“I thought you and Keys were wrestling again, and I didn’t want to miss out,” Oscar told his mother pointblank.
Unable to keep his composure atthatannouncement, Keys suddenly ‘woke up’. Stretching, he yawned really loudly. “Oh, wow!” he exclaimed, correcting his glasses. “I must have fallen asleep.”
Rose stood over him, Oscar on her hip. “Did you now?” she asked dryly.
Keys’ eyes bounced back and forth between Rose and Oscar several times before he settled on, “Yes?” It came out like a question.
Rose snorted. “I’m far too tired for this conversation.” Turning her attention to her son, she asked, “Do you want to go back to your own bed or sleep with me for the rest of the night?”
“You!” Oscar said with far too much energy. Keys did honestly feel guilty about that.
“Okay. Let’s get you to the bathroom again and then we’ll head to bed.” Rose turned, walking away with her son.
Disheartened, Keys turned off the television and gameconsole. Maybe he should have been more concerned about being the adult in the room instead of being Oscar’s friend.
“Are you coming?”
Keys’ head shot up at the question. In the doorway of the bedroom, Rose stood with Oscar still in her arms. He’d never moved so fast in his life, practically jumping to his feet like Oscar’s character before running after her.
* * *
Twelve Days to Present
WiseWave620: Whatcha doin’?
Rose lifted an eyebrow at the message. He knew exactly what she was doing, because he’d just left the apartment. In the three nights since what was now known as the Nose Waxing Debacle, Keys had barely left their side. If it wasn’t for Thorne coming to the apartment to tell Keys that Jigsaw was looking for him, again, after he’d missed another training session, he’d still be with them now.
Glancing down at her paint-spattered top, Rose wondered if Keys remembered to get the green paint off his nose before he met up with his club brother. The kit Keys had bought Oscar was not intended to be a finger-painting project, but her son seemed to be on a messy streak. Even his aim in the bathroom seemed to be getting worse, not better, with age. Rose had already stripped Oscar down to his underwear to at least try to save his clothing from ruin.
Gl!tch.OS: Currently contemplating your sanity for handing my son a painting kit.
WiseWave620: He’s having fun. & did you see his smile when he saw the paint? Totally worth the cleaning bill.
Rose shook her head, unable to keep the smile off her face. How had this become her life? And to find a man as good as Keys for her son to look up to? The amount of parenting books that littered the apartment for Keys’ research was a mixture of ridiculous and impressive—but also so sweet that Rose couldn’t find it in herself to complain.
Regardless of what happened between them romantically—and despite their rule of no sex, their heated kisses and light touches in no way lacked intimacy and fire—Keys had every intention of stepping up to be Oscar’s father. It meant more to Rose than her own happiness that her son was safe and cared for. If something happened to her, she no longer questioned who would look after Oscar.
WiseWave620: I wanted to let you know that there’s been some chatter. The blood test was processed, and Kennedy was flagged as being paternally related.
Rose had to take a deep breath, her hands shaking as she stared at those words on the screen. This had been what they were hoping for, but still… Now that it was becoming a reality, she couldn’t help but wonder if they were doing the right thing.
Bringing herself into the spotlight was one thing. But Oscar?
Yet, what were the chances that she would have continued on as she’d been? Always hiding, always running? What if the shooting that they’d staged at the park had been real? What if Oscar had been discovered a different way, a way they weren’t in control of? What happened then?
Rose wanted to step out of the shadows. She wanted to see her sister again, even if the thought scared the ever-living shitout of her. She wanted to raise her son with family and endless cousins, to build a home that wasn’t always changing. To get to those goals, this was the best way. Logically, she understood that. She commended Keys for figuring out a scenario that allowed her and Oscar to get to safety while also leaving behind evidence that wouldn’t lead back to them.
They were safe in Mount Grove. No one knew about her connection to Keys, and even if it was discovered, this building was beyond secure. Still, it went against every instinct she had to dangle her son out there as bait.
WiseWave620: But we have a small problem. There’s also been chatter about Poison.
Rose sat up straighter. Glancing at Oscar to ensure he was distracted, she walked over to the kitchen counter.
Keys picked up on the first ring. “Hey.”
“What’s going on with Poison? I thought you were exercising with Jigsaw.”
“We were about to go for a run when I got an alert, and I decided that that was more important than going for a run.” He didn’t even sound guilty. In fact, he sounded rather smug for getting himself out of a several-mile run with his club brother, possibly brothers. “Anyway, she’s not in any danger, but there’s definitely been some feelers about where Ivy Benson is.”
