Page 19 of Back to You
Ronan hadn’t watched TV in a long time.He wasn’t that interested, but hewasinterested in Vincent and everything he did.If he had to listen to his mate rant about the show killing one of his favorite characters, he would.He’d always loved how passionate his mate was, and he was glad to see that it hadn’t changed over the years and losses.
His phone vibrated again, and this time, he couldn’t resist the urge to lift it to check the screen.Vincent’s name was there, and seeing it made Ronan smile.
It also made him stumble on a root.He swore and caught himself with his free hand, scraping his palm against the bark of the closest tree.He glared at the thing, but it wasn’t the tree’s fault.It was Ronan’s.
No one would blame him for being distracted.Hell, he’d seen some of the people who lived here and were in committed relationships with their mates do even stupider things.Just the other day, Matt had been climbing a tree in an attempt to talk to his mate after they’d had a fight.The poor man hadn’t gotten very far.He was lucky that his mate had wings in his shifted form because otherwise, he would’ve had a hard landing.
Ronan didn’t open the app that he and Vincent used to talk.He was supposed to meet Cam, and if he started checking his messages, he’d get distracted.Cam wouldn’t mind, but after everything the man had done for Ronan, it didn’t feel right to make him wait, especially because they were supposed to talk about Vincent.
It was hard to resist, especially when Ronan knew that Vincent had thought he’d left him.Would Vincent be afraid that Ronan had ghosted him again if he didn’t answer?He should know better, especially now, but they’d both been hurt.Vincent felt strongly that Ronan had it worse because he’d thought that Vincent was dead, but Ronan wasn’t sure about that.
Yes, he’d thought Vincent was dead, but that meant he’d known that Vincent hadn’t wanted to leave him.On the other hand, Vincent had believed that Ronan didn’t love him anymore.He’d thought he’d done something wrong that had pushed Ronan to leave without even telling him there was a problem.As far as Ronan was concerned, that was worse.Vincent had believed that Ronan was out there, living his life and not caring about him.They’d both thought they would never see the other again, but that hadn’t been the worst part.
That part was over.They’d found each other again, and while Ronan was still hurt and confused, he was also hopeful.It was obvious from their communication that Vincent was a different man, but so was Ronan.Losing each other and the years they’d spent apart meant they needed to get to know each other again, and that was what they were doing.Fulton wasn’t a threat to either of them anymore.He wasn’t a threat to anyone.
He was dead.Before dying, he’d lost everything that had ever been important to him, from his money to his son.Vincent and Ronan, on the other hand, had everything they could ever have dreamed of.Fulton had been defeated.With him gone, it was even more important to Ronan that he and Vincent give each other a real chance at happiness.
He bounced up the porch steps and knocked on Cam and Toby’s back door.He could hear them in the kitchen, and it didn’t take long for Toby to swing the door open.He arched a brow at Ronan, then waved him in.
“The last time you were here, it took you half an hour to knock.”
Cam snorted.“The last time he was here, he didn’t knock.I opened it for him and gave him coffee.”
Toby nodded.“Right.But look at him now.He’ssmiling.”
Ronan tried to school his expression, but it was useless.“I have my mate back.”
He wasn’t surprised when Toby smiled back.“I’m so incredibly happy for you.How are things going with Vincent?”
Cam gestured at Ronan to sit at the kitchen table, and Ronan did so easily.He wasn’t surprised when Toby grabbed a mug from one of the cupboards.They always offered refreshments when Ronan visited, even if it was only for a few minutes so that Cam could check in on him.
Cam sat in front of Ronan.He was relaxed, and he didn’t seem to expect their conversation to go sideways.He’d given Ronan several days to find his way around Vincent, and Ronan was ready to tell him about it.
“I take it things are going well with Vincent?”Cam asked.
“Better than I could have expected.We haven’t seen each other again yet after the conversation we had at the park, but I think we’re both relieved about that.We need some time apart to wrap our minds around what happened and what will happen in the future.”
“I can’t even imagine what it would be like for me to believe that Cam was dead for years,” Toby murmured as he placed a full cup of coffee in front of Ronan.“I don’t know how you survived that.”
“People are resilient.”
“But resilient enough to lose their mates and continue living the way you and Vincent did?I don’t know if I would be that strong.”
Ronan hoped Toby would never have to find out.He wanted Toby and Cam to have a long and happy life together, and since he was part of pack security, he might have a hand in making sure they got that.These people had welcomed him into their pack when they didn’t have to.They were giving him the opportunity to fix things with Vincent.They were supporting him through all of it, and Ronan knew he only had to ask to get their help.
“Tell us about Vincent,” Cam said.
Ronan smiled.He could talk about Vincent for hours, but that wasn’t what Cam was asking.“I don’t think he had anything to do with what his father did.I was hesitant in the beginning, but I’m sure of it now.”
Cam slowly nodded.“I love that you trust your mate that strongly, but I hope you understand that I can’t do the same.It’s clear that you and Vincent are headed into a relationship, and I want you to have that, but I need to protect my pack.”
Ronan’s mood soured.He swallowed and told himself not to snap at him.He did understand that Cam needed to be cautious.He wasn’t only thinking about himself.He was responsible for the entire pack and his mate.“What do you want me to do?”
“Nothing.I want you to continue spending time with your mate and being happy.”
“You don’t want me to spy on him?”
“I wouldn’t ask that of you.We know people who know people.I believe you met Braden, actually.”
