“How are things going?” Will asks me one afternoon.
I’ve broken down and told him and Cameron the truth. They’re both apprehensive, but I assured them I’m okay, as are the twins, and we hope to be home soon. Zthane wasn’t pleased with my choice, but I was no longer okay lying to them. I’ve spent too much time over the last few years either keeping things from those I love. So, despite what I’m going through, despite the risks, I just can’t do it anymore.
They have no idea where we are, which adhered to Zthane’s stipulations, but I told them they could share the information with Astrid. She’s been calling the twins daily, too, and it frustrates us all to have to watch the worlds continue spinning around us while we’re trapped behind glass.
“Fine,” I tell Will. I flop on my bed and stare up at the ceiling, switching it out to a night sky scene. “And you?”
“Also fine. Dad and Astrid are having dinner every other night now, though. Heaven forbid they go out by themselves, though. Callie and I are forced to play chaperone more often than not.”
“I wish I were there,” I say truthfully.
There’s a long pause before, “I might have kissed her.”
My word is an arrow fired straight and hard across the phone line. “Callie?”
Silence.
I lurch up on the bed, to my knees. “WHAT? WHEN? HOW? WHY? I WANT DETAILS, WILL!”
The door between my bedroom and Kellan’s flies open; Jonah pops his head in, alarmed. I wave him off, motioning for him to shut the door again. “Details, Will!”
“Jesus! Calm down, will you?” Will is saying. “We were bored. There was wine. Nice music, picturesque scenery. It was once, and I feel terrible about it.”
I’m slack jawed. “Callie was a terrible kisser? But—”
“Are you even listening to me right now? No, Callie was not a terrible kisser. She’s quite brilliant at it. I’m saying I feel terrible because ...” I can hear his soft groan. “It isn’t right to kiss her when ...”
When he doesn’t know what he wants to do about Becca.
“Will,” I say gently, “do you like her?”
It takes him a long time before he admits he does like her. He likes her a lot. And he thinks she likes him, too, which is a big fat duh as I already knew that. “But she deserves better than me,” he says quietly.
“What? You’re crazy. You’re one of the best people I know. Why would you say that?”
“Because I still love Becca, Chloe. I probably always will.”
Love is funny like that. Love stays with us, whether we want it or not. “Are you in love with her though? Becca, I mean? I say this because you can always love many people. You love me, for instance.”
He murmurs, “That’s different.”
“Is it?”
“Chloe. I used to see myself with Becca forever.”
I smile. Used to, he says. Past tense. He’s not in love with her anymore. He just needs to come to this realization.
“What do you see with Callie?”
“I try not to think about it, to be honest.”
I want to laugh at the way he’s evading my questions. “You may try not to think about it, but I think you just might have once or twice. What do you see?”
“I take it back. I don’t love you,” he says sourly.
“Yes, you do. I love you, too.”
“Fine,” he sighs. “I do love you, even though you’re a prat.”
When we hang up a minute later, I go to open the door between the rooms. Both Jonah and Kellan practically fall over, their ears were pressed so closely to the door.
“This is what we get for being trapped down here,” I tell them. “Our parents are practically dating and Will and Callie kissed.”
“Shut up.” Kellan whistles. “She finally went through with it? I’ll be damned.”
I can’t help but giggle. “Actually, he made it sound like he made the move, to be honest.”
“Even better.”
I love that they’re both grinning, like this is a wonderful thing to know. Like, even though we’re far, far away from our loved ones, we’re still part of their lives, anyway.
Over the next week, Bios slowly unravels his version of Elder history. Much of what we know today is distorted, altered by Rudshivar’s disciples in an effort to hide truths best left buried with the rest of their family.