Chapter 31
Finn
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Finn wandered through town the way he always did, hands in his pockets, boots scuffing the asphalt. The morning was quiet, the kind of silence that felt staged rather than peaceful. Kallie was home, sleeping after they had sex.
Since telling her days ago that he'd make sure she got back home, she'd calmed down. Her days were spent dreaming of a life where they could explore her world together. As her confidence grew, he realized more and more that he was making the right decision.
Boone mowed the grass at the courthouse, pushing the mower in the same straight lines he always did. Vaughn swept the restaurant's steps with the same slow, steady strokes. Copper walked into the restaurant without looking up, just like he had every morning for as long as Finn could remember.
Nothing ever changed.
Except him.
There were things that were difficult for him.
Time still slipped away. It was hard to keep track of how many days Kallie had been with him or how many weeks had passed since they had last talked about leaving Everstill.
He no longer snuck over to the Feed Store and marked the wood.
There was no reason to keep track of the days since Kallie was here.
His frustration grew as he became more aware of the differences now that Kallie was here.
Each night, as he lay in bed with Kallie in his arms, he named all the emotions he felt throughout the day.
Sometime in his past, he must've experienced them all, because each feeling had a name, and he understood what he was going through.
Whether or not he had love in his life before Everstill, before Prison, he believed what he felt for Kallie was love.
She spoke of it often, and there was always a hint of desperation in her voice.
She always held him tighter and spoke softer, staring into his eyes as if looking for a sign that he felt the same.
That's how he felt when he thought about not having her in his life.
A low rumble echoed down the street, and Finn turned just in time to see Moe ride his motorcycle past the store. The bike's engine growled as Moe circled back toward him. Finn frowned. The store lights were off. Moe never rode until his chores were done.
Moe pulled up beside him, dragging his boots along the asphalt to stop. Finn glanced at the dark storefront before meeting Moe's gaze. His friend stayed on the bike, staring at him through the visor as if trying to make sense of something that no longer fit.
"You want to ride?" Moe revved the engine once, the sound sharp in the stillness.
Finn shook his head. "It's not time."
There were things they all needed to do to run Everstill. Moe should be at the store. Finn looked around. Was anyone else noticing the change in schedule?
Moe twisted the throttle and yelled over the engine, "You used to ride before she came around."
He stared at his friend. Kallie was his world. He wouldn't change a thing. Going back to the way he was would never work for him. A day without Kallie was the worst thing he could imagine.
He'd take one minute with her over a lifetime stuck in Everstill.
Moe sped off, heading down the same road they'd always taken together. The never-ending loop that led nowhere new. Finn watched him disappear around the bend as the engine's sound faded into the familiar hum of Everstill's monotony.
He hadn't even started his motorcycle since Kallie arrived. His priorities had changed.
Staring at the empty road, he stood for a long moment, feeling the weight of his future pressing down on him.
Soon, when the veil opened again, it would all be over.
He wouldn't have Everstill.
And he wouldn't have Kallie.
He would disappear like the others who failed to escape. The thought hollowed him out.
Kallie would be gone—back to her world, where she would be safe, where she would thrive, where she would live a life untouched by the rift's hunger. She deserved that. She deserved everything.
All those plans she was making for him would be for her. She'd go on with her life.
At least away from Everstill, away from the shadow seam, she would live.
And, heartbroken would be better than numbness.
Better than the emptiness Everstill carved into its men.
He knew with absolute certainty that if he convinced her to stay, Everstill would steal the very heart of her.
And he would rather lose her than watch that happen.
Finn wandered to the restaurant and opened the door. The bell gave a half-hearted jingle announcing his arrival. Copper wasn't in the dining room, but Finn knew where to find him. He walked through the swinging kitchen door and found Copper standing at the counter, wiping down a knife.
Copper didn't look up. "You're wandering again."
Finn leaned against the metal prep table and crossed his arms. "Just needed air."
"Air won't help you against something bigger than us all." Copper set the knife down.
Finn's jaw tightened. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Copper finally met his gaze. "The rift isn't done with you. The last time it attacked was only the beginning."
The cold hand of fear closed around his throat. "What will happen next?"
He had to protect Kallie. If he could plan ahead, he stood a chance.
Copper hesitated. "It will try to take her again. And if it can't... it'll take you."
Finn's breath caught. "I'll never let it take her."
"You have to be ready, because it'll try." Copper said. "And you know it."
Finn looked away and clenched his jaw so tight it hurt. He'd felt the pull in the storm, the way the glitch had reached for Kallie.
Copper stepped closer. "You have to get her back through the veil."
Finn's head snapped up. "No."
"Yes," Copper said firmly. "It's the only way she survives this."
Finn shook his head, anger rising in his chest. "She wants me to go with her."
Copper's expression darkened. "Then she doesn't understand what will happen to you."
Finn stiffened. "I haven't told her about the others. She doesn't know."
"Maybe that's for the best," Copper said slowly. "If you have even the smallest desire to join her, you will die the moment you step into the shadow."
He gritted his teeth. His sole purpose was to make sure Kallie survived and got out of Everstill. If he had to die to make sure she was safe, then so be it. He had nothing here without her anyway.
"I'm going to have to try," he muttered.
"The rift won't let you go. You're tied to this place. Bound to it. If you try to cross with her, it will tear you apart."
The air thinned. Finn inhaled heavily through his nose. "There has to be a way."
Copper's eyes softened. "Trust me. There isn't."
Finn swallowed hard, his throat burning. "How do you know?"
Copper looked down at his hands, flexing them slowly. "Because I tried."
Finn froze. If he could learn from Copper, he had a chance to outsmart whatever controlled the veil's opening and closing.
"You're alive." Finn stepped closer. "What happened?"
Copper lifted his gaze, meeting Finn's eyes with a haunted look.
"When the woman I met left, I tried to follow her.
I didn't want to live here without her." His voice cracked.
"I didn't even get close to the rift, and the veil nearly killed me as a warning.
I woke up three days later in the woods, half-dead, and she was gone. "
Finn stared at him, horror creeping through his veins. "But that was a long time ago. It might be easier—"
"Listen to me." Copper gripped Finn's shoulder. "If you try to leave with Kallie, you won't make it. The glitch will drag you under. The rift will finish what it started."
"So what?" Finn's breath shook. "I'm supposed to send her away alone?"
Copper nodded. "Yes."
Finn's ribs squeezed in on him. He'd rather die than live without her. It was a chance he was willing to take.
Copper's voice softened. "She'll be safe in her world. She'll live. She'll thrive. But if she stays here, Everstill will take her heart. And if you try to go with her, Everstill will take your life."
Finn closed his eyes. The truth settled over him like a shroud. He was going to lose her.
One way or another.