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Me: I always will. Now go to sleep.

Tor: You too, Angel. Maybe if we fall asleep at the same time, we’ll see each other in our dreams.

Me: Wow, Tor. I never knew you were a romantic.

Tor: There’s a lot about me you don’t know ;)

After eighteen years, I seriously thought I knew everything about Tor. But cracks spidered through the wall between us and glimpses of him have seeped out through his words. He’s sensual. He’s lonely. He’s possessive. He’s playful. He’s romantic. And he’s afraid of getting hurt.

I pull the thin cover up over me and hug my pillow, eager to fall asleep now with the hope of meeting up with him in our dreams.

20

Tor

Kenzi ~ age thirteen

Tor ~ age twenty-eight

I glance at the clock again above the fireplace. It’s only five minutes later than it was the last time I looked at it, but it feels like an hour has passed. I’ve been sitting in this chair in Asher’s living room all night, listening to the tick of that clock with one ear and the sound of the door with the other. But there hasn’t been a sound at the door, and with each passing minute I’m getting more worried.

I call her cell phone again and it goes straight to voice mail. I don’t bother leaving a message.

“Fuck.” I mutter, grabbing my car keys off the coffee table. I pull on my sweatshirt as I head for the back door just as she’s coming in.

“Where the hell have you been?” Anger and relief flood through me. “Why didn’t you answer you phone?”

Her big green eyes widen as she peeks up at me from behind her bangs. I grab her chin and lift her face up into the light.

“Are you wearing lipstick? And eyeliner?”

She pushes my hand away. “Maybe. A little. And my phone battery died.” She skirts by me and opens the refrigerator, taking out a pitcher of iced tea.

“Where have you been, Kenzi? It’s eleven o’clock. I’ve been calling you for three hours. You didn’t even tell me you were going out. You just disappeared.”

She pours herself a glass and puts the pitcher back, shrugging nonchalantly at me. “Chloe’s cousin picked me up and took us and some other friends to the movies. Chill out.”

“I’m not going to chill out, Kenzi. You’re supposed to let me know where you are and who you’re with.”

Glaring at me, she tries to push past me to leave the kitchen but I grab her arm.

“Don’t walk away from me.”

“You’re being a jerk. You’re not my father, ya know. And I’m not a baby, I’m allowed to go out with my friends. I don’t have to sit here with you on a Friday night.”

I cross my arms in front of me and stare her down. “Fine. Next time your parents go on tour they can find someone else to watch you. You think I want to waste my time sitting here while you run around and act like a brat? I have a life, ya know.”

“I’m not a brat.”

“You’re acting like one.”

“Then just go home. I don’t need you here. You were ignoring me, anyway.”

“Fine. I’m outta here.” I storm out through the back door and cross the yard to my truck parked in the driveway. Fuck this shit. If I wanted to deal with this I’d have a kid of my own. I throw my truck in reverse and turn to see her running down the walkway towards me.

“Uncle Tor…”

Sonofabitch.

I stop the truck and roll down the window. “Get back in the house, Kenzi. It’s late.”

She clasps her hands on my car door, tears running down her face, smearing her eye liner. She hasn’t figured out yet that waterproof makeup is best for getting through life.

“Please don’t leave.”

“You told me to leave. So, I’m going. I’ll call one of your uncles to come stay with you and they can figure it out with your parents.”

“They all treat me like a baby. I didn’t mean it, Tor. Please don’t go.”

“I can take you to your grandparents, then. You can stay with them ‘til your dad is back.”

She reaches into the truck and grabs my shoulder. “Please don’t do that. I want to stay here with you.”

I know she hates having to stay with her grandparents because they smother her with too much attention and try to give her tons of gifts. Kenzi’s never liked to be spoiled or lavished with expensive gifts by her wealthy family.

“You can’t just leave and not let me know where you are, Kenz. And you have to be home by your curfew. The rules don’t change just because your parents are away.”

She nods, swiping at her tears with her fingertips. “Okay. I promise. Just don’t leave me. I didn’t even want to go to the movie but you were on the phone with Sydni for hours. So when Chloe asked me to go…I left.”