Rand never asked if I was staying, and I didn't ask if he was letting me go.
There was no point, really.
Not when the answers were already written in how that ease between us settled so effortlessly back into its rightful place - Soft and sweet and twice as potent after everything that had happened, acting as solid ground beneath our feet as the two of us worked together to dig our way out of this disaster of a day.
Within minutes of our reunion in the rain, we'd loaded up Rand's truck - which was damaged, but luckily still drivable - with what little was worth salvaging from the wreckage, Grant tucked safely into the backseat as we drove away into the stormy afternoon.
As the ruined house vanished in the rearview, I felt the tension in my shoulders slipping away, my breath coming a bit easier with every rotation of the wheels on the wet pavement below.
I could tell Rand felt the same way.
Could see it clear as day in how his jaw relaxed and his lips parted on a quiet sigh, the way he stole a peek at me as if to reassure himself that I was still there before going back to staring out at the storm without saying anything.
"So, what's the plan, Boss?" I asked, kicking off my muddy shoes and curling my tired legs under me. "Where're we headed?"
"Home," he said simply.
"Pops' place?" I guessed, and as the giant raised an eyebrow at me I admitted a bit sheepishly, "Sorry, Boss, I, um... Kinda-sorta looked through your photo album? You were dead, sooo..."
Rand took a moment to digest that information, his expression completely unreadable as he gave a slow nod. "Yeah. Pops'."
"How far is it?" I asked curiously.
"Not far." He hit the blinker as we reached the highway, turning in the opposite direction from how we'd gone on our previous outing. "Half an hour?"
I hummed in answer, glancing back at where Grant was sleeping so peacefully. "Think puppydog'll be up by the time we get there?"
"Nah." Rand gave me a meaningful glance. "Half a pill? Puts
me
on my ass. Two?" He let out a low whistle. "Pup's a lightweight. So... Tomorrow? Maybe?"
"Fuuuck," I sighed dramatically, letting my head thump back against the headrest. "He's never gonna let me live this down, is he?"
"Probably not," Rand chuckled. "That boy? Good at grudges."
I filed that away in my growing mental dossier on Grant The Potential Sociopath, but didn't dwell on it as the giant held out his hand and I slid my fingers between his without hesitation, giving a tiny squeeze and smiling when he gave one in return.
The quiet that fell was easy and comfortable, and I was busy zoning out to the steady whoosh of the windshield wipers and watching little rivulets of rain run down my window when Rand cleared his throat.
"So. You ask, kitten?"
It took me a second to catch his meaning, and I winced as I remembered my ill-fated attempt to get information out of Grant this morning. I really didn't want to throw him under the bus when he wasn't even awake to defend himself - or before I got the chance to confront him in private - so I just gave a noncommittal shrug.
