Page 74 of Knot Shattered

“Really?” Violet asked gently. “Have you thought about where?”

Riven shook her head, the breeze catching strands of her hair and tugging them free. “Not yet. But after everything, this city just doesn’t feel like home anymore. It’s too heavy here. I think I need a fresh start.”

“I get that,” Fallon said quietly, surprising us with the seriousness in her voice. “Sometimes you need distance to breathe again. And you deserve that, Riv.”

A small smile curved Riven’s lips. “I hoped you’d understand.”

“You deserve to be happy,” I told her, squeezing her arm. “Whatever it takes, wherever you land.”

“Just promise us postcards and occasional proof-of-life selfies,” Violet teased, nudging Riven’s shoulder playfully.

Riven laughed, eyes brightening. “Deal.”

“You’ll always have us, you know,” Fallon said, her voice firm and sincere. “If you ever need backup or bail money.”

Riven rolled her eyes, chuckling again, lighter this time. “I’ve seen what happens when people mess with you three. Believe me, you’re the first call I’ll make.”

We hugged tightly, a circle of friendship forged in the fires of trauma and tempered into something unbreakable. When we finally stepped back, Riven wiped her eyes, laughing softly at herself.

“Okay, enough of that.” Fallon clapped her hands together decisively. “We’ve got chaos to rejoin and marshmallows to rescue before Haze ruins dinner.”

Laughing, we returned to the party, slipping back into the welcoming warmth of our chaotic family. Micha held his arms out to me, pulling me down onto his lap with an easy smile.Ravik handed me a drink, brushing his fingers across mine in quiet reassurance.

“You good?” Salem murmured, watching my expression carefully.

I glanced across the yard at Riven, now chatting easily with my mom and Henry, her smile soft but hopeful. I leaned my head back against Micha’s shoulder, soaking in the laughter, the smoky warmth of grilled meat, and the playful, bickering chatter of the people I loved most.

“I’m better than good,” I whispered.

Haze bounded up suddenly, marshmallow skewers in hand, eyes glittering with mischief. “Who’s ready to set dessert on fire?”

Laughter rippled around us, bright and free.

Here, amidst these wonderfully dangerous people, I was whole. We’d fought hard, loved fiercely, and survived together.

And now, beneath the gentle Chicago sun, we were exactly where we belonged.