Page 32 of Ruined Wrath
The door is closed, but I know he’s in there.
Part of me wants to peek inside, maybe sit on the edge of the bed and offer him some comfort. But I know better than to cross that invisible boundary Cormac has put up.
Right now, Scout needs his father’s protection, not mine, so I force myself to walk past his door and head down the stairs.
Inside, the kitchen is a different kind of chaos.
Elena flits between the stove and the counter while she makes breakfast, doing her best to avoid bumping into Ciara, who is wrestling with the twins, who are refusing to eat. Riley sits at the table, holding Aubrey over her shoulder as she rubs her back, laughing as she watches Ciara try to wrestle Nico into having a spoonful of porridge.
For a moment, I let myself watch them, absorbing the chaos, because underneath it, there’s a warmth and stability to it that has felt so out of reach over the past couple of days.
For a brief moment, I thought that it was something we were never going to get back.
Elena is the first one to notice me hovering. She glances up from whisking a bunch of eggs and offers me a tired smile. “Morning, Fiona. Coffee?”
I nod, grateful for the semblance of normalcy, even if it’s fleeting.
Riley glances over her shoulder. “Hey. Where have you been, stranger? I figured you would be first in line to hug Scout after Cormac.”
I freeze, my stomach tightening as I catch Ciara’s eye across the kitchen.
I force a casual smile. “I…uh, I thought I’d give you all some space. You know, let you have your family reunion without me hovering around.”
Riley frowns, not buying my excuse for a second. “Space? Fiona, that’s ridiculous. You’re basically family now. Scout would have loved to see you. Hell,we’dlove to see you.” Shegives me a pointed look as she adjusts Aubrey on her shoulder. “Don’t hide yourself away.”
I avoid her gaze as I take a seat and reach for the coffee pot.
She frowns harder. “What’s up with you?”
“Nothing,” I say a little too quickly. “I just didn’t want to intrude. I figured Scout would need some time to settle in.”
Ciara appears then, taking the chair to my right.
Thankfully, Aubrey chooses that moment to spit up all over Riley, distracting her long enough for Ciara to subtly reach for my hand and squeeze it.
I glance at her and almost crumble at the flicker of understanding in her eyes.
Riley looks at me and Ciara. “Well, from now on, breakfast is family time. And that includes you too, Fiona.”
Elena brings over plates of scrambled eggs and bagels. I try to hold my mug hard enough that Riley doesn’t notice how badly my hands are shaking as I drink my coffee.
I wish I could tell her that this could be the last time we all sit around this table, or even beg her to speak to Kieran on my behalf.
He would be more likely to listen to Riley than to me.
But that’s not what Cormac asked. He wants his brothers to hear the truth from my mouth, and my mouth alone.
“Fiona.”
I glance up to see Cormac in the doorway.
He’s changed into a freshly ironed shirt and pants, and his hair is still a little damp from the shower, causing it to curl slightly at the ends.
I guess my hour is up.
I turn to the girls. “I’ll see you later.”
“Where are you going?” Riley shoots a glare at Cormac. “Stop hijacking Fiona’s attention.”
