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“Sevenweeks, Alex,” D.C. called over her shoulder as she disappeared through the door, Bear chuckling as he followed close behind.

Alex’s lips twitched, but her amusement fled when she turned back to see Jordan’s guarded face, as if he already knew what she was going to say.

Quietly, she asked, “Did someone—Your dad—Has anyone told you…”

His guarded look remained as he answered, “Yeah. I know.” He paused, then added, “Your parents also spoke to me when I was in the Med Ward, so I know their view on things, too.”

That, Alex hadn’t known.

Tentatively, she said, “When I went there, your mother—”

“I’m not ready to see her yet,” Jordan interrupted. “Maybe in time, but… Despite what my father did in the end, it’s… hard.”

Alex nodded with understanding. “I’ve never been the biggest fan of your dad, but what he did for us…”

Jordan’s throat bobbed, and Alex walked closer to him as she continued softly, “He saved our lives, Jordan. He did that for you.”

It took him a moment, but when he was able to speak, he said, “Bear ran into him at Graevale, after yourvatali targo.”

Alex blinked. “What? Why didn’t he say anything?”

“He didn’t remember,” Jordan said, rubbing his forehead. “My father isn’t—wasn’t—just a mind reader. He could alter short-term memories. That’s what he did with Bear, making sure he recalled nothing of the encounter. But after he—after what happened yesterday, Bear’s memory returned.”

“What did he remember?” Alex breathed.

“That my father had read his mind and learned you’d been to the past, but before he wiped the memory, he said he wasn’t Claimed and saw no reason to tell Aven.”

Alex jolted, realising how catastrophic that knowledge could have been at the time, had Marcus chosen to share it.

“He also said—” Jordan’s throat bobbed again. “He also said I was lucky to have Bear as a friend, and told him to look after me.”

Alex reached out and placed her hand on his arm, seeing the turbulent emotions flood his face.

“He was a bastard,” Jordan whispered, as if trying to remind himself. “But he was still my father. I don’t know how to reconcile what happened yesterday and what your parents told me with everything else I know of him. Not yet. One day I’ll have to face it all, and face my mother, but until then… can we just—can we not talk about it anymore?”

Alex closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around him. “We can do that, Jordan,” she told him quietly. “But if you ever want to talk, I’ll be—” She broke off abruptly, realising that she might not be able to follow through on what she’d been about to offer.

Jordan pulled back and looked deep into her eyes. “You’ll be there for me, I know.” Firmly, he added, “Youwillbe there, Alex.” His blue gaze brightened and a hint of a smilebroke through his shadowed features to tug at his lips as he said, “Before we know it, you’ll be old and grey and ugly-wrinkled.”

“Ugly-wrinkled?” Alex slapped his chest. “Firstly, that’s not very nice. Old people might be wrinkly but they have charm. They’re oaks of wisdom.”

Jordan snorted. “Oaks of wisdom? Where do you pull this crap from?”

“Andsecondly,” Alex said, ignoring his question, “you’re going to be old and grey one day, too. That meansyou’llbe ‘ugly-wrinkled’ as well.”

Pointing to himself, Jordan smirked and said, “Do you see this face? It’s a genetic impossibility for it to be anything but attractive.”

Alex rolled her eyes, but inwardly, she was floating on air at the light-hearted moment they were sharing after such a difficult conversation. “You would have given Niyx a run for his money on the modesty scale. I’ve never met anyone more conceited than him.”

Jordan watched her carefully, as if fearing her grief might reappear, but when she continued smiling openly at him, he just grinned back and said, “I don’t know what you’re talking about. ‘Humble’ is my middle name.”

This time it was Alex’s turn to snort, but before she could reply, D.C. and Bear returned to the room, their arms laden with what looked like an entire convenience store’s worth of food.

“We didn’t know what everyone wanted, so we got some of everything,” Bear announced as he dropped his pile onto Alex’s bed. “Good thing the Rec Room doesn’t have a limit.”

“The chocolate is mine,” D.C. warned, dropping her load onto her own bed before collapsing onto it. “ButI’m willing to share, since that’s the princess-y thing to do.”

“I’m not a princess, but I’m still willing to share,” Bear said, slumping down near Alex’s pillows and picking up a chocolate bar. “Come on, you two. Dig in.”