Epoch (Transcend Duet #2)(47)

“Again, you’re not listening to me. You have nothing emotionally to offer them. If you have some miraculous recovery of your emotions through hypnosis, and you have this dire need to run home to Claudia and Dennis Gallagher, then you have my blessing.”

“Well, Dad. Good to know I have your blessing.”

I remind myself that she’s twenty-two, been scrutinized her whole life, and she’s living with memories from a past life. She deserves a pass for the snarky, childish attitude.

“I’m sorry.” She exhales pure frustration. “I’m having identity issues. Morality issues. Commitment issues. Life issues.”

We pull in the driveway. “My head has been all over the place since we met. And I’m certain what I’ve felt is a tiny fraction of what you’re dealing with. So no apologies. Okay?”

“Thank you for taking me to see them.” She rests her hand on mine over the gearshift.

The warmth of her touch gives me something I’ve missed for so many months. I savor it, feeling it bone-deep. “You’re welcome.”

She opens the door and climbs out.

“Swayze?”

“Yeah?”

I want to deserve her. I lost her once. My wife died. Fate is this beautiful, shiny, tempting excuse to bend my own morality to fit what I want, even when she’s not mine. “Don’t lose yourself in search of her.”

“In search of Daisy?”

I nod.

Biting her lips together, a deep line forms along her brow. “What if I need to find her?”

“What if you don’t?”





CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE





“There’s my favorite grocery store guy.”

Griffin glances over his shoulder, working on some metal part at his workbench. His eyes make their usual inspection.

“Still like what you see?” I grin.

“Always.” He turns back to the part in his hands, inspecting it closely.

Say it. Please.

“How was your day, Swayz?”

Yes!

“I over sugared my coffee this morning. Left me a little shaky by lunch. Morgan’s crawling a bit. In another week, I think she’ll be everywhere.”

“A fun age.”

“Yes.” I turn over my bucket and take a seat. This is nice. We’re talking about my job like a job, not like Griffin’s competition. I don’t sense any agitation in his voice. Maybe I can navigate this just fine after all.

“I have three really good job options away from here,” he says.

“Wait. What?”

Griffin turns, wiping his hands on a rag. “I talked to Jett about it the other day. He gave me three options, any one of them would be mine if I wanted it. We can see which location would be the better option for you finding a job. I talked to my parents about it too. They agree it’s best.”

“B—” My lungs burn, begging for a breath as my heart crumbles, bearing down on my stomach. “Best for who?”

“Us.”

I shake my head. “What are you talking about? Why are you doing this?”

“I love you.”

Adrenaline dumps into my legs, shooting me off the bucket. “This isn’t love!”

“I want you safe.”

“You want me away from Nate.”

Griffin nods, eerily calm like he’s holding a royal flush.

“Nate’s not a danger to me. You can’t take me away from them. You can’t ask me to leave my mom. You can’t ask me to leave Dr. Albright just when we’re getting ready to have this breakthrough.”

“I love you. I want to spend my life with you. Protecting you is my number one priority.”

I start to respond, but the words vanish, leaving me choking on a breath of nothingness. It feels like my world is crashing down around me while Griffin shows no signs of stress, anger, or regret.

“Protect me from who? Nate?”

“Yourself.”

I fight back the tears that sting my eyes. “This isn’t love. This is your jealousy. This is you not trusting me. You not believing me. You think hauling me off to some place far from here is going to make the memories I have disappear. But they’re not going anywhere, and unless I find a way to bring them to life, I’ll never be able to let them go.”

“We’ll leave after the holidays, whether you find a job or not.” He turns his back to me.

“Is this an ultimatum?”

“It’s an intervention.”

I cough sarcastically. “An intervention? I think that requires more than one person.”

He shrugs. “Fine. I’ll call my parents and your mom.”

“My mom? Really? Because the last time I talked with her, she was on my side.”

“Swayz, we’re all on your side.”

As he turns, leaning against the workbench with his hands on the edge, I bat away the tears that sneak their way out.

“Forcing me to do something I don’t want to do is not being on my side. I am not a child. I am so sick and tired of everyone thinking they know what’s best for me.” The lump in my throat swells, making my words break apart. “I was Morgan Daisy Gallagher whether you choose to accept it or not.”