As long as she fucking comes back.
I switch my gaze between them. Between Oscar’s dark eyes and Jake’s deep blue. Both of them worried. Desperation leaks into the air. “Please. Stay outside the room – keep out of it. Separated, in case anything goes wrong. But… let me fuckingtry.”
Oscar loosens a breath. “Okay.”
“What?” Jake swings his head toward him, eyes widening. “You can’t be fucking serious.”
“There’s a chance,” Oscar murmurs. He rubs a hand over his face. “And Theo’s right – she is comfortable.”
“This is bullshit,” Jake snaps. He pushes the truck door open. “You’re going to fucking traumatize her all over again.”
“She’s stronger than that.” I hold his gaze, praying that I’m right. “You’ll see.”
God, please. Please let this do something.
My feet feel like lead as I follow them inside. Max is in the room with her, Kenny curled up against him in her new favourite spot. Her eyes are closed. She looks… peaceful.
Comfortable. And I’m about to take that comfort – the only thing she has - and tear it into shreds.
I take a moment to breathe. To consider everything I know about Kenny – every bit of her. And when Oscar glances back at me, doubt written across every part of his face, I nod.
Don’t hate me too much, Ken. Please, God, don’t hate me.
But if she does, I already deserve every bit of it. I’ll take a little more, as long as it helps her.
“We should wait for Abrams. Talk it through at least,” Jake says tightly. Disapproval is written all over his face.
“The scent might fade,” I say roughly. And now the thoughts in my head – it won’t leave. “It’s going to work.”
He swears under his breath, crossing his arms and shifting aside. “It had fucking better.”
“We’ll stay by the door,” Oscar says quietly. “We’ll stay back, but you’re not going in there alone. Just in case.”
In case the small trace of Kenny we’ve coaxed out disappears again, replaced by the version we met one year ago today.
My resolve strengthens. “She’s coming back today.”
They don’t look nearly as certain as I feel when I step through the doors. Max glances over from the corner, Ken shifting as her head raises.
“Max,” Oscar keeps his voice low. “Get over here.”
He swings his eyes between us, and then down to Kenny. “Why?”
“I’ll explain,” Oscar says tersely. “When you’re over here.”
Kenny scrambles from his lap as he gets to his feet. Her head swings between me and Max, and I step forward as he shifts past me.
Oscar’s low mutter is barely audible, but I hear Max loud and fucking clear. “Hewhat?”
Kenny stiffens at the change in his tone. Her eyes turn from wide to wary, narrowing as they focus on me.
She takes a breath, her nostrils flaring. Pauses.
And a low, threatening growl rolls from her throat, filling the air between us.
Shit.
I take another step closer. “Kenny. I know you’re in there.”
