“Yeah,” I say. “That’s Callum and Zephyr.”
We get out, and Zinnia immediately gravitates toward them.
Callum scruffs the top of her head, messing up her hair. “You must be Zinnia. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“Are you guys all friends?”
“Yeah. And teammates. We all play on the same team,” Zephyr says.
She looks between all of us. “Teammates.”
He nods.
She looks at all of us and says, “This is a lot of people.”
“You’ll get used to it,” Callum says, grinning. “And I don’t live here. I’m just always here because… teammates.”
I smile at Callum, who’s smirking at me.
We go inside. Zinnia remembers coming to this exact house and immediately feels comfortable.
Jax mostly stays quiet, watching, but I catch him looking at Zinnia with something softer than the anger he’s been showing me.
That night, I put Zinnia to bed in the guest bedroom that’s mine. She was so happy to see all her things from the house.
“Is this really happening?” she asks. “Can I really stay?”
“Yes. You’re staying.”
“What about the thing?” She scrunches her face. “The listening?”
I smile. “The hearing. We’ll deal with that when it comes. But for now, you’re here. With me.”
She hugs me tight. “I love you, Lily.”
“I love you too, Zinni.”
I lie with her until she falls asleep, and then I walk out.
The house is quiet. Callum left earlier. Zephyr and Jax must have gone to bed, but as I round the corner, I catch Jax in the fridge.
“Aren’t you tired?” I ask, recalling all the traveling and the game.
He turns and looks at me. “No.”
We stand there. The counter between us.
“Is she sleeping?” he asks.
I nod. “Thank you,” I say again. “For everything. For Zinnia.”
“It’s no problem. I didn’t do it for you.”
The words are sharp. Final. It stings to hear that.
“I know. You said that you did it for her.”
“Yeah. I did.”
