Chapter Fifteen
Valli
Now that the Christmas Day festivities are over, Nixie has called us all to her office, and honestly, I was wondering when this conversation would happen. Cave takes a seat closest to the wall, pulling me onto his lap. Cipher stands, and Noa sits across from Nixie’s desk.
“I owe you all an explanation. The timeline of your release was not what anyone expected, even though I’m happy you were here for Christmas.”
We all wait for her to continue, as none of us really have anything to say. Cave is here, and that’s all that matters.
“Seth Fairchild is a good psychiatrist, possibly one of the best. His clinical notes were so positive and thorough that they left very little room for the facility to argue that Cave was a continued risk. Vincent used those notes as the foundation for his argument, and they held up in court. That is the first part.”
We all remain silent, even Noa.
“The second part is that Evan Malcolm signed the paperwork. Without his signature, the discharge would have been contested. The facility’s legal team filed the extension request, and even with Vincent’s case, there was a window where they could have pushed further.
Evan didn’t have to do that. While the decision was within his discretion, he was not obligated to move quickly. ”
“Nixie,” I say. “Who is Evan to you?”
I know there is more to this story. Nixie holds my gaze, and though I once promised I would never ask, now I am.
“He was someone I cared about a long time ago. Before Cave, before the island became what it is.” She pauses.
“I left. It’s what I did back then—what I always do when something requires more of me than I want to give.
Evan was not the first person I did that to, nor was he the last. I was afraid of what it would mean if he were the physician on the case, as he was a student when Cave was there the first time. ”
“Was that why the extension was filed, because of you?” I ask.
“Partially. His brother is part of the facility’s legal team and knows our history.”
I feel bad for her, but then again, this is a situation she created, and I have no way to change it. “Does seeing him again change anything between you and him?”
She looks at me and shrugs. “I don’t know. It’s complicated and there are more than just the two of us involved.” Nixie stands. “That is everything I wanted you to know,” she says and looks at Cave. “I had to make a deal, which means some more sessions with Seth, but he will come here.”
Cave nods, and I raise a brow. Who is this and where is my angry Scarecrow?
“I’m glad you’re home. You are worth fighting for—you were always worth fighting for,” Nixie tells him. “I’m sorry it took a legal battle, and that we sent you to the hospital in the first place when the burns were not as bad as we thought.”
Cave stands, gently moves me to the side, then crosses the office and puts his hand on Nixie’s shoulder.
Just for a second, her eyes go a bit glassy as Cave turns and walks for the door.
We all follow him, and I nod at Nixie on the way out, who half smiles in return.
I think her past has come back to bite her in the ass and she needs to face it head-on.
Once outside, Noa speaks. “I have so many theories about Nixie.”
“I’m sure you do,” I say.
“But I’m containing them, and it hurts.”
I laugh. “You’re doing very well.”
We walk back through the island, past the cornfield where the Christmas trees stand in their rows. We offered to have them removed, but Cave said no and smiled.
After a full day with the families, we retire back to our new house. We are officially spending our first night here, and though it feels weird not being at the shed, Cipher is excited to have his workspace back.
Watching Noa build flat-pack furniture has been the highlight of my afternoon, while Cipher has grown increasingly frustrated, and Cave has thrown a half-built bookshelf out the door. They have all gone out for a breather before they kill each other.
My phone buzzes from the table, and I see Vincent’s name flash up on the screen.
“Hello?” I answer.
“Valli,” he says. “I wanted to call you directly with this. I have been monitoring Rowan since Nixie asked me to as a favor while Cave’s case was ongoing. Rowan attempted to access the island two days ago, but he was stopped by security.”
“What happened?” I ask.
“He was detained. You were not aware of this because I dealt with it without bothering you at the time, given everything you were going through. I’d filed a restraining order on your behalf, and he is legally prohibited from coming within five hundred meters of you, anyone on the island, and Leni.
He was in violation of that order and is currently in custody. ”
I bite my lip, knowing I should feel bad for him, but I don’t. I wiped my hands of him when I took him from the island, and I meant every word I said to him that night.
“While I should have told you about the restraining order, I made a judgment call. But if you feel I overstepped, I will understand.”
“No,” I say. “It wasn’t overstepping. Is he going to be charged?”
“Yes. If it’s okay with you, I will make sure he’ll be charged.”
“Do what you need to do. I don’t want him anywhere near me, the island, or Leni.”
“Good, he has an outstanding warrant as well, so it will be a straightforward case.”
“Thank you, Vincent.”
“Of course,” he says. “How is Cave?”
“Better, he’s happy to be home.”
“Good. I’ll be in touch if anything further develops with Rowan’s case.”
I thank him again and he hangs up, then I sit on the floor of our bedroom for a bit, relieved that Rowan is out of my life and glad he couldn’t get on to the island.
I go in search of Cave and find him at the edge of the cornfield.
“Vincent called,” I tell him. “Rowan tried to come back, but he is being charged.”
“Good.” After a moment, his hand comes out to take mine, and he squeezes.
We stand there together and look out at where the corn used to be.
After a while, Noa appears with a coffee, and I tell him about the call. He says at least we know where he is and that me and Leni are safe—not that my men would let anything happen to us, and I’ve never doubted they would. They have all shown me they will protect me with their lives.
Noa drinks his coffee and turns to us. “Right, someone needs to feed us. I’ll get dinner if you two grab Cipher, or he will still be in the shed at midnight reorganizing his tools.”
Noa heads off toward Ares’s Bar while Cave and I head to the shed. Cave holds my hand the entire way, and I fill him in on the latest in the Leni and Khodi situation. He listens, and it’s nice to be able to do something so simple and domestic.
When we get to the shed, Cipher is at his workbench organizing his tools. He looks over at us as we enter, but then quickly turns his attention back to his tools.
“I’ll come home in a bit,” he says. “I just want to finish—”
He doesn’t finish his sentence before Cave has crossed the shed and thrown Cipher over his shoulder.
“Cave, put me down!”
Cave doesn’t listen; he walks to the door, grabbing Cipher’s jacket from the hook as he passes it. I wander behind them, trying not to laugh.
“I’m capable of walking,” Cipher protests.
Cave keeps striding up the path toward the house.
“Stop being unreasonable—I didn’t even get to pack my tools away.”
“They will be there tomorrow,” I tell him.
Cipher turns his head sideways to look at me. “Is there at least food?”
“Noa went to get some.”
“Fine, but if Noa just left, then I would’ve had plenty of time to pack up.”
That makes me laugh. Cave carries him the entire way to the house without putting him down until we reach the front door. When Cave sets him down, he hands him his jacket and opens the door.
We go inside, and Cipher washes up, while I set the table. It’s one of the things that is already built; Noa made sure of it, as eating meals together means a lot to him.
Noa rushes in with the bags of food. “You will never believe what’s happening at Ares’s Bar .
. . my mom and Rue are cooking together.
My mom is teaching him some of her favorite recipes, so we will have lots of food.
Oh, and Cipher’s parents will meet us for breakfast tomorrow.
Christopher is taking Cindy on a date tonight—they are so sweet. ”
When Cipher comes back downstairs, we all sit down to eat our first meal together in our new house.
It used to be four bedrooms, but Rhett helped knock down a wall between two of the rooms to make them into one large sleeping space.
The bed from Cipher’s shed fits perfectly in there with enough room for all of us.
I peer around the table at all three of my men and think about the girl who arrived on the island. Back then I was a different person, and now I am the happiest I have ever been in my life. I can’t imagine being anywhere else.