He wasn’t sure how long he walked down the paths and between the rosebushes, but eventually, he started seeing more people.They were harvesting ingredients they used in spells, and while no one came up to him to talk, he could feel them watching him.He recognized a few people, too, and he knew they had questions.
Questions he wasn’t planning on answering.
He probably should.These people had known Peyton, and they’d grieved when he’d vanished.They deserved an explanation, but Tyne didn’t have it in him to give them one.He was sure his mother would tell people what they needed to know, anyway.It was her job.
Tyne didn’t feel guilty when he slipped back into the house without talking to anyone.There were more people there, too, but he ignored them as he walked back to the bedroom.He’d had a little time to think, but he still wasn’t ready to talk to Meyer.He wasn’t sure what Meyer would think about that, though, and he dreaded seeing him.
He knew how Peyton would have reacted.He would’ve huffed and given Tyne the silent treatment.It was what he’d done when they fought.He’d always pushed Tyne into apologizing, even when Tyne was clearly right.It was something that had annoyed Tyne to no end, and he wasn’t sure if Meyer would react the same way.As different as he was from Peyton, he was also the same man.
Tyne’s bedroom was empty when he reached it.He sighed in relief and quickly packed the few things he’d left there, grabbing the packet of ingredients on his way out.He wasn’t hungry, and he hoped Meyer wasn’t planning on having breakfast with the clan.Tyne’s mother had ordered them to spend the night, but she hadn’t said anything about breakfast, and the sooner they were out of there, the better Tyne would feel.
He only hesitated a second before knocking on Meyer’s door after leaving his bedroom.The door swung open quickly, and Meyer stepped out without waiting for Tyne to say anything.“We can go.”
Tyne blinked.“You don’t want to have breakfast here?”
“No.I’d rather be on our way.”
He sounded normal.Tyne wasn’t sure why, but he’d thought that Meyer would be different this morning.
He wasn’t.He smiled at Tyne as if nothing had happened.He looked eager to leave, which Tyne understood.
“We can go, then,” he said, nodding.“I don’t want to give my mother time to change her mind and decide we need to stay for more meals.”
“Won’t she know we’re leaving?”
“Someone will undoubtedly call her, but we’ll be long gone.”
“Lead the way, then.”
Meyer gently touched the small of Tyne’s back when Tyne moved ahead of him.It gave Tyne pause, but only for a second.They couldn’t afford to waste time if they wanted to escape his mother’s claws.
Meyer walked closer to Tyne than he normally would have.Things had changed between them, even though Tyne wasn’t sure how or what it would mean.He just knew that Meyer walked closer to him and kept touching him, and he wanted that to continue.
What he wanted with Meyer was what he’d lost with Peyton before Peyton broke his heart.He wanted something even better.It felt like it was too soon to say it out loud, but Tyne suspected that Meyer knew and wanted the same thing.They’d talk about it, but not here and not now.
He should have known their easy escape was too good to be true.His mother knew him well, even though they hadn’t seen each other in decades.She was waiting for them at the entrance of the landing pad, looking like this was something she routinely did.
“Good morning,” she said with a curt nod of her head.
Tyne glanced around, but thankfully, the landing pad was empty except for the three of them.
“She’s not going to let us leave until you talk to her, is she?”Meyer murmured.
“Probably not.”
“Then you should go.”Meyer reached for the packet of ingredients Tyne had been carrying.
Tyne wanted to throw it at his mother’s head and run, but instead, he sucked in a breath, squared his shoulders, and left Meyer by the entrance before stepping onto the landing pad.His mother walked away as if she didn’t want Meyer to hear what they were about to say.Tyne wanted to tell her that he’d tell Meyer anyway, but he didn’t want to start bickering with her.He needed to get out of there, and the only way to do that quickly was to give his mother what she wanted.
“What?”he asked, trying to keep a polite tone.He wasn’t sure he succeeded.He didn’t feel very polite when it came to his mother.
The worst thing was that Tyne had missed her.Even though they’d always clashed, even after what she’d done, she was still his mother.He remembered her singing to him at night when he couldn’t sleep.He remembered her kissing his forehead during breakfast.All of that had happened when he was a child, and maybe she wasn’t the same woman she’d been back then, but Tyne would always miss the relationship they’d had.
“I was hoping to convince you to visit more often,” his mother said.
“I don’t think so.I can’t face Amber again.”
Tyne’s mother frowned.“I’ll tell her to stay out of your way.This is your home, Tyne.”
