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Silence fills the air, deafening.
“But she saved him,” Maeve adds, smiling with her teacup in hand. She gives me a wink. “And he knows that. So right now, we have to trust whatever comes next. If Caz believes he’s better with her here, so be it. She stays.”
Just as the words of Maeve are expressed, we hear a loud thump, deep grunting, and the breaking of glass.
Sixty-Nine
WILLOW
“Oh, no.”Juniper presses a hand to her forehead when I gasp from the noise. Maeve rolls her eyes, remaining seated, while Rowan groans, pushing out of his chair.
“Why do I always have to split these two up?” he shouts, charging out of the kitchen. Juniper follows him but Maeve remains seated, sitting farther back in her chair, and sipping her tea.
I follow Juniper and Rowan out the kitchen and down the hallway that leads to a back door. They step outside, onto a tall black deck that overlooks a black sea. Glass from a window is on the ground, and standing not too far away from that glass is Caz and Killian. Caz has Killian in a chokehold, and Killian is clawing at Caz’s arm, his face turning purple as he struggles to breathe.
“Fucking stop it, Caz! He can’t breathe!” Juniper yells.
“He shouldn’t have shoved me into the window then,” Caz growls.
“Knock it off!” Rowan snaps, stepping forward, but he doesn’t touch Caz. I get the sense that if anyone tried touchinghim right now, they’d be a fool. Caz looks from Rowan, to Juniper, and then at me. It’s when his eyes lock with mine that he releases Killian, who tumbles onto his knees on the deck. The ocean roars as Killian works hard to catch his breath, and Caz steps back, breathing raggedly.
“Why are you two always fighting?” Juniper demands, bending down to try to help Killian off the ground.
“Get off me.” Killian swats Juniper’s hand away, slumping onto his bottom, his back hitting the guardrails.
“He started it,” Caz pants.
“Vakeeli’s sake, Caz! What are you, twelve?”
“He’s the one who has a problem with Willow! I was setting him straight!”
Killian frowns and immediately stands, getting in Caz’s face again. “I never said I have a problem with her!”
“You don’t have to say it for me to know it,” Caz snaps back.
“You keep going at me at this rate and I’ll rip your fucking head from your shoulders, Caz. Don’t fuck with me.”
“Go on, then,” Caz says, spreading his arms out wide. “Try it.”
Killian, being an inch or so taller than Caz, glowers down at him, but Caz doesn’t back away. However, Killian does reel his arm back and punches him in the face.
I gasp as Caz stumbles backward, his lower back hitting the railing. He doesn’t allow himself much time to settle into the blow because he’s rushing Killian again, tackling him to the ground.
“Caz! Stop it!” Juniper screams.
Rowan grips Caz by the shoulders, ripping Caz away from his brother and pushing him into the farthest corner. “Stay there!” Rowan barks, pointing a finger at Caz as he swipes the back of his hand over his bloody nose.
Killian lies flat on his back on the deck, panting, and Juniper sighs, planting her hands at her waist.
“Are you two done acting like hooligans?” Maeve’s voice is near, and she’s walking toward the door, another bloom between her fingers. When she steps out, she looks down at Killian, then at Caz, who’s jaw is ticking furiously.
“He takes cheap shots,” Caz grumbles. “Doesn’t fight fair.”
I roll my eyes at the same time Juniper does. “Is this a common occurrence?” I ask, not to anyone in particular.
“Oh yes, it is, and it’smaddening!” Juniper groans.
“Killian, whether you like it or not, Willowisfamily now. She’s a part of Caz, which makes her a part of us, so suck it up.” Maeve walks to the center of the deck, offering a hand to Killian. He mutters something beneath his breath but takes his mother’s hand and allows her to help him up.
