Page 63 of The Fates We Tame

“But—”

“Do as he says, Sparrow.”

I bite down the urge to tell them both where to shove it. Theo married me. The bikers are letting me stay in the clubhouse. But when it’s just Theo and me, we’re going to have a conversation about how he doesn’t get to dismiss me like that.

I grab my plate, then walk to the table and sit down with Avery.

“Are they doing boy talk?” Avery asks.

“What, sweetheart?”

“Boy talk. It’s what Mommy calls it when they go off to talk about serious things.”

I smile at that. “Yes. It’s boy talk. But sometimes I think they should make it everyone talk, not boy talk.”

Avery nods seriously. “I overheard Mommy tell Daddy that she’s a fembi-nist and that I will be a fembi-nist too when I’m big. And that Daddy needs to get with the fembi-nist program.”

I bite on my tongue to stop the chuckle. “And how did he take that?”

“Daddy walked over to her, and they smooched for ages. It was gross. And then Daddy asked Mommy whether her fembi-nist self liked his hands on her.”

“Well, I’d like to think I’m a feminist too. I think that’s why it bothers me they went off to talk without me.”

And wait. Why am I telling a kid who can’t even be six my boy problems?

I top my pancakes with fruit and a little syrup, then take a bite. “Oh my God. These are good.”

Avery grins. “Told you Uncle Colton makes the best pancakes.”

He does. They’re light and fluffy and the perfect amount of sugar. Not even a tiny bit soggy. Cooked to perfection.

“He really does,” I say with a mouth full of food.

We eat the rest of our food in companionable silence.

Periodically, I glance over to Theo and Niro, who are deep in conversation as Niro continues to make pancakes. I wish I knew what they were talking about. Theo’s brow is furrowed as Niro explains something.

I see Theo mutter the f-bomb and run his hand over his scar. He glances my way, but the smile he offers me doesn’t quite reach his eyes.

When I’m finished with my plate, I take it to the sink to rinse it and wash my hands. Uncertain of what to do next, I pause. But Theo reaches for my hand and tugs me to him.

“I’m gonna go out on my bike. Maybe just a short ride. Wanna come with me?” Theo asks.

Niro glances at Theo’s left arm. “You sure you’re good to ride?”

“Guess there’s only one way to find out. What to come?” Theo asks me.

I think about Niro’s words.

Everything is a blank page… I know what it is to stay stuck…Don’t do that. Move, Sophia. Be. Show us what Switch gets out of this, not for us or for Switch, but for you. You’re free now, so do something fucking useful with it.

I know I need to talk to him about what just happened. But I also need to take Niro’s advice.

“I’d love that.”

Theo grins. “But first we have a call to make.”

It takes us five minutes to set the call up in our room, but as Theo’s phone rings, I’m nervous. “You should have let me do something nicer with my hair,” I say.