Page 61 of Blood Ties

I let out a breath, and nod at him before brushing past him to unlock the basement door. As I pass by, I hear him mutter, “Hope you know what you’re fuckin’ doing.”

?Chapter Thirty-One

Riley

Imove my finger slowlyacross the page, revealing the words syllable by syllable. Kai sounds them out falteringly, his features scrunched in concentration.

When we reach the end of the book, I smile and shut it. “The end.” I lean in and kiss his cheek. “That was really good, Kai.” He’s improved a lot over our weeks of practice.

Weeks. Months.Sometimes I’m shocked to remember how long I’ve been down here now. It’s scary what you can get used to, given enough time. But ever since Knox stopped coming down here — which I know I have Kai to thank for, though he never told me what he did — it’s been more bearable.

Not that I’ve given up on escaping. It just... doesn’t feel so urgent, sometimes. Like I can bide my time getting Kai to come around to the idea, rather than rushing him into something risky.

Kai flushes at my praise, one corner of his mouth quirking up before he tamps it back down. “This is baby stuff,” he mutters. “Nothing to be proud of.”

“It’s plenty to be proud of,” I tell him. “It’s not your fault you weren’t taught.”

He shrugs, looks away. “It kind of is, though. I’m too—”

“Donotsay you’re dumb again.” I squeeze his hand, and he glances at me, a little surprised at the fervor in my voice. I am, too. I take a moment to process the feeling, then offer a reassuring smile. “I think you have something called dyslexia. Have you heard of that?” He shakes his head. “It’s a learning disorder. It doesn’t make you dumb, not at all, but it means you learn a little differently. Your mom probably didn’t realize it, or maybe she didn’t know how to help you.”

He’s quiet for a moment. “But you do?”

“I’m not an expert, but I know some stuff to try.” Not now, though. Better to leave this session on a high note. “I’ll think about it and come up with some ideas for when we read our next book, okay?”

“Okay,” he says, hesitant. “If you really don’t mind...”

“It’s not like I’ve got anything better to do. He winces, looking down at the shackle around my wrist.Good.“Anyway, I like teaching you,” I say, before the moment can become awkward.

He quirks a brow, skeptical.

I smile. “It’s cute, seeing your nose scrunch up when you’re thinking.”

He blushes harder than before. “That’s not... I’m not...”

“Cute?” My smile widens, and I grab him by the shirt and pull him toward me. “Yes, you are.” When his eyes drop to my lips, I kiss him. I keep it light, tender, my unshackled wrist lifting to comb through his hair. He leans into the touch, and I scratch my nails against his scalp, drawing a little sigh of pleasure out of him.