Total pages in book: 143
Estimated words: 138844 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 694(@200wpm)___ 555(@250wpm)___ 463(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 138844 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 694(@200wpm)___ 555(@250wpm)___ 463(@300wpm)
“He means that figuratively!” Corey exclaimed. “Please don’t kill Froggy.”
“He’s safe with me,” I assured. “I’ll just pour gas down his throat.”
Corey nodded. “He likes that.”
Before long, I had the Finlay Ridge Family Farm in the rearview, and my stomach was tight with nerves. And soon, caffeine. After everything they’d done for me, I’d declined a to-go cup. What I needed was to find the nearest gas station where I could buy a big-ass Mountain Dew.
KC and I so rarely allowed any soda in the house that he and I suffered. Noa ate enough sugar, so KC limited him to weekends and occasional dinners—one glass maximum—and Master was certainly not allowed to drink it. I mean, he wasn’t the biggest fan of soda anyway, but if things got desperate, he’d hunt down any source of sugar.
Every now and then, KC and I snuck soda and dessert together, just the two of us.
Maybe we’d do that again.
I had hope.
I could see the future once more.
I pulled up to the curb since our driveway already had four cars. Mine, KC’s, and both of Lucian’s. His little Jaguar was back under its tarp after Sloan had gotten it ready for spring. Lucian didn’t drive it in the winter.
I blew out a breath and typed out the message.
I’m home. Thank you again for everything, Sir.
I sent it off to Master Greer and sucked on the straw to my giant soda.
Maybe not my best call to get hopped up on sugar and caffeine at… I checked the time. One-thirty in the morning. Hell, I was bordering on jittery. But that could also be the nervousness of currently being perhaps twenty, thirty feet away from Lucian. Was he asleep? Was he in KC and Noa’s bedroom or ours? Had he taken his medication?
While I’d packed up my stuff at Master Greer’s house, he’d let me know that Lucian wasn’t feeling well without me. He missed me a lot. He didn’t want me to feel bad for leaving, but he missed me.
I did feel bad for leaving, and I probably always would, even though I’d needed my escape.
If I’d known Master was going to do a complete 180 and quit his job…
He’d actually quit. Part of me still couldn’t believe it.
Enough stalling.
But I was nervous!
I sucked more on the straw, until it was making gurgly sounds at the bottom of the cup.
Okay, time to reunite with my future.
We had a fucking future.
I released a breath and gathered my stuff, then climbed out of the car. Just in time for Master Greer to respond to me.
Glad to hear it. Go take care of your Owner, and let him take care of you too.
I smiled as a flurry of butterflies whooshed around in my stomach, and I hurried up the driveway and got my keys ready.
The moment I’d unlocked the door, I poked my head in and turned off the alarm so I didn’t wake up the entire house.
It smells like home.
I left the lights off and relocked the door. Alarm reactivated. Shoes off, bag dropped on the floor, keys in the bowl on the side table. The house was quiet and dark, aside from a single light in the kitchen.
I peered in there on my way to the stairs, and I wasn’t surprised one bit to see takeout containers on the kitchen counter. However, they’d ordered from a healthy place, so it appeared KC was in charge.
Another relief.
Goddammit, Noa. He’d dumped a bunch of laundry at the foot of the stairs, and it took all my willpower to walk over it. I’d deal with that tomorrow. Not now. Instead, I padded upstairs and glanced into the first bedroom. KC and Noa were asleep, and I had to smile. They were so wild in their sleep, both of them. Covers twisted, KC had one arm thrown over his face, his other arm acted as Noa’s pillow, and Noa had a leg draped over KC’s thigh.
A handful of glow-in-the-dark lizards and spiders shone on the ceiling above them, in the otherwise KC-decorated room. As in, very little character. Just practical stuff. One of KC’s wheelchairs, a couple dressers, and their shared closet… On the other hand, KC needed room to move for the days he was more dependent on his chair, and have mercy on anyone who suggested he and Noa took the guest room downstairs as theirs instead. It’d been KC’s bedroom before, so he could avoid the stairs.
I was going to make us all the best breakfast in the morning. My entire soul cried to return to servitude. A two-day break had been too much.
Past the bathroom, I came to a stop outside the bedroom I shared with Lucian, and the sight solidified my resolve. It made my heart clench. He’d kept the light on in the window, and he’d stretched out across my side of the bed. His head was on my pillow.