Total pages in book: 187
Estimated words: 174623 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 873(@200wpm)___ 698(@250wpm)___ 582(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 174623 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 873(@200wpm)___ 698(@250wpm)___ 582(@300wpm)
"That may work for her," Victoria says. "I'll pass along the information. What about Megan?"
"She can come help with school when her schedule permits, just like always."
"Perfect," Victoria says. "I have to check on Cottonwood today, but I'll be back tomorrow."
"I'll have office space figured out by that point," Emmalyn adds.
Victoria walks past, squeezing my arm before leaving the room.
I feel a little out of place just standing there, so I excuse myself from the room, heading into the safe space to see if anyone wants a little help unpacking.
Chapter 41
Nyx
I'm not one to get lost in my head or wonder what other people are thinking. I'm the type of guy who doesn't give a fuck what others think about me, but something about Juliet is different for me.
I've seen her in passing since coming back from Juniper House, but we haven't had the chance to talk.
She had been busy helping the women get settled in the area we're no longer allowed to go to, and now she's helping Emmalyn and some of the other women prepare for Landon's coming-home party.
She seems happier than she was before coming here, and I just hope that she also feels safer, despite Whitmore's escalation the other day.
I've stayed across the room, being social without really being social. It's almost like I exist in this world, but just on the outskirts.
Seeing her smile, laugh, and carry on conversations with others makes me believe she's in her element. She is a social person, despite her obvious need to separate herself from groups to stay safe.
She fits right in with the others here, but I knew she would. The men and women of Cerberus are so welcoming and helpful. If they can welcome me with open arms, then adding her into the fold, if even for a little while, wouldn't be a hardship for them.
All but a few members are here already, and everyone is mingling around or talking in small groups. It feels like the most natural thing in the world to be a part of this.
I wouldn't avoid this situation if she weren't here, but knowing she's just across the room has me sticking closer than I normally would.
I don't feel like she needs my help or that I can make her safer with my presence, but there is a hint of need and longing to just be around her that I can't seem to fight. It's almost like a gravitational pull in her direction that I can't explain, and evaluating it would take my mind to places that have a good chance of getting me into trouble or, at a minimum, creating some sort of disappointment later down the road.
A loud cheer echoes around the room, and I turn my attention in the direction everyone else is looking to see Landon and Rick walk through the front door of the house.
Landon got home last night, and I've seen him twice since then. I know others have seen him too, but the love for this kid is evident in the joy and happiness on everyone's faces.
He smiles at everyone, giving a little wave as if he's on stage preparing for a performance. He was raised in this situation, among people who love and care for him despite no blood connection.
I hope he and the others know just how lucky he is to have such a functional group of adults around him. Not everyone is given that luxury in their childhoods, and women like Juliet have it stolen from them in early adulthood.
Landon, Kid and Khloe's only son, was the only person connected so closely to Cerberus who had been away, and their joy at his now being home is written on every face in the room.
I know the women from Juniper House were told about their safe space as well as an open invitation for them to participate in every gathering Cerberus has in the clubhouse, and from looking around, I can see that all of them have decided to join.
The pride I feel at seeing Caroline in the corner, talking to Misty and Ivy, makes me understand on a deeper level just how important Cerberus is to these women. We can be a foundation of support without having to be the ones to pull them out of an awful situation. They've grown accustomed to us being outside the shelter and don't fear us. They have faith that some good men, men who aren't planning to hurt them or manipulate them in any way, actually exist in this awful world.
They're confident enough in us that they'll spend their time around us without fear, and that's a huge undertaking for some of them. I don't doubt they might be a little more skittish if they walked into the kitchen in the middle of the night and saw one of us sitting at the table, but mingling among everyone in a group is a good sign.