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I look up to see Hex standing in front of me, hands buried in the pocket of his loose pants. He smiles at me. “Have you seen Cassandra?”
My brows automatically deepen in confusion. “Cassandra?”
“Yeah. She’s an eight-year-old ghost in a floral dress.” He shrugs at me as if surprised I haven’t caught up. “She’s got long blonde hair? Pigtails?” He throws his hands up in exasperation. “Did you see any little girl run this way?”
“I… I don’t see ghosts,” I say slowly, shaking my head at him.
“I guess I’m the only abnormal person around here,” Hex says with a dramatic sigh, lowering himself to the empty swing beside me. “She always does this. She makes me look like I’m crazy just for laughs.”
I chuckle, shaking my head in amusement. “She must be a handful.”
“That she is,” Hex replies, but he doesn’t sound angry about it. We both sit in comfortable silence for a few long seconds, each occupied with our thoughts. I’m just trying to keep my mind from straying toward thoughts of Seer. I throw a glance at Hex. His expression seems pensive as he gazes at the setting sun in the distance. He suddenly looks at me, and I glance away, pursing my lips in embarrassment.
He’d caught me staring…
Hex snickers quietly. “Look at that,” he says, pointing to the huge globe in the clouds. “It’s magnificent, huh? So close, yet so unreachable.”
“Yeah,” I murmur in agreement. “Everywhere around here is so scenic that it’s sometimes surreal. I remember getting so lost in the environment's allure when I first arrived that I stood rooted in one spot for minutes.”
“Time flies, doesn’t it?” Hex asks with an amused scoff. “Seems just like yesterday when I was hellbent on making you leave. Now, you’re family.”
Family… the word seemed to bounce around in my head before settling into a special place in my heart. He’d said the word so casually, like it was normal. He probably doesn’t know how much it means to me. I never thought anyone would be so generous with such a unique bond as one shared by the Ruthless Kings. To be considered a part of that family brings about mixed feelings, a bittersweet sensation. In the end, I can’t ever let myself be carried away by the attractive prospects that this place offers, not the enchantment of the clubhouse or the geniality of its occupants and not Seer.
Especially not Seer.
“You know, now that I think about it, I don’t know why I ever did that in the beginning,” Hex says with a self-deprecating snort. “I guess I was just so guilt-ridden about causing Seer’s accident that I wanted to be the solution, too. It's stupid.”
I shake my head at him. “No, it’s not. It’s your way of protecting your friend.”
Hex glances briefly at me with an appreciative smile. “I guess you’re right.” We sit in companionable silence for another couple of seconds before Hex turns to face me, a curious smile playing on his face. “And you, my friend, have been scarce. I wonder why?”
“Scarce?” I repeat, frowning into his eyes. “What do you mean?”
Hex shrugs. “I hardly see you around these days, that’s all. It’s hard to believe we live under the same roof. You’re so consumed with Seer that the rest of us might as well be forest woods.”
He’s staring intently at my face, probably trying to capture my reaction.
I shrug lightly, unable to help the dreamy smile that tugged at my lips. “What can I say? I like Seer. A lot. And there’s only so much I can focus on at a time.”
Hex laughs. “Wow, you don’t mince your words, do you?”
I wonder if I should tell him about my autism. Would that make any difference, though?
“Does my directness offend you?” It’s my turn to search his face.
“Not at all,” Hex replies, shaking his head. “It’s… peculiar.”
I like the word… Peculiar.“Thanks,” I say, flashing him a small smile.
“So, why are you out here alone?”
“I’m waiting for Seer to return.”
Hex snorts. “Dude’s one lucky ass man.”
I start to say something but become distracted by a rickety red truck pulling up the driveway. I frown in the distance, leaning forward in the swing to get a better view of the driver. The truck pulls up in front of the clubhouse, and the driver’s side door opens to reveal a tall, familiar woman. She turns in our direction, takes off the huge sunglasses that swallowed up most of her face, and stares directly into my eyes. My heart stops, picking up again at an overdrive.
It’s Mama…
