Page 59 of A Place Like You

“You asked CQS to liquidate all your assets so you can move here permanently,” Callahan says, his eyes narrowed. “We want to know what the fuck you were thinking?”

“He’s not thinking,” Magnus interjects with a bark.

I wish they would mind their own fucking business, but as we discussed it earlier, everything we do affects the other. I rake a hand through my hair with a frustrated sigh. “It’s not like they let me do it,” I remind them, still seething from my conversation with Finnegan and Derek.

And even though they didn’t let me just disregard my old life so I can become Drake Kershaw, I took a leap and told Wren how I feel about her. With another sigh of frustration, I confess, “Waiting until this gets solved feels like a lifetime.”

Gael shakes his head disapprovingly, his brow deeply furrowed. “But did you have to go and declare your undying love to the doctor?”

How the fuck do they know? I’ve come to realize that this town is not just small but also remarkably gossip-prone. It never ceases to amaze me how quickly everyone becomes aware of anyone’s actions, yet no one seems to question who we are or why we’re here.

“Drake?” Magnus pulls me back into the conversation. All eyes are fixed on me.

“It’s simple. I want to live now,” I assert firmly, meeting each brother’s gaze. “Slade’s life is hanging by a thread, and his mother is dying alone. We’ve already lost our father. These past few months have taught me that life is too short,” I say, avoiding the admission that I’ve already lost one family, naïvely believing I had all the time to make it up to them.

I won’t make that mistake again.

Not again.

Magnus glowers, then he turns on Callahan. “Can you just get us the fuck out of this place?”

“Easy there.” Callahan holds up a placating hand. “Like I said, this won’t happen overnight. I’m doing everything I can to speed it up, but realistically, it’ll take years.”

“Years,” I echo, though I don’t sound resigned like Cal. I’m in fact happy that I’m here finding myself and the person I belong to—Wren.

Cal tilts his head toward me. “Maybe the doc is onto something. We all need to start living life now instead of waiting for this to end.”

River stands and squeezes my shoulder reassuringly. “So, the plan is we follow big bro’s example, falling in love and all that mushy stuff.” He waggles his eyebrows playfully. “Who knows, maybe Bach will hook up with the sexy librarian next.”

“Fuck you,” Bach growls, his fists clenching at his sides.

I frown, puzzled by River’s statement. “Why?” Honestly, I don’t see the professor hooking up with Sutton.

“You know, they like words and shit,” River responds and laughs. “The studious professor and the bookish librarian—they just make sense.”

Bach’s jaw tightens, but he stays quiet.

I want to defend Bach but decide to let it go for now. “Well, if that’s everything, you should leave.”

As I turn to head to my room, Callahan asks, “What are we doing with Slade?”

I stop short, my shoulders tensing as I glance back at him, perplexed. “What do you mean?”

“You’re the doctor. What are we doing for his recovery and rehab?” he prods, eyes narrowing.

During today’s meeting, Finn told us that Slade was MIA up until last week. Thankfully, CQS found him, rescued him, and he’s now in the hospital in critical condition. They don’t know if he’ll make it. Once he’s stable enough, they’re bringing him to Heartwood Lake. They’ll keep his MIA status until it’s safe for him to leave.

“We’ll figure out his accommodations when he’s well enough to travel,” I reply carefully, realizing I need to tread lightly here. Anything I say might make me responsible for Slade. I don’t plan on abandoning him, but we all have to help him, as a family. “He’ll probably stay in the clinic or . . . We can’t decide until we get an update from the hospital where he’s currently at.”

I don’t add how I don’t know if Slade will accept our help or what will happen to his frail mother. “We’ll work it out when the time comes,” I add as an afterthought.

Callahan studies me for a couple seconds, and eventually he nods as if accepting what I just said.

Of course, in that moment, Wren steps forward, her eyes flashing with anger. “It’s my clinic. I should be the one who decides who stays or doesn’t.”

I groan inwardly because this is something Finn wanted to discuss with her directly—when the time is right.

Arms crossed, Wren glares at me, her beautiful eyes like daggers. “Were you ever going to tell me about it?”

---