Good, I think, smiling and waving to her. Now the boys will be distracted as well.

Georgia gives me a happy nod as she heads into the house, looking for the boys, and I pull my legs up onto the little loveseat as well, beaming at Delia and Emma.

“We’ll have some privacy now,” I say, smiling at them.

“Privacy,” Emma says, looking through the window at the house filled with people, “seems to be a…relative term. In this house.”

“Oh, it’s not so bad,” I laugh, tucking my hair behind my ears and shaking my head. “You get used to it – it feels…I don’t know. Like a sports team, or something. Everyone working together towards the same goal. And most of the Betas go home at night.”

“Most of them?” Emma asks, raising her eyebrow. “We always had guards at mom and dad’s house, but we they were always outside the house.”

“Well, here to,” I say with a shrug. “Though I guess it’s…smaller.”

“I think it’s nice,” Delia says warmly. “I always liked a full house growing up.”

I c**k my head to the side and study the two of them, wondering what all of this house talk was getting to. “Are you guys thinking about moving in together or something?” I blurt suddenly, curious.

Emma blinks at me and then blushes, I think not really used to being asked about her private life so straightforwardly. After a life with Joyce, after all, she’s probably not used to anyone asking about her thoughts or her plans at all.

“Actually,” Delia says, unphased by my question (she knows me, after all) and taking Emma’s hand, “kind of…the opposite.”

breathe, sudden horrified. “Are you – you’re not – you can’t be breaking up –“ I’m completely confused – they’re so obviously together. What

to guess. But I know

nodding eagerly, my eyes wide, “Please

little shrug and squeezing Delia’s hand. “We’re going to…go away for a while. Travel.

ask, not

now. A little bit without-home, for awhile at least. We’re going to go wherever we want, whenever want to. Live in a city or a place for

flooded with mixed

miss you so much!” Delia finishes for me, reaching out

I agree, squeezing her hand and nodding. “I’m so excited for you! And like – jealous! I want to come! Can

and Delia laugh with me, but they know

loveseat, pressing my hands to my chest. “Oh no, I don’t want you to feel guilty, but I really am going to miss you so much. What made you decide to

been…it feels like,

carefully at my

softly, “which I know you understand, Evelyn. And then, after that? It was…Joyce’s life. Joyce’s life, Joyce’s world, Joyce’s

hangs her head a little, remembering it, and my heart

Dad didn’t

was weaker than me – I would have collapsed to it as well. It was only my desperation to keep my children safe that propelled me to become strong

we started…discovering our feelings

and starting to smile again. “But now that he’s gone? Now that you’ve given me that freedom, Evelyn?” Emma says, raising her eyes to shake her head in wonder at

up, suddenly, by the emotion that rises in me. This, I think. This is why Victor and I want to lead.

laugh too, then, realizing that Delia is right – it was getting too serious, too morose

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