Chapter 32
Kallie
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Kallie chopped vegetables at the counter, humming softly, as the late afternoon sun spilled across the kitchen floor. She loved staying in the house with Finn. The safe, warm, lived-in area was a peaceful pocket carved out of the strangeness of Everstill.
She had grown used to the rhythm of their days together.
The quiet mornings while Finn wandered around town were spent inside, dreaming about their life when the veil let them leave.
He would return to share lunch with her.
Then they kept each other company until dinner and spent each evening loving one another.
Finn had changed so much since she first arrived. Softer. Warmer. More open. He smiled now. Really smiled, and every time he did, something inside her lit up.
Finn wandered in from the living room, sleeves pushed up, hair a little messy from running his hands through it. He paused in the doorway, watching her with that look he always got when he thought she wasn't paying attention.
"What?" She tossed a carrot slice at him.
He caught it midair. "You're beautiful."
"Because I'm in love with you." She caught her lower lip between her teeth.
He stepped closer, sliding an arm around her waist from behind. "I love you, Kallie with a K," he murmured against her neck.
She sighed, leaning against him. Those were words that came easily from him now.
"I love you, too." She elbowed him lightly. "But you're distracting me."
"I'm helping." He kissed the spot below her ear.
She laughed, swatting at him with the wooden spoon. "Finn!"
He dodged the weapon, grabbing her wrist and spinning her around to face him. She landed against his chest, her hands splayed over his shirt, and he dipped his head to kiss her. Her toes curled at the slow, warm way his lips lingered on her.
When he pulled back, she smiled hard enough her cheeks ached. "You're a wonderful kisser."
"Only with you," he said, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "I don't ever want to know a world without you."
She kissed him. "You won't, because I'm never going to leave your side, honey."
She turned back to the counter, and Finn stayed pressed against her back, stealing pieces of chopped vegetables, rubbing her stomach, and kissing the side of her neck. Being with him bolstered her spirit.
Throughout her whole life, she craved physical touch. Foster parents were hands-off, probably because of the plethora of rules they had to follow. There were no hugs, no kisses, no comforting hands when the world got scary.
Then, she reached her teens, and every foster brother and boy at the school seemed to go out of their way to poke her arms, shove her, and snap her bra. For the longest time, she wondered if that was all there was to life.
She often wondered whether, if she'd confided in friends or had an elder to guide her, she would've learned how wonderful and special it was to love someone.
Maybe that's why she had bonded with Finn at such a young age and remained determined to find him again. With him, she understood that he would never hurt her. He was safe. He would protect her.
Loving him was easier than she'd imagined. Slipping into a physical and mental relationship with Finn was exciting and brought her more contentment than she'd ever known.
Inside the house, Everstill didn't feel dangerous. It was just them, loving each other.
Kallie stirred the pot of stew on the stove, and Finn reached around her to grab a spice jar. She leaned into him without thinking, her head resting against his shoulder for a moment. He kissed the top of her head, and warmth spread through her chest.
This was the kind of life she wanted. A future where he responded to her love with his own.
She turned in his arms, looping her hands behind his neck. "You know," she said softly, "you're getting really good at this whole domestic thing."
He raised an eyebrow. "Domestic?"
"Yeah." She grinned. "Hanging around the house more. Cooking. Helping. Being sexy."
He grunted. "You're the only sexy person here."
"You are, too," she insisted, tapping his chest.
He caught her hand, bringing her knuckles to his lips. "Only for you."
Her heart melted. Completely.
She kissed him again. He twirled her in the kitchen. She laughed, swaying on her bare feet.
Kallie hugged his middle and rested her cheek against his chest. "I love this," she whispered. "I love us."
Finn's arms tightened around her, his voice low and certain. "Me too."
In that moment, she believed with her whole heart that whatever happened outside these walls, whatever Everstill tried to do, and whatever the veil wanted, they were untouchable.
Soon, she'd have him back home, and life would be better. Sure, it would be different for Finn, but she would make sure he got through the changes as he adapted to her world. She couldn't wait to show Finn everything the world had in store for him.
She swallowed hard, trying to adjust to the idea that they lived in two different dimensions. It went against everything she was brought up to believe. No class had taught her how to walk through a veil and arrive in another place, unattached to where she lived.
She had no idea if Finn had ever lived in what she knew as the real world. That would be one of the things they needed to find out.
The knock on the door startled Kallie out of her comfortable haze. She looked up at Finn. The laughter that had been on his face minutes ago was gone. It was rare for anyone to seek him out once he walked into the house.
Finn patted her ass and went to answer it while she went back to stir the pot on the stove, keeping an eye on the front door.
Copper stood on the porch, his expression unreadable, his eyes flicking to the darkening sky behind him. The change in the weather took Kallie by surprise. She turned off the burner and joined Finn at the door.
"You two need to be ready." Copper shoved his hands into his front pockets. "The clouds are coming in fast."
Kallie's heart raced. She didn't need him to explain or translate. She knew exactly why Copper came.
The veil was going to open.
Her pulse quickened with excitement. She slipped her hand into Finn's and squeezed. They were making the right choice. It had always been her destiny to return to Everstill and bring him home.
Copper walked away, and Finn shut the door. She threw herself into his arms and kissed him solidly on the lips. Her adrenaline was at an all-time high.
"We need to hurry." She let go of him and hurried to the bedroom, grabbing the bag she'd brought with her when she first arrived.
She repacked the remnants of her old life, shoving everything back inside, her hands trembling with anticipation.
She couldn't wait to show Finn her world.
Every day, they would have real choices about what they wanted to do.
She could show him the different areas, the parks, the restaurants.
Or they could stay home at her apartment and spend all day in bed.
She squealed silently, biting her bottom lip.
Maybe someday, they could buy a house and have a family.
A family. Something she never thought was possible.
She zipped the bag and turned to find Finn and froze.
He stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame, watching her. His expression was calm. Too calm. A stillness she hadn't seen before settled over him, and for a moment, she wondered if he'd changed his mind.
"Finn?" she asked softly. "Honey? Are you okay?"
His gaze moved over her face, her hands, the bag at her feet. Warmth flickered in his eyes, deep and aching as if he had all the time in the world to look at her.
"Are you ready?" she asked, stepping closer. "Ready to go explore my world?"
His gaze softened, and he reached for her, pulling her into his arms. He kissed her, slow and tender, full of emotion that made her knees weaken. When he pulled back, his forehead rested against hers.
"You're everything to me," he whispered.
Her heart swelled so fast it scared her. She kissed him again, smiling against his lips. "Then let's go. We'll start a new life together. I can't wait to show you everything."
She stepped back and grabbed the bag, lifting it onto the bed. "Do you want to throw anything in here? I have room."
Finn's eyes lingered on her, and he shook his head. "I'm not taking anything with me."
She laughed lightly. "Finn, you can bring something. A shirt. Your blue coffee mug. A coat."
He stepped forward, cupping her cheek with a gentleness that surprised her. "I'm only taking you."
Her smile widened. She threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly, believing with her whole heart that this was the beginning of their life together.