Ascension - Book Eight - Man x Man

Chapter 90

The apartment suite of the hotel is small but nice, Verando paces quietly on the phone as I put Xaiver down and let Darrius explore the apartment. Strange that nobody filed in behind us, no cameras, no secondary help, no guards. I glance out the window, the rest of our family was here but it would seem they were all tending to their own fractured realities. 

Legardo was in the process of deciding if he and Pascal wanted to move to America, it hadn't even been discussed that living here could become permanent but it was seeming more and more like something we should consider. Ron was sending out search parties to find Tonic, assuming that he would be with Landon and K, but Verando seemed to think they had probably assumed the worst and would resurface when they thought the coast was clear. 

Tonic was good at leaving us behind, at least this time he'd thought to take Landon and K with him. 

With the younger versions of my husband and his friend gone, the rush to freedom had hit the brakes and we were finally able to take a breather. Verando speaks quietly, ordering us clothes and guessing at his own size. His accountant from France was struggling to see his interest in investing in Tennessee real estate and was earning the patient voice as a reward. It would seem it was a conference call that I wasn't invited to. 

Exhaling, I leave the window to grab the car keys, "I'm going to go to the store."

He nods, allowing me to leave without much resistance. I struggle to imagine if it's because I'm capable or because he wanted to be alone. I didn't like this, I wasn't used to being on this side of his wrath. 

Verando had, normally, been the one pursuing me. He'd always come back in his own time, or figured out a way around how I was feeling to bring me back into his arms. Now, I couldn't decide if I was paranoid or if he truly was this upset with me. My motivation to shop is low, I'd hoped he'd been eager to go with me or at least tell me what he wanted. 

Filtering through the scents and smells, I hadn't truly been able to go out and explore, it was quite different from France. The highways, the sheer size, and the distance it took to get to any point of interest. I was appalled by the bustling nature and yet the vastness of this strange city. The festive nature of the decorations covering the store, the various accents that ranged from impossible to understand to charmingly rural as Tyler was. 

I seemed to be a commodity here, for they struggled to understand me as much as I did them. Yet it didn't stop a half dozen people from asking me where I was from, interested in anything new and different in the small town. I felt suspicious, why did they care how I was feeling? What I was up to? Yet, they seemed genuine enough.

 Finishing my purchase, I drive absently around, looking for any sort of inspiration into what could help remedy this situation. Time, of course, but a gift? A date? Verando didn't care much for material things and a date would mean exposing his new body to the public in a way that I wasn't sure he was ready for. Our children surely weren't ready for a public appearance. 

Spotting a park, I pick my poison and rush back to the hotel. "Why don't we go outside for dinner?"

"It's awfully chilly." Verando mumbles, startled by my sudden interest as I burst through the door, groceries in hand. "Like a restaurant?"

"No. There's a park not far from here, the boys might like some fresh air. We could go out for a bit then come back and eat..? Or eat first and then go?" Hesitation was my nemesis, he glanced at me suspiciously as he considers this. Sitting on the couch, they were watching some sort of cartoon, with Xaiver curled up in his lap and Darrius playing quietly at his feet. "Or not." Closing the door behind me, I exhale as I start to unpack the groceries.