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“You’re not going anywhere?” he asks.
I’m still gripping on to the lit match of hope. It’s burning near my fingers. She’s alive. She’ll wake up. But in a future where she doesn’t—could I even stomach being around her family without her? For Xander, maybe I could.
“I’m not going anywhere,” I say.
He inhales a full breath, then sniffs again. “You have any music recs, wise one?” He wipes at his wet eyes again, then scrolls through songs on his phone.
“Yeah, I’ve got one.” I type in the song and press start. Ween’s “Tried and True” plays around his neck until he lifts the headphones to his ears.
Xander eases back, breathing in and out, and I stand up, thinking about joining Maximoff, Ryke, and Connor at the coffee bar. I worry they’ll ask about tonight. Pry for more details I don’t have. Like full motives.
My family said taking Luna wasn’t the original plan, but I don’t know what was yet.
Before I can decide where to go, an older woman enters, toting an expensive handbag and clutching pearls at her neck.
No one looks thrilled to see Grandmother Calloway, who’s more accurately referred to as the Crow. Mostly by me.
“Where is she?” the Crow barks at her daughters, not even acknowledging the Hales. As though Maximoff doesn’t exist. Like Xander and Kinney aren’t teenagers coping with their sister and mom in the ICU right now.
“Mother,” Rose snaps, marching forward. “We told you to wait at home—”
“No, Lily called me.”
“Jesus Christ,” Lo grimaces, looking fed up with this conversation. “Not this again.”
Yeah, I missed some family fights while in jail.
“She called me twice! Right before—right before the accident.” The Crow is spouting crocodile tears, if I do say so. “And I need to see her. She called me.”
“This isn’t about you,” Rose sneers.
“Oh, be quiet, Rose,” the Crow retorts. “For once, in your life, just shut up.”
“Excuse me?” Rose’s eyes flame.
“Samantha.” Connor walks over quickly. He touches the small of Rose’s back. His other hand dives into Rose’s hand. “Now’s not the time. You need to leave.”
“I—” she starts.
“Mom.” Daisy tries to corral her out the door. “Visitors’ hours aren’t for another four hours. You don’t want to be here for that long. We’ll call you—”
“Will you?” she snaps.
“No, we fucking won’t,” Ryke declares.
Lo comes forward. “Unless your name is Garrison Abbey and you’re bringing breakfast bagels in ten minutes, you’re not allowed in here. I don’t care if you have goddamn proof that Lily called you. I know Lil better than anyone. She won’t want you here, and over my dead body will you be the first face she fucking sees when she wakes up, you understand?”
Her cheeks are bright red. “I can’t even care about my own daughter?”
“You can. At home.”
Her lip curls. “I’ll remember this.”
“I sincerely hope you do.” He can’t even flash a half-smile. He’s too broken up for that. Once she’s gone, air returns to the room.
“Why is she always so intense?” Kinney mutters.
“Don’t worry too much about her,” her Aunt Willow says. “Have you read Powers of X yet?”
The door swings open again.
“Garrison—” Lo stops himself short.
“Not Garrison,” Farrow says in a tensed breath, a tablet under his armpit. Everyone seems to spring to a stance, and Farrow extends a hand, as though saying, wait. “I need to speak to two people. Lo and Donnelly.”
Me?
The Core Six as they’re called in WAC forums—really, the Core Five without Lily—all shift and look back at me. Never in my wildest imagination would I picture this movie moment, and I wanna send the script back to Luna. Ask her for a rewrite. Replace the setting to a tropical beach and turn their frowns upside-down, thank you very much.
“Why Donnelly?” Rose questions, turning to Farrow, hands on her hips.
“He was the last person who spoke to Luna before she became unresponsive. He has information we need.”
“We? As in doctors or security?” Connor asks.
“Doctors.”
I go to the door with Lo, not arguing or complaining.
Lo asks Farrow under his breath, “You can’t talk in front of everyone? It’s that bad?” He already seems gutted.
“It’s complicated. Bring Maximoff if you’d like.” He motions for us to exit, and Lo waves his oldest son out the door with us.
Security has crammed the hallway, more than before. Most of SFO are here, especially the rookies. Quinn, Gabe, and Frog try to catch my attention. I divert my gaze and take interest in the ceiling tiles.
Not sure what those three want, but I’m struggling to make most chitchat light and easy. Partly, too, I’m still their cool bodyguard camp counselor, but I felt more like a role model when I flashed my pierced nipples and deep-throated a hot dog at two a.m. than I do today.
Being arrested, even for show, isn’t something I wanna be known for.
I look fully away as a few Epsilon and Alpha bodyguards scrutinize me head-to-toe. Probably wondering where my shirt went.
