Page 103 of Unraveling Rain
Ruin: Nonsense. Gio is calling the pilot now. You can take the helicopter in the morning.
Miles: Ohhh, the dough is rolling! *moneyemoji*
Ruin: Shut it, Miles. I’m just looking out for my twin! *manicure emoji*
Merlin: Attention people—Ruin has thrown the first punch! *boxing emoji*
Ruin: All set, Raindrop. The pilot has your number. He’s going to contact you to arrange the time you need to leave. *kiss emoji*
River: Thank you, Ruin. It was a smart move.
River: Have fun, Rain. I hope his family is nice. Let us know if you need anything.
Rain: Love you all. I’ll keep you posted.
Merlin: Party’s over. No fight. *whining emoji* You all are getting boring AF as you get older.
Miles: Shhh, baby boy. The adults are speaking.
Ruin: Sorry, baby bro. Some of us have more rewarding things to do than fighting over the phone with our siblings. *eggplant emoji* *peach emoji*
Merlin: Ewww, Ruin. You’ve scarred me for life. *sick emoji*
River: Merlin, how do you think Indigo and Sage came to be? By divine intervention? You’re definitely still a baby—and it shows. Good night!
Miles: Bahahaha. The old man still has it! Tough act to follow. G’night everyone.
Miles: And Ruin, tell Gio to wrap it up. As cute as my niece and nephew are, you already have two.
Rain: *laughing emoji* *laughing emoji* *laughing emoji*
Ruin: I’ll have you know, I’ll be happy to have a dozen kids with this man. *kiss emoji*
Miles: #CoolUncleEnergy #SingleAndReadyToMingle #CatchMeNeverHavingKids
Rain: Ohhh Miles, don’t jinx yourself. You might end up with a beautiful family and kids who call you Daddy and love you and adore you. #shudders
River: If you guys don’t stop texting, I’ll leave this group.
Merlin: Don’t worry, old man. I’ll add you right back. I’m more tech savvy than you. #winning
The oven’s timer goes off, and I set my phone on the table—my siblings never disappoint with the theatrics. I’ll catch up on their texts later. Right now, it’s time to enjoy the food my man cooked for me. A man after my own heart.
After dinner, I wash the dishes, get ready for bed, and spot a new text from the pilot. I reply quickly, letting him know my flight’s at ten in the morning. He texts back that we’ll leave at eight.
I’m beyond grateful I don’t have to drive three hours just to get there.
Chapter 28
Rain
“Babe, are you coming?” Xander asks on the other end of the line, a hint of panic in his voice.
“I’m already here, at the gate,” I say brightly.
I spot him standing and scanning the crowd. Grinning, I hang up and sneak around to surprise him. I think I’ve got him—until he turns on his heel, eyes locking onto mine like a magnet finding home.
The phone disappears into his back pocket as he strides toward me and wraps his arms around me.
