Chapter 24

We sat in the small dining room area of the hotel the next morning. I wasn’t very hungry, but I knew he would need something in his belly that hadn’t been caught in the wilderness.

I picked up a donut and wrapped it up in a napkin to appease him, then trailed his next steps closely as he reached for the white, Styrofoam cups. Elijah handed one to me and I took it without hesitation.

He reached for a clear pitcher and tipped the spout over the brim of my cup, filling it with orange juice. I smiled up at him when he was done, then waited patiently for him to fill one for himself.

After he was done, he grabbed a plate and piled it high with scrambled eggs before grabbing a tong and adding a couple of pancakes next to them.

“Grab us a table, Aunt Mais,” he instructed distractedly as he began to grab small packets of syrup.

I turned and glanced around the room until I found one with only two chairs, then made my way over to lay claim to it.

I settled into one of the empty seats and placed the cup down. I kept my eyes on the entrance to the dining area.

I wanted to ensure that I would be able to see Clarabelle and Graham when they entered, or if they tried to leave us behind like Mr. Mike had.

“Not hungry?”

I glanced up at Elijah as he grinned at me on his way over. He set his breakfast down on the table, then took the seat directly across from me.

I swallowed a sigh as I opened up the napkin and began to pick at the donut.

“I was just teasing, Maisie Girl,” he said, reaching over to grab my arm and give it a squeeze. “You can save it for later if you want.”

“No, it’s okay,” I assured him as I forced a small smile onto my face and picked away just enough for another bite.

As I chewed on it, I ran my tongue along the gaps where I used to have my very own teeth. I never could get used to having to wear fake ones, but Elijah always picked the best and made the bridges for me himself.

He watched for a moment before he finally began to dig into his meal. I kept picking at my donut to appease him until I had gotten through at least half of it.

“I don’t think they should drop us off right in front of his house,” he said thoughtfully after wiping his mouth with a napkin. “That would be too risky.”

“I was going to ask them to leave us a few streets over.”

He nodded as he used the plastic fork to break away a small piece of his last pancake. Looking at me, he rested an elbow on the table and held it out toward me.

I shook my head and nodded down at my morning treat, but Elijah wasn’t having any of that.

“Just this one bite, Mais. Please?”

His eyes became so damn wide with hope that I knew if I declined again, he’d more than likely end up in a sour mood.

Anger to hide the fact that he was hurt.

I eyed the pancake as it hovered in front of my face, then leaned forward and opened my mouth.

The grin on his face … it became so damn wide that I was afraid it would swallow us both whole.

He gently placed the small piece onto my tongue then waited until I pulled it off and leaned back. I crossed my arms over my chest as I chewed, knowing full well that I looked like a child having a tantrum.

He”s happy, let it go.

“They’re pretty weird, don’t you think?” Elijah asked as he glanced over his shoulder.

“Who?”

“The people who picked us up.”

“Oh. Yeah, I guess. They’re almost too happy,” I agreed as I went back to picking at the donut.

“I’m gonna get a refill,” he said as he pushed his chair back, “Do you want something else?”

I shook my head and patted my stomach, which made him chuckle and shake his head.

I was used to surviving on the minimal things life had to offer us, because Elijah was more than enough to fill any void I had felt during all of the years he had been gone.

I took a sip of my juice, then leaned back in my chair with the donut in hand, picking at it as much as I could.

When he came back with another full plate, I smiled.

It was good to see him so hungry and finally being well-fed.

Even if it was just for the moment.

___

“Thank you.”

I gave the girl behind the reception desk a small wave as I stuffed the band-aids she handed me into my pocket.

She told me that they sold them by the boxes, and when the hope left my eyes, she gave me a kind smile and told me to wait.

A few seconds later, she was back with a newly opened package, shoving some into my hand, and telling me that she would just tell the manager that she had accidentally cut herself and needed to wrap it up.

It was the kindest thing anyone besides Elijah had done for me in years.

It was selfless, pure, and simple.

Something she’d probably forget about in an hour, but something I would carry with me for the rest of my life.

As I made my way toward the sliding double doors at the entrance of the hotel, I noticed that Elijah was already outside. He was propped up against the side of the camper talking to Graham, who was nodding every so often.

It was when Graham glanced in my direction and smiled, that Elijah straightened himself up and stopped talking. He gave me a big smile and waved me over.

He’s hiding something from me.

The realization hit me harder than anything in the world ever had.

While it was true that I had been holding onto a secret of my own, I wasn’t as goddamn blatant about trying to keep it a secret.

“You about ready to go, Aunt Maisie?” Elijah called out as I approached them.

With a nod, I stopped just short of his reach, crossed my arms loosely over my chest and glanced at the camper door.

He took a step forward, wrapped an arm around my shoulders and gave me a reassuring squeeze.

Graham pushed the door open, then stepped back to allow us to climb in first.

I blew out my breath as I walked up the stairs, then went over to settle on the couch, and smiled faintly at Clarabelle when she emerged from the bathroom.

“Let’s go!” Elijah said to Graham as he walked in after him.

It was the look he gave me as he settled down in the empty space next to me which told me that his secret may be something better kept to himself.

We were almost to Kingston—to Mr. Mike.

And while there were no signs of demons in his eyes, there was something else.

I knew deep down that the Dempseys more than likely wouldn’t live to see another sunrise.