shirt, leaving a dark blue mark there. “Good, then.” He kissed me messily on the cheek. “Now that that’s settled, how about buttered noodles?”
“Yes, please!”
Ilayinbed,nested by my pack. It had to be close to two in the morning. The others had been conked out for ages. And I was the widest awake I’d ever been.
Like,counting the ticks of the clock all the way to seven hundred twenty-threewide awake.Reenacting random movie scenes in my headwide awake.
Gonna crawl out of my skin if I don’t move this very momentwide awake.
We were going home tomorrow. And I couldn’t stand to wait. Couldn’t lay still. Couldn’t sit still.
Maybe I could sneak out of the house. There was a lake not far from here. We’d seen it the very first time we drove up to thehouse. Granted, I’d been in a nearly full-blown heat state at the time, but I clearly remembered water. I remember thinking how nice it would feel on my fevered skin.
Maybe I could find that lake. Take a swim. Feel weightless for a bit. Would be a nice change. Had to be somewhere around here.
