Exodus (The Ravenhood)

My heart lurches at the weight of it.

Several minutes later, I collect my bag as my car pulls up. With one last walk through the house, I lock it up, leaving the key in the lockbox.

One last order of business and my life will again be my own.

Exiting the cab, my bag in hand, I hear the recognizable guitar licks of southern rock, lighting up at the sound of the familiar music. Just as I approach the bay, the sun beams from between the clouds, and I take it as a sign of encouragement. Insides rattling, I peek into the garage and see him hunched underneath the hood of a BMW.

The clanging of tools and an exhaled curse have a smile upturning my lips. I study him briefly, at least what I can see—dark jeans and greased tan work boots.

“Excuse me, sir.”

“Be right with you,” he replies sharply, his tone having nothing to do with me and everything to do with his frustration. My smile widens.

“I’m new in town, and I was just wondering if you knew where I could find some trouble to get into around here?”

His body tenses unmistakably in recognition before he slowly lifts, his upper half coming into view before he darts his head around the hood, and hazel eyes meet mine in an agonizingly familiar tug.

He’s still golden, his skin drenched from the endless sun that seems to wrap around him. Though his hair is cropped shorter, I can still see the tint of platinum sneaking through his thick threads. He looks so much the same it steals my breath.

“Trouble?” he drawls, “Oh, I think, I should be asking you since it just walked into my garage.” He studies me a beat, then two. And then I see his decision.

He’s striding toward me all swagger before he whisks me into his arms and whirls me around like not a single day has passed. Cedar and sunshine, and Sean. The smell is distinctly his. It has my emotions warring as I inhale as deep as I can before he lets me back on my feet. Deep creases line the corners of his eyes as his smile lights up, filling me to the point a fast tear forms and falls.

For seconds, we look over the other, and I latch on to it with all my might, feeling him slip away the second his memory kicks in, and the light in his eyes dims. The pain leaches onto my chest as he steps away and pulls a rag from his pocket to start wiping his hands.

“Heard you were in town, Pup.”

“And you still didn’t come to see me.”

“Wasn’t sure if I wanted to, or if I should.”

And there it is, the grudge, some for me, some for what happened. But for those seconds, just moments ago, he remembered me, remembered then, remembered us, before everything went to hell. I should be grateful he acknowledged it, but all I feel is…loss.

“Yeah, well, the wolf sought me out first so you couldn’t protect me this time.”

“I never was good at it anyway,” he says softly.

“You were too busy making me tough.”

I don’t miss the flare of pride in his eyes. “I did a hell of a job with that.”

I take a step back, unable to stand the fact that he’s still within reach and yet so far away. Years away, a lifetime away. A lifetime I’ll never get back.

“Heard about all that ass-kicking you’ve been doing.”

“I had someone pretty incredible pry my eyes open with a crowbar, so I can’t take all the credit.”

“The hell you can’t.”

“I’m not going to, so let’s leave it at that.” I glance around. “So, this is you?”

“Yeah, old habits die hard. As much as Tobias tried, suit life isn’t for me.”

“Yeah, I can see that. Do you still go hiking?”

“Not as much anymore. But I get out when I can.”

“A wife and two kids.”