Page 49 of End Game

Everyone freezes, then slowly we all look toward him.

He looks around the table. “What?”

I point at him. “That.”

“What?” he honestly looks confused.

“Do it again,” I suggest.

“Do what again?”

“Participate.”

He laughs and shakes his head. “Fuckin’ a.”

“He’s evolving,” I stage whisper to Micah.

“I can hear you,” Griffin says.

“See? Enhanced perception too.”

Cami is laughing so hard now that she’s leaning against Griffin.

His arm goes automatically around her.

And that’s when something in me clicks.

Nobody is weird.

Nobody is tense.

Griffin isn’t monitoring every interaction between Cami and the rest of us.

Ronan isn’t pretending he’s not officially part of the polycule.

Cami isn’t worrying about whether touching one of us will hurt someone else.

Micah isn’t trying to quietly referee.

And I’m…

Okay, I’m still being a menace.

But that’s foundational ecosystem.

For the first time, maybe ever, we’re just… us.

Whatever the fuck that means.

“Can someone free me?” Cami asks.

“Working on it,” Micah responds quietly. “Checking spells.”

“I could probably do it,” I offer and wink at her.

She gives me a look. “Can you?”

“I have extremely talented hands.”