Page 99 of Under Water

It’s a quick succession of the after-school monitor staring at me with total confusion, and the fear in the school receptionist’s voice when she told me that Elio was taken by Neal, and the tremor in my hands as I somehow managed to dial 911 without dropping my phone.

The time between that and having Elio in my arms is a bit of a blur. The only steadfast figure in my memory is Easton. The way he showed up. The way he got Westin to track Neal so I didn’t have to wait another second. The way he was patient with me and kept me steady so I didn’t fall apart.

The way he handled the police after I had Elio in my arms so we didn’t have to keep standing there and I didn’t have to see Neal again.

Though…I did. For a split second. His eyes stared across the parking lot and found mine, and the furious look in his terrified me. But I want to believe he won’t ever get to us again.

I was still shaking in that moment, and I was ready to drop Easton off at his car and whisk Elio somewhere far away—a hotel a hundred miles from here. We wouldn’t come back until Neal was charged and convicted and locked up behind bars.

But then Elio had reached for Easton, and the two of them made something settle in me that I didn’t know could settle. I regret asking him to take things slower because that isn’t what I want.

Maybe if he was a stranger, that would be one thing. But I’ve known him for years. If I’m being honest with myself, I’ve been half in love with him for most of that time, and now being able to have him has only made the feeling worse.

My breath trembles on an exhale, but just as I reach for a spoon to stir the sauce, my phone begins to buzz.

I’m entirely unsurprised to see my mom’s name flashing on the screen.

“You got my text,” I say.

Her voice is high and tight. “Rune. Do we need to get on a plane right now?”

“No.” I take a calming, deep inhale. “Neal was arrested, and I’m staying somewhere off the grid with Easton.”

“Easton,” she repeats. “Firefighter. The keyboard guy.”

“The keyboard guy,” I say with a smile. But fuck, he hasn’t been that guy in so, so long now. “We’re out at a coworker’s place on the edge of town.”

“We’re going to have a very long talk when I get home,” she says sternly. “I damn near had a heart attack when I got your message.”

“I’m sorry. I couldn’t—” My voice cracks, and I steady myself as best I can. “I don’t think I can really say it all out loud right now. I will when I talk to Daphne, but I need some time.”

“And Elio?”

“Coping. He’s outside on a porch swing with Easton, talking about Minecraft or something.”

“That boy,” she murmurs. “Okay, well, tell him to call me when he wants to talk. Christ, we should have never left.”

“No, Mom.” I set the spoon down and turn off the heat before spinning away from the stove to look out the window again. They haven’t moved, but Elio’s talking very animatedly with both hands. “You’re allowed to leave town. My fuckups can’t dictate what everyone else does.”

“This was not your fuckup. This was that slimy, sneaky, evil little bastard⁠—”

“Yes,” I tell her. “But it was up to me to fix it well before now, and I didn’t. And we both know I could have. I need to own that.”

“Alright.” She’s quiet for a long moment, and I appreciate that she doesn’t try to take the responsibility from my shoulders. “So, you and Easton? It’s official?”

“It is,” I tell her. I don’t want to lie about anything anymore. “I think I’m in love with him.”

She sighs. “I have a good feeling about him. But better let Daphne meet him. She hated Neal on sight.”

“Yeah,” I tell her with a small smile. Daphne’s likely to hop on a plane the moment she has all the details anyway, so I probably won’t have long to wait. “Call you tomorrow?”

“Yes, you’d better.” It’s not just a warning. It’s a plea, and I understand why. She’s raised Elio as much as I have, and not being here is probably killing her.

But she’s also a good mom to both me and my sister, and right now, Elio and I are okay.

“Love you.”

She says it back before I hang up, and then I set my phone on the counter and quickly start to layer the lasagna. It won’t be long before the three of us are sitting down to a decent meal, and with any luck, we’ll be able to forget for quiet, careful moments.