“Rough night?”
“Yeah.”
I nod, stepping out of the doorway, making room for Justice. His eyes are red, hair mussed from sleep. Or lack of. He gives me a tight smile and I let out a breath, taking his hand and leading him through the small cabin, to my room. He stops just inside the doorway, kicking off his boots and toeing them neatly against the wall.
The room is silent as we move through our routine, the dance silent as I slide into my side, and pull back the covers on his.Justice’s weight as he lies down has me tipping slightly before I fling the covers over him, making sure he’s tucked in tight. Rolling, I turn off the lamp, the dark wrapping its arms around us.
“Want to talk about it?” I ask softly into the dark.
“No.”
Silence.
“Joe?”
“Yeah?”
“Thank you.”
My heart thuds inside my chest. “What for?”
“For being safe.”
The word settles between us, heavy, grounding. The blankets rustle softly, a gentle swish until my hand is gripped in a much larger, rougher hand.
“Justice?”
“Yeah?”
“You’re safe, too.”
Epilogue II
Omen
Footsteps echo through the empty cabin and I hold my breath. One. Two. Three and the door swings open, River staring at his phone. His head is down, a furrow in his brow as he taps at the screen. The notification sound fills the air as he leans his head back, relief on his face. Then he freezes. His head tips up, squinting into the shadows until his gaze lands on me.
“Hello River. You got a lot of shit to explain, kid.”
