“Depending on the season, we rotated between wheat, corn, cotton, and alfalfa.”
“Did you drive one of those big tracker things?”
He chuckles. “Yeah, the tractor and the harvester.”
“Do you miss it? The farm?”
“Well, it certainly beats prison.”
“I’m sorry you ended up in there.” I picture the four of them crammed into a cell together and squeeze his arm a little tighter, hating the thought of them being locked away. “Do you think it’s kind of weird that the four of you ended up sharing a cell?”
“I hadn’t thought so when we were in there, but that was before you figured out how we’re all connected.”
“It seems like an awfully big coincidence.”
“Everything that connects the five of us does seem like more than a coincidence.” He squeezes my hand and smiles down at me. “But since it led me to you, I’m not too worried.”
“You don’t think there’s something bigger at play here?”
“I think it’s fate.”
“You—” I swallow the lump in my throat before asking, “You think fate brought us together?”
“Sure. Don’t you believe in fate?”
“I’m not sure, I never really thought about it before.”
“Let’s turn here and head back down the street before we get too far away,” he says, turning us as we start heading back toward the house we’re watching. From here, I can see the driveway is still empty.
Above the house, I see the sky starting to turn orange in the distance. “The sun’s starting to set. I hope they come back soon.”
“They will, don’t worry.”
“So what do you think the deal is with this house? Who lives there? And why was the address the only one in that phone? Do you think fate led us here, too?”
“Maybe.”
We walk silently down the street, and I try to just enjoy the normality of the moment. Going for a walk seems likesuch a normal thing, but I’ve never been able to do it outside our own property before. And with Pete at my side, I don’t feel scared or worried. I feel safe.
I hope this feeling never goes away.
“Peter?”
“Yeah, angel cake?”
“A while ago, you said I was stuck with you. Do you still feel that way?”
He stops walking and turns to face me, his easy grin nowhere to be seen as he grips my shoulders. “Yeah, Wren. I meant it with every fiber of my being. If I don’t belong with you, I don’t belong anywhere. Why are you asking?”
“I’m scared.”
“Of what?”
“Of you leaving one day, by choice or by force. And… I want to keep you, Peter.”
He crashes his lips down to mine, surprising me. He wraps his arms around me and I melt in his embrace. My fingers clench into fists in the front of his shirt as he kisses me with so much passion, I can feel it in the marrow of my bones.
He pulls back, all too soon, resting his forehead on mine as we both take in ragged breaths. His eyes dart up to the house we’re supposed to be watching before looking back at me and kissing my forehead.
