He stops and withdraws, resting his cheek on the back of the couch once more. Relaxing my neck, I do the same. My hand drops to his thigh, while his shifts to my shoulder.

We watch each other. I almost imagine him looking for signs of an implosion while I regain what thinking is able to pierce the intoxicated haze of sensation holding me immobilized.

Despite the alarm bells going off in my head and the confusion starting to form, I don't feel like running. I don't want to be anywhere but here, however wrong that may be.

"See? Just fall," he whispers in a deeper timbre. His thumb sweeps across my lips before he lowers his hand to take mine.

"You won't always be there to catch me, Petr."

He smiles. "I really don't think you need catching, Claudia. I think you're strong enough to land on your feet. I also think that won't stop me from being there to steady you, if you need it."

Our five-minute interactions at the diner have been breadcrumbs leading me deeper into the forest, closer to this moment. I never realized it until now. I don't know when this … when he … ceased to become a choice and instead, became something I craved.

"Petr? Do you want to play a game?" Anton's voice comes from the same hallway we walked through earlier.

Petr turns his head over his other shoulder to respond. "Only if you promise not to cheat."

"It is not cheating if you win."

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"You hear that?" Petr asks me quietly. "Consider yourself warned." His smile is wide, and the shadows are gone from his eyes.

His happiness is like Todd's; I love it, but it hurts me, too. We stand and walk hand in hand to the coffee table on the other side of the living area being turned into a game space. Todd looks at Petr then me, hiding a smile.

We sit on the couch while Anton sifts through the board games.

"Claudia, what did you go to school for?" he asks with a glance at me.

"Graphic design."

Anton nods, as if expecting the answer. "I have a project for you."

"Well … I left before I graduated," I say, not wanting to tiptoe any closer to why I don't have my degree. I was twenty when I went on the run and have been performing minimum wage jobs since then. They're easy to get, and waitressing gives me the chance to earn a little more than I might otherwise. "I might be out of practice."

"You will remember."

I glance at Petr, who's smiling. "In his mind, you've confirmed and are already halfway done with it. It's how he does things. You'll get used to it."




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