*CHAPTER 63*

*CHAPTER 63*
"So what happened next?" Lauren asked. We sat in her little hair studio a few blocks down from Cafe Limone. I'd stopped to see her on my way back from Cafe Limone. I'd finished clearing out my locker, all the stuff I'd collected in my locker after working there for three years all fit neatly inside a single cardboard box. I'd never loved working at the Cafe, but I'd always been grateful for my job there. So while there was a hint of relief to be clearing out my space there, to be moving on to new things, that relief was bittersweet.

It had been two weeks since the night club. I'd texted Lauren over the last few weeks of recovering, but today was the first chance I'd had to come and see her in person. I'd missed her like crazy, and she had been burning with curiosity over what had happened. I'd had to adapt the story a little to keep out any details pertaining to Magic, but Lauren hadn't noticed.

"Then the police showed up, and they took over from there, " I told her. It was close enough to the truth. Memories of that night, the Oculus coming and scattering over the scene to investigate, wiping any traces of Magic from the area before calling the police still flooded my mind.

"I can't believe you helped catch a serial killer. That is seriously bad ass." Lauren said, blowing a piece of hair from her face.

"Malcolm and Penny did most of the work, but thanks Lore." I grinned.

"Don't sell yourself short Kassie, you fucking ran the guy over in Malcolm's truck."

I guess that was true.

"Speaking of Malcolm--" Lauren grinned, waggling her eyebrows suggestively. Just from her tone I knew where she was going with this.

I cut her off, sighing, “I really don’t want to talk about Malcolm.” Without being able to explain what was happening between us with the Bond, there was no way I’d be able to let her know that everything that had happened between us was just because of the Magic Binding us together. I ignored the pang in my chest at the thought.

"Why not?" She demanded. "I've been meaning to talk to you about him staying with you in the hospital."

"What about it?" I pulled myself to my feet, adjusting the strap of my purse on my shoulder and fishing out my keys.

"He stayed with you the entire time, didn't he?"

Our time in the hospital had been one big blur, one I was still coming to terms with, not to mention our time in the club afterward. I hadn’t told Lauren what had happened in the club—it was all too messy and sticky and convoluted for me to unravel right now, "Yeah, he did.” I admitted.

"He must care about you a lot to do that. I mean, the guy nursed you back to health Kassie. I had boyfriends who wouldn't have even done something like that."

I chewed the inside of my cheek uncomfortably. I mean, I knew the reason he had stayed with me, why he'd taken such an effort to make sure I was okay. It was all because of the Life Bond. But I couldn't exactly tell Lauren about that. She wasn't wrong though. He could have let Jenna stay with me for a while and he hadn't.

"Believe me, it's not like that," I assured her, waving her off. Things between Malcolm and me may have gotten more physical than they probably should have, but I could guarantee that he hadn’t stayed with me because of any feelings. He’d stayed for the Bond, pure and simple. But the thought trailed after me as I left her to take a client and I made my way back to my car.

The Oculus had finally paid out the expense of my last car, and then some on top of that. Richard and Lauren had come with me to purchase my new car. It was amazing how cathartic the simple act of pulling my new car off the lot had been.

I only had a week left until my classes at the University started, and this past week I'd been tying up loose ends. Caleb and I had attended orientation together, and I felt more than ready to get started with classes.

I'd had the memorial service for my Uncle David last week. It had been a small affair, Jenna had helped me plan and get everything settled with the insurance. For someone who hadn't kept up on paying the bills, David had shockingly been up to date on all of his insurance payments.

And hour ago, before I'd stopped at the Cafe, I'd driven by David's lawyer's office. I'd been the beneficiary of David's estate, which hadn't been much. But after the payouts from the insurance companies, I now had more money than I knew what to do with, uncomfortable with the sum now sitting in my savings account. His lawyer had asked me to come by the office to sign the remainder of the documents and to give me something.

More shocking than anything else David had left me, had been the letter now sitting on the center console of my car. I hadn't been able to bring myself to read it yet. It had been burning a hole in my car, the wrinkled white envelope drawing my eye as I'd driven through the city.

I started the ignition of my car, knowing I couldn't put off the inevitable anymore. Picking up the seemingly innocuous envelope, I smoothed it between my fingers. I wasn't sure what David could have possibly wanted to tell me, important enough to leave with his lawyers in case he passed unexpectedly. But here we were.

With the air conditioner working overtime, blowing cold air into my face, I braced myself and ripped the envelope open. Inside was a single sheet of lined yellow legal paper, ripped roughly from one of those generic pads. The page hadn't been filled all the way, but the sight of David's familiar boxy handwriting made my chest ache.

Bracing myself, I read:

Kassie,

If you're reading this, then I never got around to telling you any of this in person. And if that's the case, I have a lot to apologize for because it was never meant to come down to this. I'd planned to tell you a hundred different times in a hundred different days, but I've never been good at talking, and somehow the words never came out. I'll start off by saying sorry for never getting around to this. But, here it is now.

You might not remember, but the first day I met you was the day your mom dropped you off with me. The last time I'd seen Rebecca before that day, we were still teenagers. Anyway, I won't get into the entire conversation we had that morning. The important part of all this, is that before she dropped you off, I asked her about who your father was—why she couldn't leave you with him. I knew, even then, that almost anyone else would have been better than being with me.

Rebecca told me she met your father in college. They fell in love fast—too fast. She said she fell head over heels for him the first time she saw him. She was so infatuated with him that it took her a while to see that he wasn't the person she thought he was. He had "gifts" that were hard for her to explain and I didn't really understand. By the time she figured out what kind of person he was, she was already pregnant with you.

You've asked me a few times over the years about your father, and now you know everything I do. If you take anything away from this letter, I hope it's this. Your mom was running from something the day she left you with me. She left that day to go to talk to an old friend about protection.

I don't know for sure what it was she was running from, but I highly suspect it had something to do with your father. As far as I know, he's still alive, but I don't know for sure because Rebecca didn't tell me his name. The only advice I hope you take from me is to not go looking for him. Obviously I don't have any proof, but I suspect he had something to do with her death.

I have a lot of regrets I my life, Kassie, but in spite of it all of that, I hope you know I did the best I could.

Be smart and be safe,

D.