Page 56 of Only Temporary

This is so not me.

“I’m sorry. I guess I freaked-out.”

“It’s allowed. This is a lot, and I’m asking a lot from you. But I’ll protect you.”

Doesn’t he get it though? I’m not worried about me at all. I probably should be—I’ve worked hard for my career—but I’m not. I’d jump in headfirst, no problem, if I didn’t think it could ruin his life.

All he’s ever wanted since he had to leave them was to be able to take care of them, to make sure they’re safe. And he’s so close to having that.

My eyes sweep the empty room before I walk closer to Kellan and take his face in my hands. I kiss him softly and briefly before I drop my hands and go back over to the stove. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t ever apologize. I’m just glad you’re still here.”

As if it’s even a possibility for me to leave. It’s selfish, but that’s just never going to happen unless my hand is forced and there’s no other way out.

TWENTY-FIVE

I rush home, my heart in my throat and not sure what the hell is going on. You know how I said everything was calm, but the storm was coming—well, here it is. At least I think.

I was at work when I got a call from Cason, telling me to come home. That was all he said before he hung up, but I could hear someone sobbing in the background. Rae. I think it was Raegan.

I push through the front door and holler for Cason. When he calls me into Raegan’s room, I fly down the hall and stop in the doorway. I see her on her bed and Cason kneeled down in front of her.

Her body is shaking, and she’s been crying, though she’s quiet now. “What happened?”

Cason looks at me over his shoulder, clearly shaken. I’m not used to seeing either of them this way. They’re both either really pissed-off or they don’t show feelings—nothing ever like this.

“Don’t,” Raegan says to Cason.

He stands and glances at me before looking at her. “I have to tell him. He’s our guardian, and he needs to know.”

I feel like I’m coming apart at the seams, about to fall right here as I try to catch my breath and wait them out. She just looks away from him, clearly not happy, but he walks me out into the hall.

“Where are Braylen and Kieran?”

Cason nods toward their room. “I told them to go in there and listen to music.”

“What happened?”

He looks back into Rae’s room and then walks me even further away, keeping his voice down. “I don’t know. She won’t tell me, but when I got here, I passed Blake on the way in. He was bleeding from his face, but he didn’t stop to talk.”

“Wait. Blake was bleeding?”

Cason nods grimly. “I was too surprised to ask what happened, but I felt like something was wrong. Really,reallywrong. So I came in to check on Rae, and I found her shaking and crying. She wouldn’t talk.”

Fuck. That doesn’t sound good.

“She didn’t say anything?”

He shakes his head, and I watch as he clenches and unclenches his fists at his side. He’s clearly terrified, and so am I. I don’t know what happened, but I know it’s my job to figure it out. “Go take a break. I’m going to talk to her.”

“She’s not going to tell you.”

“I’m your guardian, remember? I at least need to try. I need to see if she needs medical attention.” I swallow down the rising bile in my throat, wanting to find Blake and tear his head off. But I know Raegan needs me more.

Cason heads down the hall and out the back door, and I try to calm myself before going back into Raegan’s room. “We have to talk about it, Rae.”

“We really, really don’t, Kellan,” she says, not looking at me. Staring at the wall instead.

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