Page 48 of Tempest’s Torment

"Up to you whether you tell her. But I’d advise to keep her busy today, Tempest. She sits in that apartment thinking all day she'll drive herself sideways."

"Busy doing what?" I ask, wondering what the hell am I to do with her.

"I don't know. Take her somewhere, get groceries, go for a walk, a date; I don’t give a fuck, but get her out of the building for a few hours."

I look at the door. "Yeah," I say. "Alright, I’ll come up with something." I end the call and slip my phone into my pocket.

Lilah's rinsing out our mugs when I walk back into the apartment. She glances over her shoulder. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah."

She studies me for a second, like she's deciding whether she believes me, then turns the faucet off.

I lean against the kitchen counter. "Get dressed."

She frowns. "Why?"

"We're going out."

She argues, which I expected. "I don't need to go out."

"Fresh air helps."

She glares at me. "I get fresh air at work."

I give her a pointed look. "You're not at work today."

She looks at me from across the coffee table. "You're going to stand there until I agree, aren't you?"

"Yes."

She sighs and disappears into the bedroom. I wait by the door. A couple of minutes later, she comes back wearing jeans and another long-sleeved shirt, her hair pulled back into a ponytail, and her bag already over one shoulder.

She looks at me. "Happy?"

I grin. "Ecstatic."

"Where are we going?"

I move toward the door, glancing back at her. "You'll see."

She folds her arms. "I hate surprises."

I had a feeling she did. After all the shit she’s been through, surprises would be the last thing she’d want, but that fucker isn’t going to rule her life any longer. So as much as it annoys her, I’m getting her out of her comfort zone. "I know."

"That's why you're doing this, isn't it?"

I grin. "A little bit."

The street's quiet when we step outside. Lilah falls into step beside me, stuffing her hands into the pockets of her jacket against the morning chill. We walk a block before I notice she's doing it again, keeping close to the buildings and leaving a wide berth to the road, to me, but she doesn't seem aware of it.

I drift to the outside of the sidewalk without saying anything; she glances at me, then at the extra space between us.

"What?" she asks.

"Nothing."

She gives me a look that says she doesn't believe that for a second, but I don't explain. After another few steps, she eases away from the wall on her own. We cross the next intersection, and she looks around.