Rose hops up on one of the couches. She seems completely normal, so I’m glad this doesn’t seem to be phasing her.
“Where is Mom? Is she meeting us on the island like Atlas?”
The room quiets.
Langston halts mid-step. He looks to Enzo as he realizes that Phoenix could be hidden somewhere on this very plane.
“Your mom had an important job she had to do. I’m not sure if she’ll be able to get away from work to come to the island or not,” Enzo answers.
Well, at least that means Phoenix isn’t on the plane, but I don’t know what we do about Phoenix long term. Rose thinks Phoenix has been her mom her entire life. We can’t kill Phoenix, but we can’t just let her go back to being Rose’s mother either.
Kai returns with a giant bowl of ice cream and several spoons.
Rose holds out her hands, and Kai places the bowl in her lap. Rose’s eyes light up so big when she sees the mountain of ice cream.
“Dad, Liesel, you need to help me eat this. It looks like you both have been starving like me,” Rose says.
Langston and I exchange worried glances as we join Rose on the couch, taking a seat on either side of her. “Did they not feed you, the men who took you?” Langston asks casually as he takes one of the spoons and a bite to satisfy Rose and probably some of his own hunger.
“They tried to, but everything they kept feeding me was gross like a cold pizza and sodas. I know I’m not supposed to drink sodas, so I didn’t drink any,” she answers.
I laugh, my eyes meeting Langston’s as we relax, knowing that Rose was at least offered food.
We all eat in comfortable silence for a little bit before I’ve had enough sweets in my stomach.
“Is there a shower on this plane?” I ask no one in particular.
“There are always showers on the planes we fly. And pajamas too! You should try the fluffy pajamas. They’re the best,” Rose says mid-bite.
“I’m going to go shower and try to find the fluffy pajamas then,” I say.
I stand and head to the back of the plane. As I close the bathroom door, I hear Langston tell Rose he needs to make sure I find the pajamas and he needs to shower after me. I leave the door unlocked as I turn on the water in the small shower and strip my shirt just as Langston pushes in.
“Rose is smart, you know. If you keep showering at the same time as me, she’s going to figure out that we are together.”
“What’s wrong with her knowing that we are together?”
I place my hand on his chest. “I’m just not ready yet.”
He shakes his head. “I think we are way past time, Liesel. You don’t have a choice any longer. It’s time whether you are ready or not. The kids deserve to know you. They deserve to know who you are, and we deserve to live happily ever after. Preferably with you spending lots and lots of time naked.” He smirks.
I smile back, but a part of my smile is fake. I don’t know how he thinks we can live happily ever after when we can’t even say we love each other.
Instead of saying anything else, he just pushes us into the shower, clothes and all.
He catches my bottom lip and kisses me before I can say anything.
“I vow to make you feel good every chance I can, which means I owe you an orgasm.”
I shake my head. “You made me come less than an hour ago. You don’t need to make me co—”
I stop mid-word as his fingers press against my clit.
Holy cow.
A million tiny fireworks light up in my body when he touches me.
He flips me around until my back is pressed against his front while his hand continues to tease my sensitive nub. My pants are yanked to the floor, and the showerhead hits the front of my body, beginning to wash the blood away, along with the remnants of the other sacrifice I made.