He still seems skittish, and I don’t want to push things.
“Yeah,” he answers quietly. “Later.”
I slide into the car and close the door.
As I start the engine, I glance up.
He stands there, watching.
I lower the window halfway.
“Don’t let Mr. Pickles get lonely without us.”
A laugh slips out of him, quiet and real. “I’ll do what I can.”
I drive away slowly, checking my mirror.
He’s still there.
A look of longing on his face.
He's already starting to miss me.
Soon, he'll wonder how he ever lived without me.
33
VIOLET
I wasn’t planningto come here.
That’s what I tell myself as I walk up the driveway toward Sebastian and Ivy’s house.
Three days.
That’s how long I’ve been giving Drew space.
I texted. Sent him pictures of Luna.
No response.
The evening air is soft, the sky dimming into that quiet space between day and night. It should feel calm.
But it doesn’t.
Because Drew hasn’t been responding.
My fingers tighten slightly around my phone before I slip it into my pocket.
Still nothing.
A small, steady tension settles beneath my ribs.
I want to be sure he’s okay.
I step onto the porch and knock.
A few seconds pass before the door opens.
