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“I told you, you’re not my prisoner, Violet. Plotting and trying to run away—”
Violet crossed the room in two big strides, and he caught her when she lunged for him. “I was coming back. I wasn’t trying to leaveyou. I was coming back because I love you; I love our life, Mikel. I just wanted to try to find answers about Kane and tell my sister I’m alive.” She’d ended up with her face in his hands, his eyes searching hers. “I don’t want to leave you.” How much the idea of it hurt had rocked her. Violet exhaled in relief when he swiped his thumbs gently under her eyes to dry her tears.
“You were going to come back?”
“Of course. I was going to tell Lila I met you, and we eloped or something to try and make this okay for her. Then, I was coming back. Me just up and leaving for good would have left you and Red in trouble and…my life sucked before you. This place is fucked up, but…”
He kissed her, just once, softly, before he pulled back. “I love you too, Violet. That’s why I couldn’t force you to stay here with me anymore if—”
“Stop.”
He hefted her into his arms, and she clung to him, tears still leaking onto her cheeks. “We’re gonna talk about the leaving stunt.” He patted then rubbed her back.
“I know.”
“Thought you’d see Lila again today? Feelin’ pretty disappointed, huh?”
She nodded against his neck and adjusted herself on his lap when he sat down on the edge of their bed.
“We’ll get it figured out,” he promised, and for what felt like a long time, she let him hold her.
“YOU HIDIN’ INhere?” he asked, when he pushed the door open some hours later.
“No,” Violet insisted, lying on her back, face buried behind her new phone, and it wasn’t totally a lie.
He’d sat there on the bed with her on his lap like a child for what felt like an hour and let her cling to him and breathe in the smell of fresh cut lumber that always stuck to his clothes and listen to the steady cadence of his breath. When he’d finally left to “take care of some things,” she’d woken up from the trance and realized what had just happened.
The last time she was that vulnerable with anyone was with her mom. Dozens of women had seen her naked since, but nobody had undressed her heart, and in the aftermath of Mikel doing just that, she was embarrassed to even look at him.
“Got that thing hacked to call Frankston yet?” The bed dipped beside her when he sat, and she couldn’t tell if he was joking without seeing his face.
“I’ve been watching YouTube,” she told him.
It was true. She had turned to videos to switch her mind off, after she’d tried everything she knew to get on Lila’s social media, then remembered her crystal healing forum. Her sister hadn’t been active lately, her last post was asking for scrying advice, which Violet knew from years of unwillingly soaking up knowledge on the topic was for searching. That her sister was looking for her broke Violet’s heart. That she could only read the thread and not comment was a special kind of agony.
“You coming out to eat, or you hiding through the moon this time?”
Being irritated with him was easy, known, and less vulnerable. “I’m not hiding,” she insisted and tossed the phone down onto the bed. The smile in his eyes let her know she’d fallen right into his trap. “You suck,” she announced maturely.
“Didn’t seem to think so last full moon.” His fingers stroked her knee. “I actually remember you being quite impressed with me.”
Violet grabbed a pillow and whapped him in the head, surprised she was fast enough to land the hit before he blocked her.
“Should have thought of that before I turned you.” He grinned at her. “Your reflexes are almost as quick as mine. How will I escape the beatings now?”
Violet went to hit him again and realized she was smiling like a maniac. He caught the pillow this time and tossed it away.
“Ceasefire. Got pizza out there, and I fired up the hot tub. Figured we’d spend the moon here tonight, unless you have plans?”
“Hot tub? And I thought you and Jack were going logging until later?” she asked. He’d definitely told her that was the plan earlier in the week.
“Not tonight.” He squeezed her knee and stood up, and she knew he was staying because of her.
“You don’t have to stay because I had a bad day.”
“I know that,” he agreed, hands in his pockets. “I want to. Besides, I put that tub in three years ago and never once used it.”
“I don’t have a bathing suit,” she realized aloud.
