Page 59 of Bound By Blood and Lies

“In a minute,” she replies gently. “Let’s say hello first.”

She steps forward and pulls me into her arms before I can say anything else. I bend down into her embrace like a kid as my hands clutch at her shoulders and I press my forehead against hers.

“You’re magical,” I whisper but the words barely make it out.

“I told you,” She murmurs quietly, “mums know everything.”

Then she pulls back slightly as‘The Best Is Yet To Come by Tom Walker’starts playing and I see her lip wobble slightly whilst she cups my face between her hands. Mum looks up at me and there seems to be so many things warring to get out, but instead she just takes in a deep breath.

“I love you so much, sweet boy.”

“I love you too.”

I step back just in time to see movement in the room again. Fae steps back as Felix releases her and turns her towards the others.

“Hi,” she says softly, her hands twisting together like she’s unsure what to do with them.

Riggs completely loses it. He starts sobbing harder than I think even Felix or I managed and crosses the space in two quick strides before dragging her into a crushing hug.

“Jesus Christ, you look like shit,” he chokes out thickly, with a voice wrecked with emotion.

Fae lets out a soft, breathy chuckle against his shoulder. Victor is next, stepping forward and pulling her carefully into his arms, holding her like she might break. Atlas doesn’t say a single word when his turn comes. He simply wraps his arms around her and buries his face into her shoulder, crying quietly as sheholds onto him. By the time she finally steps away from them again there isn’t a dry eye left anywhere in the hallway.

I can’t stand being away from her any longer. The distance between us feels too large and before I even realise it, I’m moving. I cross the room and pull her back into my arms. She fits perfectly, just like she always has. I don’t know how I ever existed in a world where she wasn’t in my arms.

She tilts her face up toward me and I catch the flicker of trepidation in her eyes. I know her story is going to be dark. I can see the weight of it written across her face before she even speaks. But I don’t care. I don’t care about any of it as long as she’s here, standing in front of me instead of somewhere out in the world where I can’t reach her. She exhales slowly and then turns her head back toward the others. Somewhere in the chaos of the last few minutes, we’ve all shifted positions without noticing. Their backs now block the front door that’s still hanging open, and the two of us are standing in the doorway to the kitchen.

“Felix,” Fae says softly. “I have someone for you.” She pauses as a small frown pulls at her brow. “But… you need to be gentle, okay? Take your time.”

His expression tightens with confusion. “What are you talking about?”

“Turn around,” she says as her voice drops to a whisper.

We all turn toward the front door, and my jaw drops as Robyn walks in. I genuinely think Felix might stop breathing. My eyes flick between Mum, Fae, and then back to Robyn again as my brain tries to catch up with what I’m seeing. What the actual fuck has my mum been up to?

The girl standing in the doorway barely looks like the one who disappeared. She’s so thin it’s shocking. It’s the kind of thin that makes your stomach drop. Bruises bloom across her arms and collarbone like dark fingerprints. She was always small,but now there’s barely anything left of her at all. The room falls completely silent as she stands trembling just inside the entrance. Felix looks like he’s seen a ghost as the colour drains from his face and his mouth opens and closes without sound.

“Hey big bear,” she whispers softly as a fragile, almost apologetic smile pulls at her cracked lips.

Felix takes a few quick steps toward her before stopping abruptly, like he’s hit an invisible wall. His whole body is wound tight, and the muscles in his shoulders shift as he drags in slow, steady breaths. His fists clench and unclench at his sides. I can see the desperation in him; the overwhelming need to reach out and touch her just to prove she’s real.

It’s a mirror of exactly what I felt moments ago.

“Nix,” he whispers. “Can I… can I hug you?”

Her lips tremble as she looks up at him, her blue eyes widening slightly and tears begin to pool along her lashes. After a moment she nods. I turn away, giving them the space they deserve and pull Fae back into me, guiding her gently against my chest as my hands come up to cradle her face. A wide, disbelieving smile spreads across my own as I take her in properly, committing every line of her to memory. Her hands rise to touch me too, brushing against my arms. I can feel Mum’s gaze lingering somewhere behind us, but I can’t look away from Fae.

“I can’t believe you’re here,” I whisper, leaning down to kiss her. Just before I reach her, she pulls back slightly and I frown.

“Ro, I… I?—”

Fae cuts herself off and glances around my shoulder toward the others. The sound of everyone crowding around Robyn fills the hallway before she looks back at me again and her expression tightens, making my stomach drop.

“I need to talk to you...”

“Don’t,” I say, shaking my head. “Don’t blame yourself for anything that happened, do you hear me? I don’t care.”

I lean down and press a quick, gentle kiss to her lips and her mouth trembles against mine.