Series: Like Us Series by Krista Ritchie
Total pages in book: 241
Estimated words: 236417 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1182(@200wpm)___ 946(@250wpm)___ 788(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 236417 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1182(@200wpm)___ 946(@250wpm)___ 788(@300wpm)
“That’s all him. He’s a sweet little kid.” Donnelly stakes the mid-sized reindeer made of wire and lights into the front yard. A light layer of snow dusts the grass. He casts a quick glance back at the house, like he’s worried Ripley will return, and when he notices that I notice him, he ends up saying, “The best place for Ripley is with his dads. Always will be.”
“You don’t like being around him?”
“It’s not that…” He makes sure Tom and Eliot aren’t eavesdropping, but they’re not in view. I suspect they’re working on the rear of the house. “He’s the Donnelly that got out, Luna. I’m not fully out—”
“But—”
“I’m not,” he breathes, then stands up. “There’s a…darkness clung to me that I might never be able to fully detach from.” His eyes fall to the baby in the sling, then he looks away at the rustling fir trees in the distance. “I love being here. With you. With your family.” His gaze rests softly against mine. “But I’m always expecting the rug to be pulled out from under me, and it’s bad enough you’re standing on it now too.”
“I think I’ve always been on the same rug,” I say so quietly, I doubt he hears.
By the empathetic look in his blue eyes, I realize he caught the sound. “I hate that, you know. I want to pick you up and place you on Thebula’s grass.”
“Right beneath the Divothian Waterfall.”
He grins. “You’re soaking wet.”
“Uh-huh,” I smile back. “Drenched in the waters of immortality.”
“With me.”
My heart swells five sizes too big. “With you.”
His grin edges farther across his face, and then he steps back to examine his work. “Prancer lookin’ fine as hell.”
“All the other reindeer are jealous.”
“They’ll just have to be.” He straightens the mom reindeer, the entire family standing at perfect alignment. No one is even lopsided or crooked.
I bounce from side-to-side, and Cassidy begins falling asleep with the movement. “I have some good news,” I tell him.
He glances my way. “Smother me with it, space babe.”
“You don’t have to crash at security’s cabin this week. My dad said you could spend the night at the lake house.”
His shock unsteadies him. He leans on Prancer, and the reindeer nearly tips over. Donnelly catches his balance and uprights the decoration. “Your dad? Loren Hale?”
I smile, glad I could deliver some happiness, considering he’s always blanketing those warm sentiments over me. “My dad,” I confirm. “We had a good conversation in the Cobalt’s library this morning.”
“Must’ve been some talk.” He’s still in shock. “What about your mom?”
“I…don’t know.” I think hard. “I just assumed they were a united front on this one. But…I guess I can’t be sure. I haven’t had a big talk with her yet. I figured she’d come to me when she’s ready.”
He lets this sink in. “I’m staying in your room?”
“Yeah, but I bunk with Eliot and Tom, so we’re not totally alone.”
It dawns on him. “Your dad knew that.”
“Yep.”
I’ve heard that ever since Moffy, Jane, and Sulli got married, the rooms at the lake house have been rearranged to accommodate the new spouses. It’s begun to limit the remaining rooms, and there isn’t an extra space for me and Donnelly unless we want to sleep in the storage closet.
“But it’s a four-bunk bedroom,” I add. “You’d just take the extra bunk underneath me.”
“Bunk mates,” Donnelly nods his head like he’s digging this arrangement. “It definitely beats rooming with Epsilon. Massive upgrade.”
I grin. “I’m happy to be your friendly neighborhood concierge.”
“Let’s just hope the friendly neighborhood concierge’s dad is truly chill with me being her bunk mate.”
“He’s too preoccupied with my grandfather’s death to worry about me,” I say, and I’m not exactly sure it’s true. But I hope it is.
Loud laughter cascades out of the house. “What the fuck, Kits, that’s not true,” Sulli says mid-laugh. “Stop laughing.”
“You’re laughing too,” Akara points out while they descend the front porch stoop. “And it’s a funny story.”
She peeks back at Banks, who towers behind them. Her cheeks are flushed, and Akara teases her for being embarrassed in front of her husband. They’re both her husbands, I remind myself.
Discovering the Kitsulletti triad has been like witnessing a shooting star in a far-off galaxy. While entirely mesmerizing, it feels like if I blink, it’ll disappear. Like I’m imagining the event.
“You’re saying you never slipped off the diving board?” Akara asks, coming down to the front yard. They’ve changed into winter gear and hiking boots, and Banks carries an axe over his shoulder.
“Never happened,” Sulli says.
“And you weren’t checking out the lifeguard?”
“No.” She blushes. “Can we just drop it?” Her baby bump is more noticeable, but she’s not due until next year.
Akara frowns, then glances back at Banks with a silent exchange. I don’t know either of them well. I’m not even sure how much OG Luna did.