Invited

Fifty-Four - Timber

I tucked in Lara, smoothing down her hair. "I'll be back soon."

"Okay," she said softly, yawning. No sleepover tonight, and for that I was glad because I wanted to see her before I left – just in case.

Once I was sure she was settled in, I left the room and went to clean up the kitchen. There wasn't a whole lot for me to do in there, but it did give me something to do besides angst over tomorrow. Chevelle came in and went to the refrigerator, stood with it open for a few seconds, and then closed it again.

She glanced over at me while I worked at the sink. "Got everything you need during your...visit?"

I nodded, not wanting to get into it.

"So when are you going to go?" she asked quietly.

"Tomorrow," I mumbled. "While everyone is watching...the end."

"Cool, I'm coming along then."

I narrowed my gaze, gluing it onto her. "Uh, no, you're not."

"Yes, I am. I'm not waiting around for them to get Wicken at their convenience. I'm going."

"Chevelle, it's going to be dangerous. No way, I'm not allowing this!"

She folded her arms in front of her. "You think you can stop me?"

I moved closer to her, shamelessly attempting to intimidate her, knowing it wouldn't make a difference. "You bet I can. I'm sure the Achlivans would forgive me if I duct-taped you to a chair for a little while if it kept you and your baby safe."

"I'll be fine."

"You don't even know where he is!"

"He's got to be on that ship somewhere. I'll find him. I'll –"

"I. Said. No."

She rolled her eyes and moved away from me. "Timber, if the situation was reversed, would anything be able to keep you away from getting to Talia?"

"No." I averted my gaze to the floor, also stepping back. "He'll hate me for letting you come after him. You know Wicken. He won't like it."

"He can get over it," she whispered. "Tie me up, I'll break free. Do whatever you want to keep me away from him. If you can get over onto that ship, so can I. It's just a matter of if we're going to do it together, or if I'll be on my own."

I hated her logic. The threats she made weren't idle. She would find a way onto the Gorgachan ship with or without my help. So I had to decide if I would be an accomplice to her mission, or delay her from completing it. In the end, us going together was safer for her than her making the attempt on her own.

Shaking my head, I went back to the dishes, slamming a plastic cup into the sink. "Fine, but it's still a stupid idea. I'm leaving pretty early in the morning. If you happen to miss the journey out, that's not my problem. Don't expect me to wake your butt up either."

"I'll keep that in mind."

Briefly, I contemplated drugging her with a light sedative to make sure she stayed unconscious for a long while. I wasn't sure if there was a safe way to do that without hurting the baby. Plus, whenever she woke up again, she would find me and murder me. I'd certainly want to do the same if the situation was reversed. Placing myself into her shoes was about the only way I could justify letting her come along. In the end, I understood why she needed to come along. The pull from the love she had for Wicken was too strong. She was desperate. Desperation could not be reasoned with.

I was selfishly afraid of her hating me for the rest of my life. And my selfishness kept me from doing the right thing.