Page 98 of A Million To Fall

He exhales hard, jaw flexing.

“I know he’s your boyfriend. I know it’s not my place.”

Another pause.

“But I don’t like the way he treats you.”

I don’t speak. Wouldn’t even know what to say. I haven’t even begun to work through the chaos in my head and heart. Boston’s sudden reappearance in my life feels like discovering a fork in the road when I was convinced there’d only ever be one way forward.

Before I can second-guess myself, I lean across the center console and wrap my arms around him. He smells like soap and warmth and something that feels like home.

For a second, he seems startled. Then one hand comes up to my arm.

I press my face into his shoulder and close my eyes.

Boston parks the car in front of a modest two-story house on a quiet street. I glance around, struck by how much older the homes look—and how far this world feels from mine.

Boston gives my knee a soft squeeze. “Be right back,” he says, already halfway out of the car.

I watch him stride up the walkway, purposeful and sure. He knocks, and a woman I recognize as Cassie and Bronx’s new foster mom answers the door. She barely gets a greeting out before two small bodies launch themselves at Boston. I can hear the giggles and shrieks of laughter even from here. Boston crouches down, helps them with their shoes, and then effortlessly lifts one into each arm.

There’s a bright smile on his lips, which honestly lights up the whole damn world. I don’t see that smile often, but when I do it’s devastating.

Boston sets his siblings down beside the car and opens the back door with ease. “Alright, in you go.”

They scramble in, chattering a mile a minute as they buckle themselves in. Their voices rise and fall in joyful bursts, their energy filling every corner of the car.

Boston slides back into the driver’s seat beside me, eyebrows raised with amusement. The volume in the back drops for a fraction of a second before both Bronx and Cassie screech with delight. “Skye!”

Cassie’s tiny arms wrapped around my throat from behind, clearly meant as a hug, but it feels like I’m being strangled by an enthusiastic squirrel.

I laugh, untangling myself from her, then turn in my seat. “Hey, guys. Ooh, Bronx, new shoes?”

“Boss gave them to me,” he says proudly, wrapping his own little t-rex arms around Boston’s broad frame.

“That was really sweet of him.” I say.

“He’s the best big brother ever,” Bronx says matter-of-factly.

I glance over at Boston as he starts the car again. The smile on his lips is content, like he’s never received a bigger compliment in his life.

“So what are we doing today?” Boston asks.

The question sets off a flurry of suggestions from the backseat.

“Okay, okay, slow down,” Boston laughs. “We have two hours, tops. How about we hit the park, and then go get some ice cream?”

The shriek of approval startles me, and Boston just laughs again.

But then Cassie’s voice cuts through the giddy hum. “Bronx had another accident last night.”

“Hey!” Bronx yelps, glaring at his sister.

Boston’s smile dims, eyes flicking to the rearview mirror. “Did you have a bad dream again?”

Bronx nods, his fingers playing nervously with the hem of his shorts.

“You want to tell me what it was about?”