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"So, that was ... something." Juniper turned her body to the side, facing me. She looked positively angelic in the dark blue of the room.
Her curly, autumnal hair pooled down on the silver-toned bedsheet, and she was flushed from all we'd just done.
The emerald in her eyes shone out, making her more feline than a cat roaming the alleyways at night.
"It was more than something," I replied, reaching out to play with a strand of her soft hair. And I meant it. I felt a lot of things in the moment.
Immeasurable guilt—because I'd gone and managed to stuff it up with a possible Target, and she didn't know my motives.
I should have also been careful with the condom, but it just—it was one of those things that happened in the heat of the moment, and I couldn't bring myself to feel bad aboutdoing it.
No, I was actually happy.
I was happy because I realized, lying in that bed beside her, that I'd never wanted someone more than I did right now. I wasn't programmed to want human companionship any longer.
That stuff died with Cole.
My brothers and my kid were the only people who could claim any hold on me. But ... a whole other woman and someone I didn't share any history with?
I couldn't have fathomed this, not in a million fiery waltzes around the sun.
My phone vibrated with a message, and after reading it, I sighed and dialed a number.
She picked up on my third attempt.
"Leia, please come home for dinner. You can't eat junk food every day."
"Try me."
"Let's do something else, then. Either you're coming home to dinner, or I'm dropping you off at your mom's parents' tomorrow. You get to choose."
"Fuck you."
I hung up and rubbed my eyes wearily.
Ellie's parents were about a hundred degrees worse than her, with her dad being a gun nut and her mom thriving on everybody's business but her own.
Leia would rather come home to boiled beans than go there.
Juniper regarded me curiously.
I should have told her about my kid, but she shook her head before I could open my mouth.
"Don't apologize for not telling me. I already knew."
I was about to ask her how, but then I remembered we lived in a small town. I chuckled. "Word gets around faster than pies get baked over here."
"Reed?"
"Yeah?"
"Is that how you two always talk? Because it sounded an awful lot like you need to be pretty hard on her to get her to do the simple stuff."
I considered the question for a bit before giving up. "I don't know, Junie. Leia is almost thirteen and she's always trying to make me the enemy. And I guess this is just how all preteens are."
"I wouldn't agree," she replied, shaking her head thoughtfully.
"Are you saying you could bring my daughter over from the dark side of whatever angsty teenage planet she's on?" I laughed.
