Page 58

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

ENDER

“Why haven’t you told Rylee we’re staying here?” Mads asks as he rolls into the bed and into my arms. I didn’t have my arms open and ready for him so instead, he simply rolls onto them.

“Because they’re going to bust through the door and drag me off to hell any minute,” I say as I catch his eyes.

“It’s been a week.”

“Correct. They’re waiting for me to lower my defenses.”

“You don’t think that maybe they’re being honest?” Mads asks as he reaches out and pushes my hair out of my face.

“No.”

“No? You sure?” Mads asks with a playful smile. He really seems to think I’m being dramatic when I’m merely being sensible.

“They’re trying to get me when I least expect it.”

“I’m positive they’re not going to just come in and go, ‘Ha, we were joking. Off to prison with you.’”

“Why wouldn’t they?”

“You’re so difficult. They’ve needed your help multiple times this week because they understand that now that you’re not so standoffish and chucking people off bridges, you’re a good guy.

You just have to let yourself understand that and stop pushing them away.

It’s okay to be scared that things might change.

But don’t let it ruin things for you. I will Soup away all of your problems if I have to. ”

“I feel like I should be concerned by that. One of Abel’s people spit at me today. Literally spit at me. Will you Soup her?”

“Maybe not but… you never know, I guess. Come on now. When Rylee comes busting in here, just tell her.”

“Nah.”

The door creaks open and Rylee loudly shuffles in.

“Perfect timing.”

“Did you hear me?” she asks in disbelief like she’s shocked Mads noticed her.

“You’re asking if we heard you drop something, crash into the door, yell, ‘Fluffybottom, don’t eat my hairband!’ then scuttle over here? Nah… heard none of that,” I assure her.

Rylee scrutinizes me for a moment. “I was stealthy.”

“Uh-huh. Sure.”

She leaps up and flops down onto me. “And now I’m hungry.”

“Yeah?”

“Can you make me something to eat?”

“Do you want French toast?” Mads asks.

“You’ll make me food?” she asks, looking far more delighted than when I volunteer to.

“I take it his food is much better than mine,” I tease.

Rylee hesitates even though it’s apparent she’d like to say yes. “He just… I mean… I love you!”

“Don’t try to distract me with words of love,” I say as I grab her and toss her to Mads, who catches her. “Here, she’s yours now.”

“Ooh, all mine?” Mads asks as he starts tickling her. She lets out a high-pitched squeal which no one should be subjected to in the morning. The look on Mads’s face tells me that it’s caused instant regret.

I smirk. “It’s her main defense.”

“It hurts my ears,” Mads complains as Rylee leaps on him. “You better not bust my ears or I won’t be able to make you food and you’ll have to eat Ender’s food.”

“Nooooo,” she says, looking horrified.

I grab her. “You once told me you loved my food!”

“Yeah, that was before I knew what Mads’s food tasted like!”

“Funny,” I say as I haul her off with her tucked under my arm. She hangs there like a limp noodle. “Let’s go get dressed and Mads can make you breakfast.” I set her outside our door and give her hair a ruffle.

So off she goes as Mads grabs me and draws me in for a kiss.

“I want to eat you for breakfast,” he mutters.

“We’ll toss her off to Orin at some point and do just that,” I assure him.

According to Finn, after the council hall was cleared out, they began questioning everyone involved, but of course most remained silent, refusing to give up any information.

Those who were still alive came together for a council meeting where Orin was elected the head of the US council.

Leona, who was clearly on Abel’s side, had been killed, as were a few innocents such as Callum and Harris.

But for the most part, we were able to keep the death toll on our side to a minimum.

The hardest part will be sending the council members back with this knowledge and hoping that each one is able to figure out who’d been on Abel’s side.

Of course, no one is going to volunteer the information, and only time will tell if they regain some control.

But until then, I will keep Mads safe and be here if they need me.

I head into Rylee’s room to make sure she’s getting ready for the day and not choosing to dress like Claude. Once I’ve confirmed that she at least semi matches and a hairbrush has at least touched her hair, I walk out to find Mads working on the French toast.

“Did you tell her?” Mads asks.

“Tell me what?” Rylee asks as she comes out of the master bedroom, which she is still claiming as her own.

I give Mads a look, but it’s obvious he did it on purpose. “Rylee… we’re going to be staying here for a bit.”

She hesitates, her eyes narrowing as she scrutinizes me. “Like… a bit as in a couple of days?”

“For the foreseeable future.”

“So… like a couple of days?”

“We’re going to stay here until we decide to move somewhere else in the area. But think more like months,” Mads tells her.

“That’s a really long time,” she says, like this is some mystifying information.

“Orin said you could decorate your room… which will not be the master bedroom. You do not need that king while we sleep on the full,” I say.

“Fine! Can I go pick out my room? And I can put stuff in it? And I can really live here?”

“When we’re done eating, let’s go shopping,” Mads suggests. “We’ll find you some clothes and other stuff to fill your room with.”

“Really?” Rylee asks, looking so hopeful.

“Really,” I say. “You’re also going to go to school.”

“That sounds scary. I like you being my teacher.”

“You’ll get to meet friends your age and you will not eat any of them,” I warn her.

“Why would I eat them?” she asks.

“Just because you chew on your friends doesn’t mean she’ll chew on hers,” Mads teases.

“I really will go to school? I’ve never gone to school.”

Mads walks over and kneels in front of her. “Did you know I was a teacher?”

“No!”

“I can assure you that school is really fun. You get to meet kids your age who you can play with. And you can invite them over for sleepovers and go to birthday parties and have recess and art. And Ender will be here every single day when you get home to help you with anything you need.”

“You promise you won’t leave while I’m at school?” she asks me.

“I’m not going anywhere. If I was going to leave, don’t you think I would have left when you made me watch The Aristocats five times in a row? I’m not going anywhere.”

Rylee runs over and grabs me in a hug. “You promise?”

“I promise.”

“Can we get Senor Fluffybottom more toys?”

“He doesn’t even move or play with the toys you’ve already got him… but sure,” I say as her face lights up.

She rushes off to pick which room she wants as I walk over to Mads.

“Now when we have to move, she’s going to be very upset,” I say, not liking the idea of shattering her hopes.

He turns to me. “But we’re not going anywhere. You have to believe that, okay? You can have faith that we’re not going anywhere. You don’t realize it, but you worry as much as she does. Maybe more.”

“I don’t worry.”

Mads grins as he pulls the French toast off the stove. “You sure do. But don’t be alarmed. I’m here to fix everything for you.”

“With more ‘magic’ and ‘Soup’?” I tease.

“It’s my love language for sure.”

“I really like your love language.”

“Yeah? I really like you too,” Mads murmurs before drawing me in for a kiss.

When we pull back, I meet his eyes as I say, “I want to help you find the people who killed your family.”

“Me too, but right now… right now, I just want everything to be safe for a bit.”

“I promise I won’t struggle at all to murder them,” I assure him.

“I feel like I should be concerned by that.”

“Would you like me to torture them first? Because I will. I am not squeamish at all.”

“I’ve noticed that. But thank you. I really appreciate that.”

Just because Abel is dead doesn’t mean everything is perfect.

The man still haunts my dreams, but this time, I have someone always by my side to pull me out of them.

And maybe as the days pass into weeks and months and years…

I’ll be able to pull myself farther and farther out of the darkness I’d fallen into.

Mads and Rylee have already pulled me out so far.

I squeeze Mads tightly, feeling so damn happy to spend every day with the two people I care about more than anything. It’s like I’m surrounded by family again.