Page 74 of Kneeling for Them

Then it hits me.“What the fuck are you thinking, naming acatSchrödinger?”

“There’s some philosophical question about whether the cat’s alive or dead, right?Schrödinger’s cat?”

Shaking my head, I say, “It was a thought experiment.And it’s twisted.Basically, there was a fifty-fifty chance of something happening and then a flask of poisonous gas would be let loose in the steel box—”

“Stop it,” Bash says.“Schrödinger shouldn’t hear the details.”

“The fuck?”He’s gone mad.“You’ve been alone herewaytoo long, friend.Come home.Bring the stupid cat.”

“Dude!Don’t call him stupid.”

“Bring the…cat,” I amend.

“Do you want to come back to San Esteban with me?”Sebastian asks Schrödinger.

The cat starts purring.

“I don’t think I even know you anymore,” I say to Bash.

He just shrugs.“He’ll win you over, too, like he did me.It’s only a matter of time.”

Ignoring that nonsense, I say, “When are you coming back?”

“I need a little more time.”He looks grim, like he’s facing an executioner.“I’ll drive back later today, maybe, or tomorrow.”

“I’m going to tell Ella that you’re coming.You have to swear it.”

“You want me to pinky promise?”His voice is pure snark.

“If Ella were here, you’d do it.”

Looking troubled, he asks, “Why didn’t she come?”

I sigh.“She has work.And to be perfectly honest, I didn’t know whether you were going to be an asshole about talking to me, or not.”

“You were protecting her…from me.”

“Not like that, don’t be so melodramatic.She misses you, okay?She wants to talk to you, and she said, and I quote, that you can’t just disappear whenever a problem comes to the surface.She wants to talk to you when you’re both calm.You never gave her a chance.”

“But she’s gotta hate me.”

“She’s been texting you, you idiot.”

“Probably to break up with me.”

“Don’t give me that bullshit.Are you really so freaked out about one night in the past that you can’t believe that the people who love and care about you would forgive you?”

He frowns, his gaze darting to the side.

Of course he’s that freaked out.He hasn’t forgiven himself—why would he even imagine anyone else could forgive him?

“Just, come back to San Esteban, okay?”I say.

“Yeah.I will.”

The cat stretches its chin for Sebastian to scratch, and I shake my head.But Bash is coming home, and we’re going to figure everything out.Ella hasn’t dismissed him entirely, so I know there’s a good chance of this working.

If nothing else, the cat will be happy.