Page 26 of Stutter

He kisses my temple again, rises to his feet, and then helps me up. I don’t need his help, but he has always made me feel steadier. Stronger. Enough to survive today so I can thrive tomorrow.

We open the door, and Mrs. Howell is standing outside, along with Jonas. I reach out to touch her arm as we both cross the threshold. I’m going out, she’s going in to speak with Damon. “I’m sorry.”

She nods with a small smile. “I know, Raven.” But she doesn’t say ‘it’s okay.’

Because it’s not.

Jonas takes me and I hate the look on his face. I know what he’s thinking – I’m getting worse, not better. But then, after he looks me over, those autumnal eyes of his shine. “Perfect.” He says, and he takes me in his arms, and I allow myself the moment of reprieve.

“I want to continue working with her, but I really believe she needs therapy. Her outbursts-“

“Thankyou, Mrs. Howell, for your professional opinion. I’ll make sure she sees her therapist. He’s the best in the state."

Jonas scoffs and rolls his eyes which makes me smile. He kisses my cheek and hugs me tightly again. “You think it’s a soup day or an ice cream day?” He asks, taking my hand in his large one.

I grip the sides of my throat and flatten my tongue inside my mouth, feeling the strain of my trachea.Soup, I sign.

“I think it’s a great day for soup.” He grins, leading me to where we placed our coats and boots by the front door because Ada is being paid handsomely to host us at her home office.

I slide my boots on, then my coat. Grabbing my phone and checking it just in case Maverick messaged but of course he didn’t. No. I have a few notifications from Axel, but they say the same thing as always:

Axel: I miss you

Axel: Can we please talk?

Axel: Can you at least turn on your location, so I know you’re okay?

Axel: Are you spending Christmas with him or with us?

His voice messages are usually along the lines of,“Hey Cookie. I’m in town. Can we please talk? This is the longest we’ve gone without talking and… Ray, you can’t cut me out of your life like this, okay? I need you. You’re… my sister. I love you. Please. Call me. Anytime. I’ll answer. Or text. Okay? Okay… it’s… it’s Axel, by the way."

The door at the end of the hallway opens and Damon strides towards us. Tall, handsome, eyebrows arched in agitation, silver eyes like melted glaciers, but as soon as he sees me he softens immediately and helps me with my scarf until it’s hiding half my face, beanie, and my thick mittens, then dresses himself.

Jonas opens the door once we’re all ready to go, the snow on the ground is so white it almost looks fake. I look at the Rover and make a face.

“What is it, baby?”

I pull a mitten off with my teeth, then the other and Damon’s chest rumbles. I ignore him.Axel gave me this car. I don’t want it anymore. I want to buy one myself.

Jonas grins mischievously. “You want to go car shopping?”

I nod because he can’t see the grin on my face. He opens the passenger door for me, shuts it, and then climbs in the backseat behind me as Damon gets behind the wheel.

I lower my scarf to my chin. “Ah…fter… s-s-soup?”

Damon leans over the center console and kisses my lips, a little hungrier and it makes me needy for more. “How about before?”

________

We come back with our bellies full in a black Audi SQ7 Prestige with all the fixings. Sleek, shiny, chic, leather interior with heated seats plus other stuff I don’t care about, but Damon and Jonas were excited for. It feels good. It feels right. It feels like another tether to the Monroe’s snipped.

We pull into the driveway beside a familiar Lincoln Navigator and my heart drops completely. I look over at Damon who is driving, and he shrugs. I almost jump out when I spot a familiar glasses-framed face, but Jonas keeps me to his side by the elbow, ushering me to the front door. I lock eyes with my handsome professor, planting my heels on the ground but I slide because of the snow.

Damn him and his delicious muscles.

Maverick looks past me and straight at Damon as Jonas pulls me inside, while Damon stays just outside the threshold.

“Yes?” He uses the same nonchalant tone Maverick used with me earlier today.

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