Renegade Path

“Oh my goodness.” Juliet pointed at my face. “Your eyes are lit up like a kid on Christmas morning.”

I glanced around the garage and grinned. While it was a lot of stuff, Mr. Shields had kept everything neat and organized. “It’s a lot of machines and tools to play with, for sure.”

“Well, I’ll leave you to it.” She squeezed my hand.

School ended up being cancelled for Juliet. Good thing. It took forever to get the snowblower running and clear the driveway. But it felt good to be useful and do stuff with my hands. Put something together instead of tearing it apart.

Cold, but happy, I stomped my way into the garage and stripped off my boots, overalls and coat. The warmth of the house blasted my cheeks when I entered the hallway. The oven hummed in the kitchen. Music drifted from the radio. If Juliet was cooking again, I’d be in heaven.

She had her back to me when I entered the kitchen. Leaning over the counter, working on something. “Hey, I’m all done.”

“Oh!” She jumped and turned with her hand pressed against her chest.

I hurried over to her. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“It’s okay.”

I glanced over her shoulder.

My jaw dropped as I tried to process what she’d been working on. “Is that…are you making me a cake?”

“Well, it was your birthday, right?” She curled her fingers in my shirt and pulled me closer. “That’s why you finally came home to me.”

“Yeah,” I rasped, still staring at the cake. Round and covered with thick, white frosting, she’d been spelling Happy Birthday across the top with little chocolate chips when I interrupted. “I don’t think anyone’s made me a cake since I was five.”

“It’s chocolate, with vanilla frosting.” She let out a frustrated huff. “Because that’s what I had here. But you can pick out something else when we go to the store—”

“Nope. That sounds perfect.” I glanced at the oven. “What’s in there?”

She shook her head. “Cookies. Just leave me a couple to take to school tomorrow.”

“I’ll do my best. But I can’t make any promises.” I eyed the cake again. “Can we have some?”

“It should go in the fridge for a bit. It’s still warm-ish.”

I wasn’t above a little begging. “Please?”

“As if I could say no to you.” She whirled around and opened the utensil drawer.

“Wait.” I caught her around the waist and dragged her close again. “Kiss me, first.”

“Roman,” she pressed her palms against my chest and stared up at me with more love than I deserved, “I’ll kiss you first, last, and forever. Just say when.”

“Good.” My voice cracked. Her words soothed my ragged soul. “Because you’re my first, last, and forever.”

“Mine too.” She stroked my cheek. “Always.”

Chapter Forty-Eight

Roman

After my return, Juliet and I created the domestic bliss we’d talked about before I was sent away.

We made a good team. I helped her get ready in the morning. While she was at school, I explored the tools in the garage and taught myself how to fix up the equipment that hadn’t been maintained. I made a little cash by helping the neighbors clear their driveways whenever it snowed. Eventually, I needed to find a real job and figure out what I was doing with my life. I couldn’t sponge off Juliet forever.

No matter how hard I tried to bury it, the bitterness from my time inside lingered. I finally understood all those stories Ulfric and Dex had shared. Why they rejected society’s rules and lived by their own. Not that I was ready to patch in to one of their clubs. Juliet was the only family I needed. She was the person I trusted with my life, and the only one in the world I’d die to protect.

I kept an eye out for Juliet’s aunt and uncle. Swore one time I caught her uncle’s pickup truck do a slow drive-by of the house. By the time I made it outside, he was gone.

One afternoon, close to winter break, Pip came home with Juliet.

“What’re you doing here, kid?” I opened my arms but waited for him to come to me.

He threw his arms around me and hugged me harder than I thought the kid was capable of, considering how much he hated people touching him.

“Why didn’t you come back to school?” he mumbled against my shirt.

I patted his back and gently returned the embrace.

Over his shoulder, I caught Juliet’s glossy eyes.

“No point. Got my GED while I was at the detention center.”

He pulled away. “Squire and Janet got sent away not long after you. They admitted that they set you up. Why didn’t you come back?”

“Wasn’t given the option.” I clasped his shoulder and ducked to meet his troubled eyes. “Who’s your roommate now?”

“He’s younger than me.” He lifted his bony shoulders. “He’s all right. Still sucks his thumb. I tell the other kids to mind their business when they give him crap about it.”