Chapter Five #4
The house was so full of people waiting for a sign from Franklin that it was a miracle he’d found an empty seat.
He probably would have anyway since this was his house, but it felt like people were coming out of the woodwork, and Reed didn’t know what to do with that.
He could feel everyone watching him, no doubt because they didn’t know who he was.
From what Moore had said earlier, he hadn’t told anyone that Reed had worked in the facility.
The only thing these people knew was that he had information on the facility that he’d escaped six months ago.
They knew he was a mutant, just like them.
That was it.
It made Reed nervous. He didn’t want people to judge him for what he’d done, but he also knew that eventually, they’d find out.
Would it be best for him to tell everyone now?
That way, the people who would decide they wanted nothing to do with him could stay away, and the people who were willing to give him a chance would know what he’d done.
It wasn’t the right moment, though. Moore wanted to keep the peace, and Reed agreed.
It would be best not to rock the boat right now when they were waiting for Franklin to call them.
“It feels like an eternity,” he told Moore.
Moore nodded. “I get that. I can’t say I’ve ever had to experience anything like that since my mate doesn’t go on raids, but plenty of my friends do. It’s hard.”
“Franklin is a little bit more than a friend for me.”
“Are things going well with that? I couldn’t help but hear your conversation this morning.”
Reed rolled his eyes. “I know. You’ve already told us that we were being too loud and public.”
Moore grinned. “It was nice to be informed, though.”
“Where’s your mate? I’m sure he’d want to know that you’re teasing me.”
Moore snorted. “He’d start teasing you right along with me. I know he seems sweet, but he’s a little devil inside.”
“Please don’t tell me anything about that. I don’t need details about your sex life.”
Moore laughed. For a second, Reed was surprised.
He wouldn’t say that he and Moore were friends, but maybe he was wrong.
They’d been growing closer, with Moore and his mate, and they almost felt like friends.
Maybe they would be in this new life that Reed was building.
He was afraid to hope too hard, but maybe once Franklin was back, he could allow himself to.
“I won’t give you any details,” Moore promised. “Jolyn would kill me if I did. He likes you.”
“I like him.”
Moore’s smile was easy. “He’ll be happy to hear that. He was worried about you.”
“He has no reason to be.”
“Doesn’t he? What are you planning on doing once this is over?”
That sounded like a trick question. “I don’t have any plans yet.”
“Are you waiting to know about Franklin? Because you have a place here, even without him.”
Reed suspected that was true, but he didn’t want to have a place here without his mate. He needed Franklin to be okay and by his side if he was going to move to the village.
But that felt like too much to ask for now. It felt dangerous to hope.
“He’s good for you, and you’re good for him,” Moore continued.
Reed frowned. “What do you mean? We’ve barely talked.”
“We both know that’s a lie. Many people have noticed that Franklin has been more settled. I expected him to go out there to get Garrett as soon as we had confirmation from you that he was in the facility. It’s what he would’ve done before meeting you.”
“It would’ve gotten him killed.” And probably Garrett, too. The company was willing to sacrifice a lot to continue using mutants, but not everything. They wouldn’t put the entire facility in jeopardy for just one mutant, no matter how fascinating or useful he was.
“It would have, and I’m glad he didn’t do anything stupid. Look, I know that both you and Franklin are new to the village. I understand that many people around here are wary of you, and frankly, I don’t blame them. Knowing your history, I’d be surprised if people weren’t.”
“I agree. I don’t expect to be welcomed.
” Which was why he wasn’t sure he could stay.
He wanted to be with Franklin, and maybe Franklin wanted him, too, and they could work something out, but it would make for an uncomfortable life.
If people found out what Reed had done, they would shun him.
He wasn’t going to put that on Franklin’s shoulders, especially not when Franklin was dealing with Garrett.
Garrett would need a safe place to heal. There was no safer place than the village, where he would be surrounded by people who’d gone through what he’d gone through. He wouldn’t have to hide that he was a mutant here. People would understand. They’d support him.
Reed would never ask Franklin to choose between the two of them. If he felt like Franklin might, he’d leave. But maybe it wouldn’t be as bad as he expected it to be. Maybe, like Moore was saying, he could carve himself a place here.
Or maybe he couldn’t, and he’d end up having to go. It was no use obsessing over it right now, although that was easier said than done.