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Otto lifted one side of his mouth but nodded, walking with me as we entered the small kitchen area. Raven faced away from us, her braids down, leaving her black and blue hair in waves around her. If it was possible, her hair seemed to be bigger than she was. Rueben was to her left, and Porter to her right, both grinning as they watched her eat. I couldn’t blame them. Watching Raven eat was a treat all on its own.
“Raven, this is our brother and friend, Otto. The last member of the Loxley Crew,” I said, grinning wide.
Otto tensed beside me, his trademark smirk in place, and I prayed he wouldn’t eviscerate her too badly. Mostly because I didn’t know if Rueben would allow it; he’d punch Otto if he made her cry.
Raven turned, the fork with a bite of pancake still in her hand and a beautiful smile on her face as she met my eyes before moving to the man next to me. I felt Otto’s body grow rigid as he gasped, and Raven’s eyes bulged, her face growing slack as she dropped the fork, and it clattered to the floor.
A sudden jolt of panic rose in me, afraid Otto had been right, and she was conning us, breaking all of our hearts. That was until Otto said the one thing I never thought he’d utter again; freezing us all to our spots.
“Little Bird?”
11
RAVEN
Gray eyesI’d know anywhere—the same ones I hoped but never thought I’d see again—stared back at me. The faded image of the brown-haired boy with a cute smile I’d known came into high-definition focus, shattering every vision I’d created in my mind. The cute kid no longer existed. Instead, he’d been replaced with a man—slightly shorter than the other three—built with muscles and tattoos. His hair was the same chocolate brown, now longer on the top and short on the sides. Stubble covered his jaw where none had been before, and his nose appeared to have a slight bump like it had been broken and never healed properly.
Time froze as I stared at him, wondering if I’d somehow conjured an adult Otto from my mind after thinking about him over the past twenty-four hours.
“Little Bird?” he whispered, breaking the paralysis I’d been in, his words jump-starting my heart.
The other guys disappeared as I bolted from my chair, leaping into Otto’s arms. He caught me easily, wrapping his muscled forearms tightly around me, his head falling into the crook of my neck. I could smell his body wash and shampoo as my face pressed against him.
“Peppermint,” I whispered; the smell was so intertwined with Otto in my mind.
We stood holding each other for a few seconds, absorbing one another, neither of us saying a word. When his body trembled, the comments the guys had made last night about him filtered through, and I pulled back, not knowing if it was serious. I scanned him for any sign of sickness, not finding anything standing out.
“It’s really you,” he said, his voice full of awe. The corners of his eyes were shiny, the smile I’d committed to memory now fully on display.
I nodded and lifted my hand, my fingers shaking as I placed them against his cheek. His eyes closed at my touch, and he sucked in a breath. His stubble tickled my palm, and I smoothed my thumb over his face. Otto leaned into me, pressing into my hand more.
“Holy shit!” someone behind us said as the chair scraped against the floor, reminding me other people were in the room. Otto’s eyes opened, flicking behind me like he’d just realized it too. He glanced back down at me, something clicking in his head.
“Raven?” he asked, and I nodded, smiling. “The Peppermint—”
“No!” three other voices shouted, cutting Otto off. I giggled, my brain and body coming back online.
“Cutie-pie’s the Silent Blade. Check your sources,” Porter said, tsking.
Otto’s eyes went wide as he looked down at me in response. I tapped his arms to set me down, but he refused, tightening his grip. Leaning into a backbend and placing my hands on the ground, I shocked Otto—and the others if their shouts of surprise were anything to go by—as I flipped out of his arms and stood.
Phoenix smiled wide at me, happiness radiating from him. I spun on my heels, not putting too much pressure on my ankle, and spotted Porter behind me. I motioned for him to bend down, his cheeks turning red as he did. Leaning close, I kissed his smooth cheek and spun back around.
“So, after we got separated, you met these three?” I asked, glancing at Otto again, still shocked he was standing in this kitchen. I was worried if I blinked, he’d disappear.
“Yeah. Well, sorta. I bounced around a few foster homes first. I kept running away to look for you,” he admitted sheepishly. “Eventually, they were tired of reporting me, and I ended up in the group home and met Rueben. The twins showed up a year later. We’ve been together ever since.”
“You looked for me?” I asked, hope shining in my voice.
Otto moved closer, placing his hands on my hips as he looked down into my eyes. “I made a promise, Little Bird. Together—”
“Forever,” I finished. My lips curved up in the biggest smile, my heart beating a mile a minute. He hadn’t forgotten me.
“I never gave up, even though everyone told me you’d died. I knew you were still out there somewhere.” His forehead rested on mine, and we breathed in the air between us. “What happened to you? Where did you go?” he asked, stepping back.
“Not to break up this beautiful moment,” Porter started, appearing next to Otto, his eyes searching both of us. “But Raven needs to rest her ankle some more, and you should eat something.”
Otto swallowed at his friend’s words, digesting them. When it clicked I was hurt he bolted into action. “Your ankle. Yes, Phoenix told me. Sit back down, and we can all talk.”
