Page 35 of Letters to the Lost

Parzival whines as he nudges my hand with his wet nose as panic swells in my chest.

Thankfully, I’m able to suppress it before it gets worse, as they continue to argue. Looking up from where my hand is buried in Parzival’s fur, my eyes lock onto Tobias’s knowing ones.

“You ok?” he mouths.

Nodding, I turn my gaze back to the room as they continue to shout at one another. Dominic is sitting silently, but the small tic in his clenched jaw and the flexing of his tattooed fingers tell me he’s close to exploding.

Sending Dad a pleading look, I beg him to make this stop.

To allow Dominic to explain.

“That’s enough!” Dad shouts.

“He should never have kept this from us!”Zander shouts and this is the first time I see the man he told me about. The fighter in him is at the surface, begging for blood. The first time, I saw how dangerous he could be.

“Watch your tone, boy,” Dad warns.

“Can we just stop this, please?” I plead, and everyone finally stops, “For god’s sake, just let him explain.”

“As I was saying, I got information from our little friend downstairs. He told me that Jane had people watching Autumn. I made the decision to go there myself and watch over her, ensuring that she was safe. While allowing her to get the professional help she needed.” Dominic tells them all, sending me a wink as he continues, “I’m not going to apologize for it either, she’s doing great. But that’s all for her to tell you. I was there to protect her, that's all.”

“That’s all?” Tobias queries, his face etched in disbelief.

“That was all. He held me when therapy was really hard, but he was serious the entire time and protected me.”

“Okay then. Dominic, I’d like a word with you in my office later, after you visit your guest downstairs,” Dad says, before turning to me, his eyes softer than when I last saw him, “Right now we’d like to hear about your time at the program,Little Monster.”

So that’s what I do, I tell them about most of my time there while I snuggle on the sofa with Parzival by my side. Nanook’s pounding pawsteps brightens my day so much more.

I’ve missed being home, but I have one more talk that I need to have, alone with the guys before we can start to move on.

Chapter 16

Tobias

We’re all crowded in Autumn’s bedroom after spending hours talking about the program with her and her dad. Her progress, while only slight, is already noticeable.

The relief I felt when she climbed out of the car looking healthier than she had been in months, was nearly enough to bring me to my knees. The last six weeks without her has been torture and the only thing I could even think about is having her home again, in my arms.

I love this girl more than anything else in this entire world. I’d get her anything, do anything for her. When I first walked into that hospital room, I never expected the protectiveness that I felt for her to slam into me. Nor did I ever think that I would slowly grow to love her the way I have. She owns me. Even if she decides one day she never wants me, I’ll always be hers until the day my heart stops beating.

I can’t stop watching her, the way her fingers keep twitching like she’s resisting the urge to do something. If I watch her, I won’t miss the signs this time, I won’t allow her to get that far ever again.

I refuse.

“We need to talk,” Autumn says, her posture rigid as she sits on the bed.

“You breaking up with us Cupcake?” Dominic jokes.

I don’t understand how he can joke like that, just her saying those dreaded words makes a cold sweat break out on my forehead. Zander shoots Dominic a venomous look as soon as the words leave his mouth.

“What about, Pumpkin?” Atlas says, but he can’t keep the fear from his voice.

“I’m not breaking up with any of you, you idiots,” She laughs lightly, and every single one of us lets out a sigh of relief.

“So, what’s it about?” I probe, wanting her to look at me even if it’s just briefly. Her eyes are shining now, not that horrible dull and lifeless way like before.

“We need to talk about what happened before. This can’t work if we are lying to one another, it has to be nothing but truths moving forward,” she wraps her arms around herself, closing herself off from us.

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