He dashes away before we can say anything, and I peek at Ren, who has never looked as incredible to me as he does right now. Standing inmy housewhile my parents embarrass and fawn over me.
They want to make a good impression as much as he does. It’s amazing.
There was a time when I couldn’t imagine Ren and me outside of Alabaster Pen… But look at us now. Despite how we met, and all the chaos of our beginning, we’ve made it to our beautiful end.
We’re a normal couple.As normal as we can get, anyway.
Mom takes Ren by the arm, walking him to to the kitchen. “Any food allergies, Warren?”
Ren grins at me over his shoulder. “No, Mrs. Deon, thank you for asking. And please, call me Ren.”
“Well then, you can call me Marla,” she chirps. “Or Mom.”
“Mom…” I gripe.
“See? He gets it.” She beams.
“God…” I rub my eyes, standing by my father in the kitchen.
He chuckles, squeezing my shoulder. “What did you expect? Showing up after five yearsandbringing someone to meet us for the first time?? You should’ve known that would set her off…”
“You’re right.” I bite my lip to contain my crazy person smile. “I don’t know what I was thinking.”
In the kitchen, the four of us sit down at the table. Dad makes a hasty replacement salad, while Mom puts enough food on Ren’s and my plates to feed us if we’d just gotten out of solitary.
It’s been weeks, but we’re still pretty ravenous.In many ways…
“They told us you were dead,” Mom says, sitting across from us, watching me like I might disappear at any moment. “The cops, FBI, CIA… I talked to everyone, and they all gave me the same answer…”
“Some bullshit about you resisting arrest,” my dad grunts, scooping salad onto the already heaping pile of chicken and rice pilaf.
“We weren’t buying it,” she adds. “Whatever trouble you’d gotten yourself in, we knew you would never…” Her voice trails into a whimper, and she covers her face.
“Mom…” I rasp softly, reaching to rub her arm, heart cracking in my chest. “I’m here. I’m okay, I promise.”
“We fought hard,” she sniffs. “Writing letters to government officials, talking to lawyers…”
Ren peeks at me, a look mirroring my thoughts.
I’m sure Manuel Blanco didn’t appreciate that…
“It got us nowhere,” my mother sighs. “Well, that’s not true…” She glances at my father as he takes his seat. “It got us on their radar.”
“I’m assuming not in a good way,” I mumble, swelling with guilt.
They don’t have to say it… I know exactly what The Ivory can do to people who make waves.
“Eventually, we had to at least make itseemlike we’d given up,” Dad says. “We knew that if they could make you disappear, they could do the same to us…”
“And then we’dreallynever see you again,” Mom hums woefully.
“I’m… so sorry,” I gasp on a shivery breath. “It’s all my fault. I was trying to help someone, but I took it too far. I was stupid, and cocky, and I’m just sososorry for all I’ve put you through.” Pressure builds behind my eyes and I try to blink it away, fingers twisting in my lap. “I can only imagine how awful it’s been—”
“Lexington,” my dad cuts me off. “Whatever we’ve been through… it’s nothing compared to what weknowyou’ve been through.”
My eyes lift, and I blink.
Looking to Ren, I find him chewing on his lower lip. The memories are painted on his face, like I’m sure they are on mine. Everything we went through, foryears, as prisoners of that atrocious place…Literally hell and back.
