Page 10 of Wherever You Are

“Some.”

“Good.” Lo tosses another chip in his mouth. “I can’t be the only one begging you to show up to birthday parties. As King Connor would say, it’sunseemly.” He tilts his head. “How’s my sister?”

I’m about to tell Lo that Willow is doing great, as far as I know. She never told any of them about how I punched her college friend or the fact that I visited her in London for all of two hours.

Can this stay between us?I asked her. I was ashamed. Still am.

She agreed.

But before I can say anything to Loren, his wife cuts in. “Lo,” Lily says softly, but loud enough to pull his attention.

“Hmm?” He swishes around the salsa with a chip. His other hand is planted on Lily’s leg. She’s still on his back.

Their embrace just makes me ache to hold Willow. My heart physically clenches, and I knock my head back against the cupboard.Come on, Garrison.

“Do you think Connor might be Batman or Superman?”

Lo drops her instantly.

She lands on her ass. “Lo!”

My lip twitches, almost smiling. God, I want to.

There are some things you don’t bring up in front of Loren Hale. DC comic book characters might actually be number one on the list.

He waves a chip at his wife. “There are a goddamnthousandsuperheroes, and you chose two that I can’t stand?”

“They make the most sense.”

“They make about as much sense as calling Connor the Swamp Thing.”

I almost laugh.

Lily picks herself off the floor. “That’s just silly. Swamp Thing isn’t evencloseto being Batman and Superman.”

Willow would love this conversation. Comics remind me of her. She’s the only reason I started reading them in the first place, and she still loves superheroes more than me.I’ll tell her about this.It’ll be a light thing after a lot of heavy shit.

Lo’s glare sharpens and intensifies. “Please let me know where I can find my other wife. This one in front of me is a sellout.”

Lily touches her heart and hurt cinches her brows. “I’m not a sellout.I just happen to not be an elitist about the whole Marvel versus DC thing, and I can appreciateallsuperheroes equally.”

“You think they’re all madeequally?” Lo asks passionately. “Do you want to talk Green Lantern? We can talk Green Lantern.”

“Okay, okay,” Lily immediately concedes. “So I have my favorites, just like you.” She’s moved close, fingers in his belt loops, and she gazes up at her husband like the whole conversation is a giant turn-on. Lo wraps his arm around his wife.

I lean forward and grab a couple chips from the bag. Trying not to wish for Willow to be here.

Lo declares, “My best friend isnotBatman or Superman.”Best friend. That’d be Connor. It’s weird hearing him say that out loud. Not that I don’t know the fact. But because Connor is my boss. Loren is Willow’s brother. Our connections to one another are too fucking tangled at this point.

“Then what is he?” Lily asks.

“Connor Cobalt,” Lo answers without a pause. “He’s Connor fucking Cobalt, and whatever powers he has, they’re all his own.”

I narrow my eyes, watching their exchange. Connor doesn’t surround himself with people who only blow smoke up his ass, otherwise Ryke Meadows wouldn’t be in this room. But pure admiration comes from Lo.

For me, I remember being a seventeen-year-old kid who vandalized a house. I remember the guy who gave me the handout when I needed it but didn’t deserve it.

I don’t know—Loren Hale is the one who has powers to me.