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Questions float behind his eyes.
But more than that, the truth of what he knows was done to her.
It occurs to me we have yet to mention to Kane what we know—the answers he’s been searching for since he learned how to use a computer.
Not looking forward to that conversation, I call out to my brother.
“Actually, it’s getting late. I’d rather get some sleep and we can…“
Mom stands from her seat then walks over to Damon. She doesn’t say a word as she stands in front of him, a few seconds passing before she pushes up to her tiptoes and wraps her arms around him for a hug.
My eyes fly wide and so do Damon’s, his amber stare holding mine as he gently hugs my mother in return.
“I’m Emma,” she says to him. “It’s nice to meet you.”
Okay. What in the actual fuck is going on?
Even Kane stills in place, his dark stare bouncing between Mom hugging Damon then over to me.
She pulls away to hold Damon by his shoulders. He looks dazed initially but shakes away the reaction and answers, “I’m Damon.”
Kane steps up to touch Mom’s arm and draw her attention. She turns to look at him, and my breath catches in my lungs to see the broad smile on her face.
I’m not sure I’ve seen Mom so happy.
Not once.
Not ever.
“Maybe Ames is right, and we should all go to bed and talk in the morning.”
I silently thank my brother for following my lead, the legs of my chair squeaking over the floor as I push to my feet and cross the room to stand next to Damon.
“So I can take the couch, and Damon can sleep on the floor—“
“You two take my room. I’ll take the couch,” Kane says, interrupting me.
Surprise shoots my eyebrows to my hairline, but rather than arguing, I thank him and grab Damon’s hand to lead him away.
This night hasn’t gotten far too weird for my taste, and I’m even more exhausted after the last ten minutes.
Without bothering to ask which room is Kane’s, I lead Damon out of the kitchen while Kane speaks at our retreating backs.
“Second door on the left. The bathroom is across the hall, if you need it.”
Lifting a hand to thank him, my feet don’t stop until the door to Kane’s bedroom closes behind my back, and I lean against the wood to stare at Damon.
“What the fuck just happened?”
He laughs. Not a funny laugh, or a mocking one. More of a shocked laugh, still … Damon laughs.
My cheeks flare red, tension racing down my shoulders into my arms where I cross them over my chest.
“I fail to see what’s funny about any of this.”
Damon creeps closer to me, raising his hands slowly as if I might attack him if he moves too quickly. I feel like a damn lion being approached by the gazelle.
His warm hands wrap around my biceps, then he inches even closer until our chests come together and I can feel the steady beat of his breath against my hair.
