Funerals

*Tatum*

Maverick leaves me staring at his back as he heads out of my bedroom door. The man is nothing if not predictable. He can’t handle anything from the past, not with a clear head. I knew coming home would be hard for him, but Artenis only added to that stress.

And Maverick may deny it until his dying days, but I could see how much it hurt him to be treated like they didn’t know him. That’s the problem with Maverick. He wants so desperately to run from the past, while simultaneously craving it. He missed my family. It was plain as day to me, but he will continue to run. Hell, probably until the day he dies.

I plop down onto my bed, palming my face with both hands, as I groan in frustration. Artemis being here, showing up, felt strange. It’s not that I didn’t want Artemis to meet my family. It was almost like he was trying to catch me off guard?

See if he could throw me. Is that a part of getting to know me? To throw me through a loop and see if I trip up? It’s the unshakable feeli