“Thanks,” he says, his voicealmostcracking. I swear his eyes look a little glassy.
Rory nods in my direction. “His idea.”
Cason looks at me and grins. “What, are you trying to make me happy or something?”
For the rest of our goddamn lives.
I just smile back.
Cason turns to Sebastian next. “You made a balloon Felix.”
Baz smiles proudly. “It’s my finest work.”
Even though everyone has moved out of the safehouse except me and Cason, Sebastian is still there a lot, and he and Felix have gotten quite attached to each other. It took Cason some time to accept it, but he’s finally come around.
Lane is already laughing from where he stands next to Harrison at the outer edge of our little circle. When Cason looks over at him, he asks, “Are you really wearing a Reese’s shirt?”
Cason turns his whole body and throws his arms out to his side so his best friend can get a good look.
Lane laughs even harder.
Beside him, Harrison sighs, definitely not amused by anything with my name on it. But he doesn’t like me only because I didn’t like him first. In fact, when he’s at the Institute, I try very hardnotto be here.
His narrowed eyes find mine, and he says in a clipped tone, “Morgan.”
So I throw it right back at him. “Copeland.”
We continue glaring at each other, neither one of us willingto look away first.
“Jesus,” Cason groans. “Lane, go find them a measuring tape.”
Lane snorts, and the sound pulls Harrison’s attention to his husband.
I win.
Then a familiar voice I’ve only heard over the phone says, “Cason?”
He turns toward the front of the lobby where his mother just walked through the doors. For a moment, he just stares.
Then he’s crossing the room.
He’s so fast that she barely has time to open her arms before he reaches her. And, suddenly, it’s like he’s twelve years old again, wrapped up in his mother’s embrace. They hold each other tightly, and the sight hits me harder than I thought it would.
“I can’t believe you got me to come back here,” his mother says.
Cason laughs softly as he pulls back while grabbing her hand instead. “I’m still shocked you agreed.”
Her gaze lifts toward the installation above us. Toward the heart of the Institute. Toward all the ghosts this place used to hold. Then she looks back at her son with an easy smile. “You sounded happy. And if this place has anything to do with it, then maybe I can start forgiving it.”
He told his mother that Malcolm’s been giving him more responsibility around the Institute, that he’s practically helping to run the place now. As far as she knows, Malcolm is currently away on business.
Cason leans forward and whispers something to her that’s too low for me to hear, and her eyes immediately find me, causing my insides to squirm.
I’ve suggested to Cason that we both take a trip out to NorthCarolina before now, but he was surprisingly focused on the Institute, on putting out the fire that Malcolm had started and let burn for so long. He’s introduced me over the phone, and he paid for her plane ticket here, though he had his doubts that she would actually show up.
If she hadn’t, I would’ve dragged him to North Carolina soon. I could tell he missed her.
Cason pulls his mother over toward me while the others start going at the pizza, having waited for us long enough apparently. Mia loudly threatens bodily harm if anyone touches the cake before photos.
