Page 91 of After the Burn

“Neither will you after I give you a concussion.” The heat from Beck’s eyes was trying to drill a hole into Lucas’s face.

Lila hung her head. “Maybe I should just stay. It might appease Mace, and plus I can’t travel as fast as you three.”

“Hell no!” I stood up from Adrian’s lap. “You’re family, and I won’t let you sacrifice yourself like that.” I grabbed her hands. “It’s my fault you’re here.”

“You’re not the terrible Taryn you used to be.” Lila smiled sweetly. “And it isn’t your fault. I followed you, remember?”

“That’s your opinion,” Lucas stated dryly. “It’s entirely her fault you’re here.”

“Why don’t you shut up already?” Lila shocked us all when she snapped at him. “What Taryn did to you was wrong, but she’s more than made up for it. None of us would’ve made it this far without her and her dad.”

I didn’t agree with that last part because we’d all contributed, in one way or another, to our survival, but I appreciated the sentiment.

Lucas growled something so low that even we couldn’t hear it and put more force than necessary into peeling the potatoes.

“No more talk of anyone sacrificing themselves.” Adrian pulled me back into his lap. “Either all of us leave or none of us. Bad things happen when we separate.”

Soon, we all sat around the table with steaming bowls of stew in front of us, and for a while, no one spoke. It was a rare treat to eat so well, and everyone wanted to savor the moment fully.

Beck leaned back in his chair and patted his flat stomach. “That was fantastic, if I do say so myself.”

Lucas grunted, not agreeing or disagreeing. “We need to get to the gate before someone comes looking for us.”

Beck reluctantly stood. “As much as I hate to agree with you on anything, you’re right.” He leaned in and gave me the softest kiss, then grabbed his gun from a side table. “We’ll be back in a couple of hours.”

“Could one of you walk me back to the hotel first?” Lila also stood.

“Why don’t you stay here?” I disliked the idea of her going back alone. “We have plenty of room.”

“It’s better for her to go,” Adrian stated reluctantly. “We don’t want to garner any more attention than we already have. The goal is for us to follow the rules and fit in.”

Lila leaned over and gave me a hug. “I’ll be fine, and the fewer eyes on us, the better.”

Hugs were still awkward for me, but I was getting better at them.

After everyone left, Adrian and I cleared the table and washed the dishes.

Max was snoring gently on the floor, full from the meat scraps we fed him earlier.

“Come outside with me?” Adrian held out his hand.

I nodded shyly as he laced our fingers together.

As we sat on the front steps, I noticed how peaceful this moment felt. The old tire swing swayed gently beneath the enormous live oak, and only crickets filled the silence.

For several moments, neither of us spoke. Being together, enjoying the stars, was more than enough.

Finally, after a time, Adrian spoke, “I owe you an apology.”

I sighed, “I think we’re past all of that.”

“Maybe, but I want to clear the air between us.” He kissed my knuckles. “It’s been a long time coming.”

I nodded. If he needed to get things off his chest, then I was more than willing to listen.

He stared out into space, gathering his thoughts. “After Mom died, I couldn’t bear to stay in that house. I knew Ben was tough on you, but I also knew he loved you.” Adrian let go of my hand and put his arm around my shoulders, drawing me closer.

“Now I know he loved me, but he never showed it in a way that I understood,” I mumbled.