he always has been a part of this planet, he’s never been a part of my world, and I know for a fact both Laken and I want to keep it that way.
“Yeah, I sort of know him.” My cheeks fill with heat.
Dr. Booth gives me a gentle pat on the back. “I’m always here for you. Know that.” He gives a soft wink as he and Coop’s father move into the crowd.
“I’m sorry, Skyla.” Barron dips his chin toward me. “Logan mentioned the other day that you knew Wesley but wouldn’t say how.”
“ Logan mentioned the other day?” My heart stops once again, only this time I don’t mind. “That means he’s here.” I stand on my tiptoes and scan the crowd.
“No, I’m sorry, Skyla. He’s not here. I shouldn’t have said anything.”
Emma pops up with a batch of raw chicken legs that glisten pink in the sun.
“No time for loafing!” she snaps.
A warm kiss lands on my cheek from behind, and I spin into Gage. My entire person fills with peace at the sight of him.
“Logan is back. Your dad just said he talked to him the other day.”
“Is he here?” Gage takes a step toward his father, his face bleeding out all color. On some level, neither Gage nor I thought it would happen so soon, but we were hoping. We’d let Logan back into our lives with open arms, the sooner the better.
“No, he’s not here.” Dr. O looks remorseful for mentioning him at all. “He and Liam stopped by the mortuary a few days ago. That’s when I met with Wesley.”
“You met with Wes?” Gage looks downright pissed.
“He was there for Ezrina. They had business to conduct.” He glances over at Emma who’s talking to some brunette across the way before reverting back to Gage. “My God, he looks just like you.”
“I know.” Gage lets out a breath. “Let’s shelve all talk of Wes for now. Is Logan coming? Is that what this is about?”
“No.” Dr. O frowns as Emma fast approaches, ushering the brunette along. “I’m afraid this is what it’s about.” He nods over to the two of them.
“Gage”—Emma beams, ignoring me completely, but that’s nothing new—“this is Kresley Fisher.” She pulls the tall brunette from behind her. She’s beautiful in a cutthroat way. I can tell she’s an honorary member of the bitch squad with just one look. “Her father and I both attended the Ephemeral Academy back in the day. He and I were honor guards together and spent more time putting up and taking down the flag than I care to remember.” She gets a faraway look in her eyes as if maybe she would like to remember—right now. Emma gives a private smile before snapping back to reality. “And, now, his daughter has transferred to Host. I thought maybe you could show her around a bit.”
Show her around a bit ? My mouth drops open. What the hell? Is she trying to get rid of me? Is she trying to pawn off this Kresley chick on her son while he still has his arm wrapped around my waist?
“Oh my, fuck.” Kresley takes a step in. Her features bleach out as her skin grows ashen. “ Wes ?”
She thinks he’s Wesley. Of course she does, she went to Ephemeral, the Count conservatory, so she probably knows the original bastard. No wonder she’s letting expletives fly in front of Emma. I guess I would too if I lost Gage and thought I found him again.
“My name is Gage.” He holds out his hand, but she doesn’t take it. She’s too busy panting into him as if he were a juicy side of beef, which he is, but that’s beside the point. “And this is my girlfriend, Skyla.”
“Girlfriend,” she says mesmerized—her eyes never leaving his. “Right.”
Laken and Coop crop up just as Emma heads back to the barbeque to hound Barron into an early grave.
“God, Kres, leave him alone.” Laken waves her hand over the girl’s face. “You’ll have to excuse her. She dated Wes for awhile.” Laken shoots a quick look to Coop because she dated Wesley for a while, too. “He’s not, Wes.” She pulls Kresley back by the elbow.
“Yeah, I sort of know him.” My cheeks fill with heat.
Dr. Booth gives me a gentle pat on the back. “I’m always here for you. Know that.” He gives a soft wink as he and Coop’s father move into the crowd.
“I’m sorry, Skyla.” Barron dips his chin toward me. “Logan mentioned the other day that you knew Wesley but wouldn’t say how.”
“ Logan mentioned the other day?” My heart stops once again, only this time I don’t mind. “That means he’s here.” I stand on my tiptoes and scan the crowd.
“No, I’m sorry, Skyla. He’s not here. I shouldn’t have said anything.”
Emma pops up with a batch of raw chicken legs that glisten pink in the sun.
“No time for loafing!” she snaps.
A warm kiss lands on my cheek from behind, and I spin into Gage. My entire person fills with peace at the sight of him.
“Logan is back. Your dad just said he talked to him the other day.”
“Is he here?” Gage takes a step toward his father, his face bleeding out all color. On some level, neither Gage nor I thought it would happen so soon, but we were hoping. We’d let Logan back into our lives with open arms, the sooner the better.
“No, he’s not here.” Dr. O looks remorseful for mentioning him at all. “He and Liam stopped by the mortuary a few days ago. That’s when I met with Wesley.”
“You met with Wes?” Gage looks downright pissed.
“He was there for Ezrina. They had business to conduct.” He glances over at Emma who’s talking to some brunette across the way before reverting back to Gage. “My God, he looks just like you.”
“I know.” Gage lets out a breath. “Let’s shelve all talk of Wes for now. Is Logan coming? Is that what this is about?”
“No.” Dr. O frowns as Emma fast approaches, ushering the brunette along. “I’m afraid this is what it’s about.” He nods over to the two of them.
“Gage”—Emma beams, ignoring me completely, but that’s nothing new—“this is Kresley Fisher.” She pulls the tall brunette from behind her. She’s beautiful in a cutthroat way. I can tell she’s an honorary member of the bitch squad with just one look. “Her father and I both attended the Ephemeral Academy back in the day. He and I were honor guards together and spent more time putting up and taking down the flag than I care to remember.” She gets a faraway look in her eyes as if maybe she would like to remember—right now. Emma gives a private smile before snapping back to reality. “And, now, his daughter has transferred to Host. I thought maybe you could show her around a bit.”
Show her around a bit ? My mouth drops open. What the hell? Is she trying to get rid of me? Is she trying to pawn off this Kresley chick on her son while he still has his arm wrapped around my waist?
“Oh my, fuck.” Kresley takes a step in. Her features bleach out as her skin grows ashen. “ Wes ?”
She thinks he’s Wesley. Of course she does, she went to Ephemeral, the Count conservatory, so she probably knows the original bastard. No wonder she’s letting expletives fly in front of Emma. I guess I would too if I lost Gage and thought I found him again.
“My name is Gage.” He holds out his hand, but she doesn’t take it. She’s too busy panting into him as if he were a juicy side of beef, which he is, but that’s beside the point. “And this is my girlfriend, Skyla.”
“Girlfriend,” she says mesmerized—her eyes never leaving his. “Right.”
Laken and Coop crop up just as Emma heads back to the barbeque to hound Barron into an early grave.
“God, Kres, leave him alone.” Laken waves her hand over the girl’s face. “You’ll have to excuse her. She dated Wes for awhile.” Laken shoots a quick look to Coop because she dated Wesley for a while, too. “He’s not, Wes.” She pulls Kresley back by the elbow.
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