Page 141 of Renegade Rift

I can’t believe what I’m hearing. He’s been lying to me this whole time. Well, not technically. But lies of omission are still lies.

Questions race through my mind, and I can’t stop them from pouring out in rapid fire.

“Does she know about us?”

Ford shakes his head. “No.”

“Does she know you found me?”

“No.”

“But you were in contact with her before?”

“From the moment they realized they couldn’t find you.”

“And you didn’t tell me all this time?”

“I tried to,” Ford snaps, anger in his tone. He quickly swallows it and sighs. “You said you didn’t want me to bring them into this and you weren’t ready.” He looks down and runs a hand through his hair. He tightens on the strands at the nape of his neck and exhales. “I wanted to respect your wishes, and then I didn’t want to mention it and it seem like I was pushing you to reach out to them.”

“But you still kept it from me,” I argue, but I feel just the tiniest hint of wind leaving my sails at his persistent need to protect me and respect my boundaries.

God damn him.

The phone goes quiet, only to start buzzing again two seconds later, my mother’s name again lighting up across the screen.

“You have to answer it,” I say, but Ford only shakes his head.

“Not if you don’t want me to.”

Do I want him to?

Between last night, and the article, and now this—everything is happening so fast.

I close my eyes and breathe. It’s an attempt, if only a feeble one, to slow my racing heart and allow myself ten seconds to think so I don’t fall into a spiral.

That’s progress, right?

Shit.

Is that what my life is now? A series of progress moments?

Will I ever feel like I did last night with Ford when we were lost in our own little world? Will there ever be that moment where I can confidently say this is where I’m meant to be?

I can hear his voice in my head telling me the answer.

Only if you stop running.

Fuck, I’m so mad at him, and then he has to go and infiltrate my consciousness with little nuggets of wisdom I can’t unhear now that they’ve been put out in the universe.

I have to stop running.

Exhaling a steadying breath, I open my eyes to find Ford studying the phone.

It’s no longer buzzing, but we both know it will start again. If not now, then tomorrow.

“I want to call them.”

He looks up at me, trepidation in his deep blue stare. “Are you sure? You don’t have to do this, Juliet. We’ve got enough we’re up against.”

---