Page 88 of Ravaged From Fate

“I’ll talk to the boys.”

“And will you?”

“If they’ll have me, I’ll have to think about it.”

“I think that’s good.”

“You’re okay with it?” he asks.

“If that’s what makes you happy, then yes. Do it. I just want to see you happy, Caspian.”

“I’ll be gone for long stretches of time on tour…”

“I understand.”

“Traveling the world…”

“As long as you come back to me.”

“Always.”

“I’ll stay in East Springs and make sure it doesn’t fall apart,” I say. “We can make this work, if that’s what you want.”

“Yeah,” he replies. He’s dropped the serious frown and replaced it with a smile. “We’ll make this work. As long as I’ve got you.”

45

CASPIAN

I stare out the pickup truck’s window at the sea of gathered paparazzi and sigh.

Here we fucking go.

Elsa’s so supportive, but she really doesn’t know what’s about to hit her when she steps out of this truck. No one does unless you’ve lived it. I can tell her the repercussions of exposing yourself to the spotlight all day long, but she won’t understand what it’s like until those cameras are pushed in her face.

She can tell that I’m nervous. I am for good reason. I’m about to sacrifice everything to go into that hospital. The press will be all over my new relationship. All this just to see the baby of two of my closest friends.

I feel Elsa’s hand take my chin and pull my face away from the window towards her own. She stares deep into my eyes. The one person I care about the most in this world. “Don’t worry about them, Caspian,” she whispers. “Worry about me.”

That’s all I need. Elsa gives me inner strength, more than she could ever realize.

“Let’s go,” I say. “Let’s get this over with.”

The paparazzi don’t recognize me. Well, they don’t until I lock eyes with the one that I punched just a few short months ago. I see the fear behind Harold’s bravado the moment he spots me coming straight towards him. He’s in the middle of the press pack, talking the loudest. Bragging about something or other. As Elsa and I approach, he turns.

And that’s when we share the look.

He says one word. One word, his voice trembling with fear.

“Caspian…”

Elsa grips my hand tight as the entire herd of paparazzi spin around and immediately get to work taking photos and calling my name.

“Caspian! Caspian!”

I just hold on to Elsa. We make each other safe as we’re bombarded by cameras and the endless chatter of journalists.

“You’re back?”