“Whoa.” Liam holds a hand out. “And he’s still with us. I’d like to think it was all a part of the plan. A necessary evil.” He winks her way as he says that last word, and rightly so.
“Logan?” Skyla stiffens as she demands a response from him.
Logan winces at the two of them. “Really, Liam?”
Liam nods, affirming his insanity. “Really.”
“Fine,” Logan says, tossing up his hands. “Some people need a little tough love, and I think you are one of them, brother. Good luck to you. And, Chloe? You do realize his superpower is impregnating women.”
“It’s not happening,” she assures us. “And we’re both fine with it. Liam will have his rugrats, and I have mine.” She looks to Skyla. “Wes and I have discussed it, and I’ll be taking part in their lives now and again. I’ve decided that there’s room in my heart for Tobie and Mally.”
“Good. I know you have it in you to be a decent mother.” Skyla tips her head to the side. “God help you all.”
We share a warm laugh on Chloe’s behalf before Skyla and Logan take off for Whitehorse.
I’ll be joining them in a bit, but I head across the street to Wesley’s first.
He meets me at the door in his sweats, looking drugged as if he still can’t catch up on his sleep.
“Brother.” He pulls me into a manly embrace. “Dude, if you get tired of watching Logan sleep with your wife, you’re welcome to move into my basement.”
“Thanks, I might just take you up on it. Are you okay, man?”
His lips purse as his expression grows sober. “Yeah, I’m good. Laken and I are good. She gave her landlord the heads-up. She and the kids are moving in with me next month.”
“That’s great to hear. I’d rather she be with you than in that house all alone with those memories. This will be a good thing. Are you going to make an honest woman out of her?”
A smile curves on his lips. “We’re tying the knot as soon as we can pick a date. You up for playing the part of best man?”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way.” I slap him on the back. “Don’t forget about the game this Saturday at West. Dudley got the field for us.”
“I wouldn’t miss it. And don’t think I’m not going to kick your ass while we’re out there.”
“I’ll believe it when I see it,” I say as I take off.
By the time I get to Whitehorse, the rain has started in, sizzling over my windshield, quick and steady.
I pull the last of my things from the cab of my truck and make a run for the porch.
It’s true. I’m moving in.
And now that every last Nephilim has fully sided with Skyla, we decided to give Ezrina and Nev full run of the Transfer. They’ve decided to use the place as their weekend house, or realm as it were. As for Paragon, they’re building a house down the road with the money they’ve saved up from the Gas Lab. They want to ensure Alice has as normal a life as possible, and in a strange way, I do believe it’s possible. But until then, they’re still in the basement.
I’ll be taking a room upstairs on the other side of the house as far away as possible from Skyla and Logan’s bedroom. Weird, I know. But the boys will be next door to me. And the fact I get to live with my kids is a gift I couldn’t say no to.
It was Skyla and Logan who came up with the idea. They left it open-ended. I can stay for as long as I want. I’m not sure how long I’ll be here, but for now, after all of the emotional trauma we’ve all been through, it didn’t seem like a bad idea.
I give a knock to the door and hear the thunder of little feet drumming in this direction.
The door bursts open, and it’s Skyla on the other side with Nathan and Barron screaming wildly at the sight of me.
“Daddy’s home!” Skyla trills as the boys attack me.
Logan comes this way with Jaxson on his hip. “Welcome home, Gage.”
I step inside to my new reality—our new reality, as I pick up the boys and jostle them until they scream and laugh.
“I’m home.”
