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He’s trying to make me laugh again, but the best he gets is an eye roll. He keeps trying the whole time Cal stitches him up even though his jokes get worse and worse.
By the time Cal is finished with Kellan and we’ve cleaned up the kitchen, I’ve at least stopped shaking. Kellan slides off the counter and wraps his uninjured arm around my waist.
“See?” he murmurs. “Good as new.”
“Get some sleep,” Cal says, “And do your best not to use that arm as much as possible so you don’t slow the healing process.”
“Yeah, sure.”
“I’m serious,” Cal snaps. “You’re treating this like it isn’t a big deal, but you need to take it easy.”
“Fine. Jesus, sorry. I won’t use my arm.”
That seems to make Cal relax. He turns around to wash his hands in the sink again.
“I’m gonna have to start eating more apples,” Kellan whispers to me with a glint in his eyes.
“Why?” I whisper back.
“Well, how does the saying go? An apple a day keeps the doctor away?”
“I’m gonna fucking kill you,” Cal growls.
“Sure you will.” Kellan snickers before kissing me gently. “Now can we please go to bed? I’m exhausted.”
Cal glances between Wes and Kellan. “Just as long as we’re in the clear. There’s no way to trace this back to him?”
“None,” Wes says. “We’re good. Char even said she’d send in a cleanup team instead of waiting for someone to find the bodies and call the authorities.”
Kellan grins. “She said it’d fuck with her plans, which means that apparently, we’re not just pawns to her. I think she’s got a soft spot for us.”
Wes rolls his eyes. “Yeah, you need to sleep. You’re fucking delusional.”
In bed, Cal spoons me and keeps my body nestled against his. I must stay still for long enough that he thinks I’m asleep, because he speaks to me so softly that I almost don’t hear.
“I heard you earlier. I know you didn’t want to fall for us, but I’m glad you did. I don’t know what I’d do without you, Thelia.”
Chapter Fifty
Kellan
“I’ll miss you,” Athelia says as she wraps her arms around Haven. “Christmas won’t be the same without you there.”
“I’ll miss you, too,” Haven replies. “Maybe next year.”
“God, I hope so.”
Winter break began yesterday. However much we want to keep Athelia here for Christmas, we won’t force her. She wants to spend some time with her parents. Besides, she promised she’ll come back home early so we have some of break together.
“And you’ll drive safe?” Haven asks. “The roads are probably icy.”
“Yeah, some,” Athelia says, “but it’s nothing I haven’t driven in before. I’ll text you updates.”
“But not while you’re driving.”
With a smile, Athelia nods. “Not while I’m driving.”
Something passes between the two girls then. I’m not sure what it is, but it looks like a question and an answer, even though it’s just a glance. Almost as quickly as it came, it’s gone, and Haven and Athelia embrace one last time.
