“Besides how they’re so, so out of my league?”
Cassie gave him a look. “Please, you’re great. I know it, they know it. Hey,” she paused until he looked back at the screen, “what if, in this brave new world of yours, we try something new. What if we enjoy a good thing while it’s happening and not worry it to death? If they said they like you, then they like you, and you should stop spending energy trying to argue them out of it, huh?”
Luis groaned. “Stop making sense.”
“Can’t, it’s in my blood.Speaking of–”Cassie started.
“It’s all fine,” Luis said before she could get into it. “My levels are good, the bites are working, I’ve never been better,” he said, then added, “Physically.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Should I ask about the cult-member in the jail cell corner of the room?” Cassie asked carefully. “You haven’t really said anything about it since her arrest.”
Luis blew out a breath, sitting back. He was in the library on the cozy lounge chair. “I’m supposed to go and file for a restraining order tonight. At least start the process, since she might get out on bond and, well…”
Cassie nodded. “Yeah, that’s a good idea. But how are wefeeling?”
That was a harder question to answer. “Guilty? Angry? Sad? I don’t want to send my mom to jail, I don’t want to bring charges against her. I’d rather just… put this all behind me, but if I don’t, something else could happen. Or her and her church could target other people. Could target Julien and Karim. It just sucks. It’s weird and when I think about it, I just get so angry.”
“I’m angry too,” Cassie admitted. “That she’d do this to you. That I didn’t do better to get you away from her. That I wasn’t there.”
“Cassie,” Luis said, voice suddenly thick.
“No, listen,” Cassie said firmly. “I know it’s not my fault. I get it, logically. But you’re my family and she hurt you.She almost took you away from me.And that–that hurts. And it makes me so angry when I think about how close it all came to disaster.”
With everything going on, he hadn’t stopped to consider how Cassie might’ve taken all of it. “I’m sorry,” he said on reflex.
“Don’t apologize you idiot!” Now Cassie was blinking back tears. She sniffed and swiped at her eyes. “God, you’re so–you’re so stupidly sweet, Luis. It’s not your fault and I just–I just get feelings, okay? It’s no big deal.”
“Uh huh,” Luis said, watching her swipe again at her eyes. “I’m still… I wish it didn’t happen,” he settled on.
“Me too.” He watched her take a conscious breath to shake it off. “Whew, okay! So maybe we talk about that in small doses, huh? How about something lighter–heard about that asteroid supposed to hit earth in two hundred years?” Cassie asked.
A laugh choked out of him, clearing his rough throat. “God, no, but tell me more.”
##
After dinner that evening, he and Julien went down to the VPD to file the restraining order. There was waiting and paperwork and more waiting. Julien stayed at his side, guiding him, grounding him.
But Luis was grateful when they got back to the car and it was done.
“Karim’s packing a bunch of orders today, would you like to join us in the basement and hang out for a while?” Usually when they worked, they left Luis to his own devices. Today, Julien must have known he didn’t want to be alone.
“Yeah, okay,” Luis said.
When they got home, Julien paused at the top of the stairs.
“Ah, if the basement feels uncomfortable for you, you do not have to stay,” he said. “I’m sorry, it just occurred to me.”
Luis hadn’t thought about it either. “Okay,” he said, because he wasn’t sure if it would be hard for him.
But Julien and Karim’s basement was nothing like the church. It was a large, open space, finished and was well lit. It wasn’t abandoned and cold and dusty. If anything, it matched the rest of the house, except that instead of designed rooms, the furniture was cluttered along the walls.
He felt Julien’s eyes on him.
“I’m okay,” Luis said, and he meant it.
Halfway down the space was Karim, so they headed toward him. He was taping together boxes, and had a huge roll of bubble wrap on the table beside him.
Karim paused his taping when they got close enough. “Everything go okay?” He asked Julien.
