Page 148 of Forever Dark
Selena huffed a laugh through her nose.
Meg’s voice softened by half a degree, which from her was practically tenderness.“But to be honest, if I take my boss hat off, as your friend, I think it’s good for you to get back to your home once in a while.”
That sat between them.
Selena looked at her more carefully.
Meg went on.“You’ve spent a long time becoming who you needed to be.That was not wasted effort.But I don’t think every road back is regression.”
Selena said nothing.
“If you wanted to go back,” Meg said, “it could be arranged in a professional capacity.For a while.You could work out of Harlan County.”
The offer did not surprise her as much as it should have.Meg had likely been turning it over since the first briefing note from Harlan County had crossed her desk.The woman rarely suggested anything without already having considered the administrative angles.
Still, hearing it aloud changed something.
Selena looked down at the sheet of paper by Meg’s hand.Blank from this angle.Full of possibility from the other.
“I don’t know yet,” she admitted.
Meg nodded as if that answer pleased her more than certainty would have.
“You don’t need to know today.”
She closed the file, slid it neatly to one side, and pushed the other paper across the desk.
“One week of leave,” she said.“Then we’ll look at things.”
Selena glanced at the paper.Official leave approval.Simple.Clean.Meg had clearly prepared it before the conversation began.
“That an order?”Selena asked.
“Yes.”
“Because I’m overworked?”
“Because you’re stubborn, and if I left this optional, you’d find a reason to ignore it and cause more havoc here.”
Selena almost smiled.“You know me too well, boss.”
Meg leaned back again.“And if you do decide Harlan County is where you need to be, I’ll make sure you have the latitude to do it.”
That one hit harder than the offer itself.
Not because of the logistics, but because Meg, more than almost anyone, knew what it had cost Selena to build the life she had.Knew how hard she had clawed her way away from the limits of where she came from.For Meg to say aloud that going back would not be failure meant more than Selena wanted to admit.
“Thank you,” she said again, and meant more by it this time.
Meg inclined her head.“Get out of here before I remember another meeting I can drag you into.”
Selena stood, took the leave paper, and gathered herself in the quiet, automatic way years at the Bureau had taught her to do.By the time she reached the door, her face likely gave nothing away again.
Meg spoke just before she opened it.
“Raven.”
Selena looked back.
