“Yeah?”
“We’re going to figure this out. Whatever’s going on, we’re going to figure it out.”
“Promise?”
The single word carried so much vulnerability that my throat went tight. “Promise. We’re partners.”
After we hung up, I stood in the silence for a moment, looking at the dying fire and the star-filled sky. Dom was watching me with a knowing expression.
“Road trip?” he asked, pushing himself up from his chair.
“Yeah. I need to get back down there.”
“Want company for the drive?”
I considered it—having Dom there for moral support versus needing time to think through what I was going to tell Alex when I saw her.
“Thanks, but I think I need to do this one solo.”
Dom rested his hands on his hips and looked at me like I’d lost my mind. “Except you can’t actually drive down there, genius. Six hours? With the exhaustion limit you’ve already hit? With your depth perception? ‘Sides, I texted Enzo. He’s been with her since yesterday.”
Great. Enzo was going to kill me before I could kill Jordan. “So we leave first thing in the morning?”
“First thing,” Dom confirmed. “I’ll drive. You can spend the time figuring out what you’re going to tell her.”
“Dom,” I watched my brother, who was calmly folding camp chairs like he hadn’t just agreed to a six-hour trip. “You sure about this?”
“Finn,” he gave me a look. “She’s family. Of course I’m sure.”
We loaded the truck quickly.
“Hey,” Dom held my mug out to me—filling it with one more swallow of whiskey. He was lucky he could afford to replace the nearly-empty bottle. I took my mug and looked at him as he filled his own. “To the people who become family.”
“To the family we can’t live without.”
Tomorrow. I’d be there tomorrow, and we’d figure out how to fix whatever damage my fear had caused. I had a mission now. Get to Alex. Tell her the truth. Deal with whatever came after.
For the first time since reading those test results, the path forward felt clear.
Chapter 25
Apex predator energy
Alex
Finn was coming home. Better than that, he wanted to come home. I’d barely slept in anticipation and while lack of sleep wasn’t new, the reason was. I’d take it. But I couldn’t think about it now. I needed to gear up for battle. To fight for my company and for the livelihood of everyone who counted on me.
My phone buzzed.
Finn:We’re leaving in about an hour. Can’t wait to see you <3
The heart was new. I did my best not to analyze if he meant it or if he was overcompensating for the last week.
Me:can’t wait to see you. drive safe.
I hit send before I could rethink anything. I was rewarded with a heart reaction to my message.
I pulled on my robe and decided to force myself to eat breakfast first, knowing that I’d rush out the door without eating at all otherwise. I didn’t know how long my recommitment to healthy habits would last, but for now I was clinging to them like my life depended on it… which it sort of did.
