“Well, we’re not going to figure it out in the next few minutes. Have you eaten?” my mom asks Becks and me, and we shake our heads. “Then let’s start there. We can talk more strategy over dinner.”
I grimace, thinking of the meager food we have left. I think there’s a ramen packet, a can of SpaghettiOs, and some chicken breast, because Becks eats it religiously. We even ran out of proper breakfast food a day ago. It was hard getting out of bed with no bacon to lure me.
I’m about to break the news about our food situation when Talon offers to go to the car to grab the groceries.
I perk up. “You brought food?”
“Of course,” my mom chuckles. “There are a lot of us, and we have to eat. And if I know you, there’s nothing in the kitchen except sugary cereal and Easy Mac.”
Becks starts laughing, and I playfully swat him.
“And ramen and SpaghettiOs,” he adds unhelpfully.
“Sorry not all of us are into chicken for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.”
He shrugs. “It’s a great source of protein.”
I roll my eyes. “Yes, because you need to work on building more muscle mass.”
“I’m going to take that as a compliment,” he says, pinching my side with the hand on my back, making me squirm.
“You won’t need to worry about eating processed foods or chicken for at least the next couple of days,” my dad adds.
“That’s right,” my mom says. “Haven, I’m going to make your favorite. Lasagna.”
My mouth immediately starts watering. My mom’s lasagna is the best. My stomach grumbles in anticipation.
“Someone’s excited,” Becks says.
“You have no idea,” I tell him with a grin. “Get ready to have your world rocked.”
He cocks a brow. “You mean for a second time tonight?”
No. He. Didn’t.
I clear my throat, ignoring the comment, and glance back at my parents and Locklyn. My mom and dad just look amused, but I don’t miss the frown on Locklyn’s face as she glances back and forth between me and Becks.
The next moment Becks drops his hand and takes a half-step away from me. Maybe I shouldn’t read into it, but I can’t help but feel bereft at the loss of contact.
I sit next to Becks during dinner, and we can’t seem to stop sneaking glances at each other. Every time I catch him staring, he grins like he’s daring me to look away first. I tell myself to focus on the food, or the conversation happening around us, but it’s useless. His thigh keeps brushing against mine under the table, just enough to make it hard to think straight. I’m sure it’s accidental. Probably. But each time it happens, a tiny spark zips through me, and I find myself holding my breath until it happens again.
It’s ridiculous, really. Less than an hour ago, I’d never met my grown sister. My twin. And now I’m sitting here getting flustered over Becks’ leg.
The two emotions—relief and excitement—collide until I can’t tell which one I’m supposed to feel.
I should be overwhelmed by everything that’s happened. A demon is still after us. But my family is finally together again. There’s so much uncertainty about the future, but all I can think about is the way Becks’ laugh sounds when he relaxes, or the warmth of his shoulder brushing mine in the candlelight.
After it has just been Becks and me here for so long, the cabin feels crowded tonight, filled with voices that overlap as everyone tries to catch each other up. Locklyn sits across from me, her expression calm and sure, like she’s been holding the world together by sheer willpower for weeks. My parents take turns talking, mostly my mom, explaining how Talon and Locklyn helped them move between hospitals several times to stay hidden.
I’m so thankful they are all right. I was never able to connect with Kendra and Tate again because there’s no cell reception in the mountains. Becks left one time to drive down the mountain to connect with Talon for an update, but other than that it’s been no news.
When my mom speaks about my sister, there’s a light in her eyes, full of hope and joy that I’m not used to seeing. The way she looks at Locklyn—like she’s the sun come back after a long winter—makes my stomach twist unexpectedly.
It’s not that I’m not happy. I am. I’m grateful. But watching them talk so easily, seeing my mom lean toward Locklyn like she can’t bear to blink in case my sister disappears again, it stirs something I don’t want to name.
Jealousy, maybe. Or longing.
It makes thoughts come to my mind that I’d rather not. Was I not enough all those years?
