Tani’s eyes narrowed—approval, sharp as a blade.“Good.”
“And while we do that,” I added, looking at Tani and the Red Queen, “you two keep an eye on the town.If paths open—if anything feels wrong—I want to know before it’s in my driveway.”
Tani yawned.“That’s my cue.”
The Red Queen nodded once and retreated upstairs.
Willow curled into the chair and was asleep instantly.
That left Owen and me alone.
I stepped closer to him, the weight of the night pressing in.Say something normal, I told myself.Something that belongs to the world before monsters and magic and doors that shouldn’t exist.
“You’ll stay?”
“I’ll stay,” he said softly.“As long as you need me.”
The knot in my chest loosened a fraction.Enough to breathe.
“Owen… there’s something I should confess.”
His eyes drifted to my mouth.“Yes?”
The words that came out weren’t the ones clawing at my insides.But they were safer.Familiar.
“I tried to beat you for valedictorian.”
A grin broke across his face.“And failed.”
“You were obscenely smart,” I said.“It was deeply unfair.”
“And you were relentless,” he said.“I still have nightmares about you correcting the teacher.”
The sound of his laughter—soft, real—felt like a lifeline.For a moment, I could pretend nothing had changed.That we were two people standing in a quiet house, trading old jokes, and not whatever the world had decided to turn us into.
I smiled—then sobered.“Why didn’t you leave Hickory Hollow?”
“I stayed for my father,” he said.Then, after a beat, “And because someone had to watch the Crossroads.Alice couldn’t do it alone forever.I knew that even before I understood everything it meant.And…” He paused, his gaze meeting me.“Because I hoped you’d come back.”
“Why?”The word came out quieter than I meant it to.
He didn’t dodge it this time.“Because you were the one thing about this town that never felt small.”
My chest tightened.“You never said anything.”
“I didn’t think I was allowed to want you,” he admitted.“You were always going somewhere.I was staying.”
I studied him, something clicking into place.“You could’ve left,” I said softly.“Like your brother did.”
His jaw tightened—not angry.“He wanted a different life.”
“And you?”I asked.
Owen met my gaze.“I wanted this one.”
“That’s backwards,” I said faintly.
He huffed a breath.“I know.”
