Page 222 of Barinov

I scoff. “For having a meltdown in your office?”

“For facing it.” He smiles. “It’s the hardest thing you could’ve done.”

Bella rises and helps me to my feet. She wraps her arms around my waist and pulls me in close. “I’m proud of you too.”

I pull her in close. “So…” I mutter, already knowing the answer. “Let me guess. Same time tomorrow?”

Monroe smiles as he pushes himself to his feet. “Let’s take a day or two off. Spend some time with your family and friends and see how you sleep. If the nightmares persist, we’ll meet more frequently. If not…” He glances down at Bella. “We’ll revisit the topic of the two of you returning to the field.”

Bella beelines to Lex the moment we get back to the lobby.

“How’d it go?” Lex asks.

“It was fine,” I lie.

“It was good,” Bella corrects, shooting me a concerned look. “We got a lot out and—”

“Let’s just get the fuck out of here,” I cut her off, pulling Marisol under my arm. “I hate this place.”

Lex laughs as we make our way to the exit. “I hear ya. This shit hole and hospitals give me the creeps.”

Marisol tries to kick him but fails miserably. “Knock it off, Lex,” she laughs. “This is good for them.”

“Ha,” Lex chuckles. “Letting Monroe screw with their brains isn’t going to solve shit. Not after the hell he’s been through.”

“Oh yeah?” she says, twirling a pink lock around her finger. “And what did you have in mind?”

“Yeah baby,” Bella adds. “How do you think he should be handling this?”

“I have my ways,” he says, glancing back at me over his shoulders as we step outside. “You up for it?”

“If it keeps me off that damn couch? Hell yeah,” I mutter, squinting as the afternoon sun blinds my eyes.

We barely make it three steps down the concrete when a loud ring cuts through the air. Bella digs into her pocket, pulling out her phone. She stares down at the glowing screen and answers.

“Hey Hales.”

Chapter 56

BELLA

The Whitmore’s

15 days since we’ve been back.

“Darling, are you sure I can’t help you with anything else?” Savannah asks, reaching up to water a fern tucked into the corner of Cade’s studio.

I’ve always loved it in here. Sneaking in when I thought he couldn’t see me just to watch Cade make magic out of nothing but graphite, paints, and blank canvases always felt like watching someone perform a miracle.

The Whitmores somehow managed to turn the room tucked away at the back of their house into a beautiful little haven. Soft cream walls that glow beneath the afternoon sun pouring through the towering glass doors overlooking Savannah’s never ending garden. Fresh ivy and cascading ferns soften every corner of the space. Even with paint splattered across the hardwood floors and Cade’s canvases stacked against the walls, this place somehow always feels bright, peaceful… so alive.

I set the rectangle canvas down gently on the easel before lining up the paint tubes beside it. “I think we’ve got it handled.”

“Are you sure because—”

“Honey,” Clay cuts in, a grin tugging at his mouth. “Trust me when I say that whatever the two of them have planned for Cade, we don’t want to be here witnessing it.”

Savannah blinks. “Oh…” Her grin widens, manicured fingers flying to her mouth. “OH!”