Page 130 of Rescued
There’s a lot that we need to talk about, Salem and me, but it’ll have to wait until we get home. As it stands, if I try to talk to him now, all it’s gonna do is cause a scene. Jasper deserves better than that after everything he’s done for me. For us.
“Did everyone order?” I ask, trying to keep myself sounding cheery.
“Not yet. We wanted to wait for you.”
With a stroke of perfect timing, our server shows up at the edge of our table. “Are we ready to order?”
I sit, numb, while everyone around the table tells him our order, and when it’s my turn, I rattle off what I want too.
It doesn’t escape my notice that Salem ordered nothing more than an appetizer, even after the server pointed out that it wasn’t technically a meal. At any rate, I’m just glad all the server got was a softly spoken “I know” and not a snarky response.
It’s quiet and tense the entire time we eat, and Nora doesn’t even look up from the phone. I eat my steak slowly, listening to the clang of silverware, the hushed conversations happening around us, and the annoying, grating voice of the person Nora is watching on YouTube.
Jasper pays the bill, and a quick glance shows me it’s actually over two hundred dollars. Even without dessert. Fuck, I hope Salem didn’t see it.
“Everyone ready to go?” Jasper asks, and his voice sounds way too loud considering how quiet everything has been.
Nora nods without a word, and my heart cracks right down the middle. I hate that she’s being put in a situation like this. I hate that it’s all fucked up and I’m doing everything wrong. This was supposed to be safety for them, and it’s not.
My eyes burn again, but I force myself to keep it together. I have no doubt that Jasper will let me fall apart later, but that’s not a thing for me to do now. Not in front of the kids.
The four of us stand, then make our way through the crowded restaurant. The outside air is crisp, and if it wasn’t for the tension bleeding from all of us, I might actually enjoy it. The last bits of fall before winter have always been my favorite time of year.
The ride home is almost as bad as dinner. Even Jasper seems defeated. He’s gripping the steering wheel so hard his knuckles are turning white, and Nora’s been staring out the window with the same video playing on a loop.
It’s kind of annoying, but I don’t even want to ask her to turn it off. If it’s helping her, I can manage.
Part of me wishes Graymont wasn’t so fucking far away from home because this ride is going to be absolute hell.
Fitting, I guess.
Chapter 32
Arlo
Bythetimewepull into the driveway, Nora is asleep, and I’ve mostly been able to tune out the tinny voices on the video that’s still playing.
Jasper puts the truck in park, then turns in his seat to look at me. “I’ll carry Nora in and take her to bed.”
I can’t manage much more than a nod. I guess I’m gonna try to get Salem to talk to me. That’s really what it comes down to. He needs to open up to me and talk, whether he wants to or not.
With a sigh, Jasper pushes open the truck door and gets out, then opens the back door.
I’m frustrated and hurt, and I want to go to mine and Jasper’s room and hide out from the world. I can’t, of course. Fuck, this is so much harder than I thought it would be.
Jasper unbuckles Nora. She stirs a bit, but when she realizes it’s him, she closes her eyes again. He lifts her without thought, and she wraps her arms around his neck.
It’s not until they’ve made it to the door that Salem sighs. “I’m gonna go in and go to bed.”
He’s out of the truck before I can even respond. Giving myself a few minutes to regulate, I wait until he’s inside the house and the door is shut behind him before I climb down.
By the time I make it inside, Jasper is standing just inside the door.
“Hey, baby boy,” he whispers, hooking an arm around my waist and pulling me close to him.
“Hey,” I whisper back, wrapping myself around him and soaking in his warmth. “I’m gonna go talk to Salem.”
Jasper’s chest rises and falls under my head. “Might be a good idea to wait, baby boy. Let him cool off.”
