"Don't apologize to me. Apologize to the casino workers that went home to their families in fear. Who have to return to work every day remembering what happened to them and knowing that he could walk back in there any minute." She shook her head, pursing her lips for a moment before saying, "Knowing justice wasn't served because one Hybridian chose to protect another over them."
"I can fix it," I croaked. "I can…I can do better."
"Then fix it." She walked backward, holding her hands palm up as she moved away from me. "And after that, remember you have no business serving justice mingled with your own motives. You want to help the police and governing bodies make our city better? Fine. Do it. But you have to live by the same code as the rest of us." She turned on her heel as she wrapped her arms around her middle and walked away from me without ever looking back.
Chapter Six
I didn't tell Nalea what happened between Harlow and me at the museum the night before. I could hardly admit it to myself. My mind spiraled into an abyss, dug out by the words that left the only lips I wanted to kiss.
Naomi and Gretta cooked up grandmotherly goodness in the kitchen all day the next day, while Kai and Nalea worked to put together the baby swing that arrived that morning. Elara snuggled and strapped into her rocking seat appeared to watch them while gumming on her mitten-covered fingers. Audra came to stand beside me in the doorway to my room, smiling while we both looked on.
"You seem sad today," she said, despite her smile. "Are you okay?"
"I don't think so." I brushed my hands down the front of my shirt. "Does this look okay?"
"Yes." She gave my hair an affectionate stroke. "Purple is your color and button-downs always look good on you."
"My eye color…"
"All your colors." She fussed with my hair so that it fell over my shoulders. "Black jeans and mismatched socks. Wouldn't have it any other way, would you?"
"Nope." I smirked and glanced back to the ruckus in the living room.
"Harlow should be here soon."
"Part of me wishes she would cancel."
"What?" Her eyes widened. "Why?"
"Because when she finds out who I am, she's going to end things." I slipped my hands into my pockets and glanced at her. "And I'm telling her tonight. No matter what. After dinner, when I walk her to her car, I'm telling her."
"You should." Audra glanced at Nalea. "You should tell her and be able to be yourself, Veyda. I know Nalea disagrees, but it's only because she's protective of you. Not because she thinks you shouldn't. She doesn't want you to get hurt in any respect. Neither do I, but I know what it's like to live an inauthentic life. Trust me."
"I trust you." I drew in a slow breath, mildly relieved by her nod of confidence. "And one more night to pretend everything is okay." I gestured ahead of us.
"Just one." She offered me a soft smile. "Everything is okay in theory. It's your heart that knows it isn't. And from what I know of you, my sweet bestie, is you're all heart."
"Yeah." I sniffled at her kind words and nodded. "My heart hurts."
"It'll get better." She rubbed my back gently. "Your energy is all spent up. I didn't even startle you with my touch."
"I'm pretty drained."
"Let's at least get something to drink."
"Okay."
I followed her back to the others and observed everyone quietly from my perch on the arm of the sofa. Elara's little feet kicked up a storm from her position in her carrier beside me and I couldn't help snapping a few pictures and videos of her. The arrival of Harlow's car in the visitor's lot downstairs startled me from the distraction of my niece. I hadn't realized I'd expanded my hearing so widely until then, and all the noise around me suddenly erupted into chaos when I gave it attention. I closed my eyes, focusing on reducing the breadth of my limited restores. When Elara's coos returned to the forefront of my attention, everything seemed to calm down.
I stood from the sofa and headed for the door, holding my breath while I waited to hear Harlow's footsteps in the hall. I tugged on my boots while standing there and laced them up as my heart pounded in my ears.
Harlow's soft knock sounded like a jackhammer in my brain and I started, gripping the doorknob tight enough that it rattled. I glanced over my shoulder to find Nalea smiling at me. I scrunched my face at her, and she laughed as I pulled open the door.
"Hi," I said, breathlessly when Harlow's beautiful face appeared.
Radiant wouldn't even begin to describe her broad smile between the perfectly crafted layers that cradled her face. She tucked her hair behind her ear before a soft chuckle escaped her.
"Hi," she said, leaning in for a double cheek kiss. "I brought you something." She held up a compostable brown box. "Mint chip brownies, not too sweet, nothing artificial."
"Harlow." I gnawed my lip before accepting. "Thank you. I can smell them already," I admitted, allowing truth to leave me when it could. "Can't believe you remembered that."
"Of course I would." She drew in a deep breath while I allowed my gaze to flicker over the way her sweater just touched the waist of her black skinny jeans. She still wore black heels, however, and the combination of sexy and casual brought flashes of color to me whenever I blinked. I adored being in her space, and I reveled in looking at her the same way I enjoyed the art in her museum.
"Um…" I stammered for a moment, then cleared my throat. "Come and meet everyone."
"Okay." She chuckled and her hand fell to the small of my back while I shut the door.
All eyes turned to us, particularly Nalea and Audra who wore twin grins.
"Harlow, this is Nalea and Kai, Audra's father." I motioned to each of them where they still worked on the baby swing. "And the little princess there in her carrier is Elara, and beside her is Audra. In the kitchen, Naomi and Gretta, the grandmas." They both waved at us, their inquisitive smiles not unlike that of their daughters.
"Nice to meet you all." Harlow chuckled while returning their waves. "I've heard a lot about some of you, but mostly Elara."
"She's the most deserving anyway," touted Kai, a proud grin on his face.
"Aww." Nalea clapped him on the back. "Sappy old Pappi."
We all laughed and I ushered Harlow inside. "Come get comfortable in this very overwhelming environment I've invited you to. No pressure at all. Just…literally everyone staring at us."
"I think I can handle it," she said, setting her purse down beside my work bag by the front door.
Everyone returned to their own items of focus while I took Harlow on a brief tour of our quaint space. I rounded us off beside what we called the breakfast nook, even though we never ate breakfast there.
"Audra and Nalea's room is right off the living room, but mine turns this corner here." I motioned to the three-corner area that overlooked the courtyard and the trees within. "Naomi is crashing here for the week so we're sharing for now."
"This is a lovely space for you all," she said, glancing into my excessively tidy room now that it wasn't just mine.
"It is, but we've outgrown it." I folded my arms over my middle while we stole a moment alone by the window, both of us gazing into the evening light. "We're thinking about buying a house together, but a two family or duplex. Elara needs her own room and private spaces for all of us will be a bonus."
"Will you stay in the area?" she asked, glancing at me before brushing the knuckle of her index finger over my arm. A shiver raced over my shoulders, and she said, "You're very anxious."
"We're staying in Seattle or the close suburbs, yes. And I am. Yeah." I smirked and turned to face her properly.
"How come?" Her gaze met mine. Concern wrinkled her brow as she rubbed my arms, her hands falling in a soft grip just below my shoulders. The supportive, comforting gesture brought a swell of mist to my eyes that I fought profoundly.
"We've gone out a few times now and I've asked you to dinner with literally my entire world. And there's something I need to talk to you about, but haven't been able to bring myself
to do it." No more lies, only truth from here on out.
"I'm very happy to meet your world, partly because I don't have one of my own, but mainly because, in case I haven't made that abundantly clear, I'm very much into you. And I don't care if it's too soon." She tilted her head, her eyes narrowed with conviction in her delivery.
Everything about Harlow engulfed me. I never stopped hearing her heartbeat, never stopped drowning in her luscious magnolia, and whenever she touched me, I found myself soothed instead of triggered. "I'm very into you, too," I said, dropping my gaze for a moment before looking back at her. "I'm sorry."
"For what?" She urged me closer to her, her hands slipping around my middle as our stomachs touched.
I ran my fingers through her hair, shaking my head as the fear of losing this stole my voice again.
"Your eyes look different today," she said, nudging my forehead with hers. "Does the color change when you're emotional?"
"Yes," again, more truth, but only the beginning. "I'm not usually this emotional."
"I'm not about to complain. I'm getting snuggles from a beautiful ginger out of it." She smiled and tucked my hair behind my ears. "Did I ever mention I'm a huge fan?"
"Maybe a little." I laughed softly and met her gaze again. "I hope it stays that way."
"Your hair or my fandom?"
"Hmm. I think it's a synonymous relationship."
"Truth."
Shouts of glee erupted behind us, and we both turned to look.
"Did we miss a milestone?" Harlow's brow furrowed, and we released each other.
"I hope not. I think two, nearing three, weeks old is a little young for the big stuff." I nodded toward the kitchen, and we headed back.
Everyone gathered around the now-assembled swing in the living room. Elara wasn't in it yet, however, Nalea and Kai appeared to be celebrating their success of building it. Gretta crouched beside it, pointing to the seat.
"Someone sit in this before I put my grandbaby in that swing." She looked up at Audra. "Go on, dear."
"Mom, my vagina is barely healed. Tell your daughter-in-law." Audra shoved Nalea's shoulder.
"My bodacious booty will bust that and besides, it's a thirty-pound limit."
"Naomi! Get the turkey from the freezer," called Gretta.
Harlow and I burst out laughing at the chaos erupting in front of us. Naomi did, in fact, pluck the twenty-something pound frozen bird from the freezer, wrapped it in a towel, then brought it over. The four of them set the swing up with the turkey and stood back to watch it rock.
I captured the entire scenario on video while Harlow giggled beside me.
"Dear Elara of the future, this is how everyone tried to keep you safe from a swing your Grandpa and mother built for you," I spoke softly into the phone. "Cherish these moments. Here you are watching." I panned the camera to Elara sucking a pacifier in her seat. "You are amused."
I pocketed my phone once they decided the swing was safe enough for the baby, and Harlow snuck her arm around my waist. I leaned into her, enjoying her affection and the time together before it would all eventually end.
Dinner went over without a hitch, then ended with coffee and dessert. Kai and Gretta retired to their hotel room after a while, and Naomi to mine. Nalea took Elara off for a bath after Audra finished feeding her, then left the three of us alone in the living room.
I sat beside Harlow on the sofa, eating my fourth minty brownie of the night while she sipped the remainders of her coffee. Audra smiled at us from her relaxed perch on the armchair.
The broadcast viewer on the wall played with the sound off, as Kai often preferred it, with captions scrolling on the bottom. The late-night news carried on, and it drew the attention of all three of us.
The newscaster's lips moved, and the caption below read, Casino heist suspect in custody. The Seattle Police Department announced today that the suspect who held six people hostage at a local casino is now in custody. Sources said originally that the suspect eluded the grip of a Shadow Protector patrolling the streets. However, that same Protector was able to track down the suspect, tying him to a local automotive repair shop, and turned him over to the proper authorities. The suspect remains in custody at this time. On behalf of all citizens, we thank the Protectors for continuing to assist law enforcement in their efforts to keep our streets safe.
I held my breath while watching the report, though Audra caught my gaze immediately when I looked at her. Harlow said nothing, though her lips pursed to a thin line.
"It's been lovely getting to know you, Harlow," Audra broke the tension. "The S.A.M. is my favorite museum. How long have you been there now?"
"About five years." Harlow smiled immediately, pulled away from whatever internal dialogue that she listened to. "It's my passion and my job, which makes it less like work and more like my life."
"You were an archeologist first, right?"
She nodded, then set her coffee down on the end table. "I was. I did that for about four years. I loved it. The digs and finds were just…" She shook her head. "Out of this world. Literally sometimes. Everyone expects you to find dinosaurs all the time, and we do, but my favorite was the remnants of humanity, and the early signs of alien life on Earth. Finding Offworld metals, skeletal remains of Offlanders dating back as early as twenty-ten. Most people living in the early two-thousands didn't even consider the future we have now. Especially after the Age of Denial in the twenty-twenties prompted by the attempted resurgence of fascism. Everything became a conspiracy or outright denied back then."
"Fun times, apparently. I mean, according to my grandparents anyway." Audra shook her head. "Horrifying to think about. What made you stop being an archeologist?"
I listened to them share an easy conversation, finding myself relaxing into the flow of it. Harlow fit right in and no matter how excited that made me, the consequences of the other side loomed.
Harlow's expression dimmed slightly, and I heard her heart skip a beat when she shifted beside me. "My father became ill, and I returned to handle his affairs." Her casual tone faded for a tense one that I'd heard a few times before, usually coupled with a firearm in her palm. "He died soon after and I chose to focus my energies differently. I needed a job with more stability and less travel for a bit, so I cased the local museums after considering teaching, and found a place as an assistant curator at the art museum. I loved it, and eventually received a promotion so I stayed. I'd never really stayed put before, and now I can't imagine not."
"I'm sorry to hear about your father. Nalea lost hers, too, a few years back. Not easy losing a parent," said Audra, sympathy thick in her tone.
"Losing my mother was harder. I was in high school then and she passed unexpectedly. Losing my father, however, was a complicated mix of relief and loss." Her candid response stirred up my own emotions, as well as Audra's. Everyone's heartbeats quickened then, as the three of us shared.
"That's a lot to manage for a young person." Audra's gaze flickered to me.
Harlow looked to me, and I nodded. "My mom died when I was seven. My dad raised me, but he passed when I was in college."
"I'm sorry to hear that." Her brow softened while she watched me. "Was he a good dad?"
Her question struck me as a little unusual considering all the other information shared, but I nodded, smiling at the memory of my father. "The best. He stumbled over some of the girlhood questions as they came up, but he always did his best." I chuckled and said, "He was so happy when I started bringing girls home instead of boys. Like the fear of the world lifted from him."
"He sounds like a dream." Harlow smiled and her hand fell to my thigh, rubbing in soft circles that immediately radiated upward. My stomach flip-flopped and I drew in a slow breath to keep myself engaged in the conversation rather than lost in her touch.
"He was a good dad," I said, leaning over to kiss her shoulder when I noticed the dimness in her eyes. She appeared suddenly tired, and it struck chords of worry in me.
"I'm gla
d you had that," she said, her voice soft. "If you couldn't have your mom, I'm glad you had a good dad."
"I'm sorry that you didn't," I chanced, and she nuzzled my forehead with hers.
"I'm going to give you two a little bit of alone time," announced Audra as she rose from her seat when Nalea returned to the bedroom with the baby. "It was wonderful meeting you, Harlow. I hope it happens again."
"Me too," Harlow said, tossing her a smile. "Good night."
"Night." Audra winked at me, then closed the bedroom door behind her.
Harlow met my gaze again and, with caution, I stroked my finger over her cheek.
"Family stuff isn't easy to talk about," I said, keeping my voice soft.
"Your family here is beautiful," she said, leaning into my touch.
"I'm grateful for them and that you got to meet them."
"Me too." She closed her eyes for a moment while we hung there, then brushed her lips against mine. I met her there, catching her in a soft kiss that seemed to soothe her some.
She cupped my face, holding me to her as we tumbled into a tender make out session on the sofa. As before, my thoughts exploded in a mess of color like internal fireworks meant only for me. Her heart raced as if she ran a marathon, and I felt her clench her thighs as she pressed me down into the cushions. Her passion erupted with mine, and she writhed above me until she lay between my knees, her belly pressed to mine.
A soft gasp left her, ending our kiss when she braced herself against my stomach. My skin burned and tingled in waves of rolling delight that caused me to arch against her, threatening to end between my thighs, but it didn't. Her entire body quaked, and her fingers gripped my hair.
"How do you do that?" The words left her on a shaky whisper and her face burned with a blush.
"Do what?" I tucked her hair behind her ears, gulping down the words that formed on my tongue.
"Make me…with a kiss." She kissed me again, untucking my shirt to snake her fingers up to my bare stomach.
The second her flesh met mine, I held my breath when the thrills of desire melted into the threat of pleasure. I felt my own dampness and caught her hand before she could go any further. My eyes welled up immediately, and Harlow's brow furrowed.
Jawbreaker (Four Point Universe Book 14) Page 9