Page 185 of Love Me

She pats the side of the bed, and I approach her. Maybe it’s the trained instinct to follow her orders, or maybe it’s wanting to have one genuine moment with her.

She grabs my hand in her wrinkled one, putting something in it.

“This belongs to you.”

It’s Kaden’s necklace. Her returning it means more to me than having to take it back.

A fit of coughing rocks her chest. My mother rushes to her side and Grandmother’s eyes light up. I watch them interact while my mom steals glances at me, silently asking if I am okay with that.

I nod. Feeling the weight of the necklace in my hand eases me, putting me instantly in a good mood. I can’t wait to give it back to Kaden.

I walk toward the window and prop my hip against the windowsill, watching the roses. Everything feels surreal at the moment.

“Celine?” Grandmother calls me.

I turn my head to her, and she says, “I’m sorry.”

Unable to give her a response, I only dip my chin in acknowledgment.

Out the window, I see cars start to line up outside of the house. “They’re here. I’m going to greet my friends.”

I rush down the long, curved stairs. The moment the door opens, I jump into Kaden’s arms, hiding my face in the crook of his neck, squeezing my eyes shut.

Kaden shields me. “We’ll be there in a few,” he tells the group.

He strokes my back as I cry, soothing me. Cradling me in his arms, he sits on the bench in the rose garden, holding me tightly.

“I don’t even care if she dies,” I whisper.

He lifts my chin, his eyes boring into mine.

“Never question if you’re a good person. What we went through was not normal.”

“My mom, I…”

“You feel betrayed.”

“I don’t even know what to feel.”

I take the necklace from my pocket, watching his eyes take it in. Melancholy and relief transform his face.

I lock it around his neck, and I pluck mine out of my blouse. He makes a fist of our hands around them.

“I know just one thing, one more vow: Us. The two of us together, Sky. Forever.”

His lips sweep me away in a dreamy kiss. His touch brands me. His love anchors me. His presence consumes me until everything else is a flicker in the back of my head.

When we come up for air, I say, “We should go inside.”

I will miss him so much. Nothing short of my reunion with my parents would have made me stay away from him for weeks.

“We have all the time in the world.”

Hand in hand, we step into Grandmother’s office. I find my small tribe congregating in the corner. My father stands next to Cillian. The second my father and mother see each other, their eyes light up, giving me confidence they will be all right.

Grandmother holds herself up on a cane as she limps inside. When she’s seated, the senior members of the Family look from us to her in stiff silence.

Guards bring Felix and Caleb inside, and she says, “This is your process.”

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