Chapter 214
Silence stretches between us, thick with tension. My parents, Cora, and I just stare at each other, waiting for someone to break it. Finally, my mother speaks, her voice cutting through the heavy air.
“Who was that?”
My throat tightens. Words tangle together, refusing to form a coherent answer. I hesitate too long, and Cora, ever composed, steps in.
“Wake is one of my people.”
Mom raises an eyebrow. “He’s a geologist?”
Cora shakes her head. “No, I work with more than just geologists.”
Mom scoffs, crossing her arms. “Well, if you ever told me anything about what it is you actually do, then I would know that, Mom.”
Cora exhales slowly, visibly restraining herself. “The point is, Wake is a member of my…” She hesitates, and I panic.
“Security detail!” I blurt out.
Dad frowns. “He’s…a bodyguard?”
“No,” I say at the exact moment Cora answers, “Yes.”
Mom and Dad exchange a long, suspicious look.
Cora clears her throat, correcting, “He isn’t a bodyguard. I have security personnel on my team. But Wake and Phoebe have… grown close.”
Dad’s eyes narrow. “How close?”
I groan. “Dad!”
He shrugs. “I’m just asking! A minute ago, you said you were scared for your life, and now there’s a shirtless man in your bathroom.”
I throw up my hands. “We’re on a boat!”
He starts to argue, “What does that have to do with—”
Mom cuts him off. “He makes you feel safe?”
The room falls silent.
I take a deep breath and nod. “Yes. Very. He’s the best thing to come out of all of this.”
Mom exhales, a deep, shuddering breath. “Okay, then. I want to meet him.”
Dad sputters, but Mom raises a hand. “I know, Ben. And I agree that this is… hard to swallow.”
Dad glares. “Hard to swallow? She’s in cahoots with your mother, and they’re both lying through their teeth!”
Mom levels him with a look. “And I am choosing to believe it’s for a good reason. Lord knows my mother and I don’t always see eye to eye, but she’s the most brilliant, dependable person I know. If our daughter were anywhere else, I’d be singing an entirely different tune, believe me.”
Dad clenches his jaw, then mutters, “Go get the large naked man. I’d like to have a word.”
How is this my life? I scramble away, grabbing a pair of pants and a T-shirt on my way to the bathroom. Wake is just stepping out of the shower when I walk in.
I shove the clothes at him. “Here, put these on.”
He tilts his head, watching me carefully. “You’re in distress. Why?”
I shut my eyes, groaning. “I called my parents.”
Wake nods. “That is well. I’m sure they’ve been worried about you.”
“Yeah, apparently a lot of people are. The entire world knows what went down with my research party.”
Wake studies me. “Ah. No one knows exactly what happened, but they know a group of students and their hired deckhands went missing and are presumed dead.”
I nod grimly. “Yup.”
Wake pauses, his expression unreadable. “The colleagues of yours that I killed… they were a team like the Nereid crew? Friends of yours?”
I swallow. “They were classmates. And ones who would have, and did, try to pimp me out to a sleazy asshole for extra credit. But they were—mostly innocent. Caught up in the wrong place at the wrong time, like we all were. The only person I blame for their deaths is Stan.”
Wake considers this. “Will this be an issue with human authorities?”
I exhale. “Not if you convince my parents that I’m sufficiently protected. Otherwise, I’m pretty sure they’re going to end this call and go straight to the cops.”
Wake dresses swiftly and follows me back to the laptop. He glances around, like he expects my parents to physically appear instead of being on a screen. I gesture toward the laptop.
“Mom and Dad, meet… Wake. Wake, meet my parents.”
Wake bends down, his eyes narrowing slightly as he examines the screen. It hits me then—he’s probably never seen a screen before, much less a video call, much less my parents.
Dad clears his throat. “Wake, was it? My name is Ben Addison, Phoebe’s father. We’ve heard… well, nothing about you, actually. But then again, we haven’t heard much from our daughter lately.”
Mom jumps in before he can say something worse. “Play nice, Ben. Wake, I’m Melonie, Phoebe’s mother. And I think you already know my mother… It’s practically like you’re already part of the family.”
Wake blinks, shifting his attention between me and the laptop like he’s still deciding if the people inside it are real. Then, smoothly, he inclines his head. “It is an honor to make your acquaintance.”
Mom’s lips curl into a charmed smile. “How lovely. Can I ask where your accent is from?”
Wake replies effortlessly, “My homeland is small and remote. You would not know it. You look just like your mother, Melonie.”
Mom blushes. Blushes. I narrow my eyes at her.
Dad, however, remains unimpressed. “Cora says you’re in security. That’s a dangerous business. How’d you find yourself in that line of work?”
Wake answers without hesitation. “I was born to be a protector. I was taught the art of war from a young age by my father, and he by his father before him.”
Dad leans forward slightly, watching him carefully. “You come from a military family?”
Wake smirks. “In a sense.”
Dad doesn’t back down. “And I assume you know whatever trouble my daughter is in?”
Wake nods. “I am well aware of the threat to her.”
Dad crosses his arms. “And you’re confident you can keep her safe?”
Wake answers immediately, without a hint of doubt. “Completely.”
Dad presses. “You sound confident enough of yourself, but there’s a fine line between arrogance and competence. How can I trust you to follow through on your word?”
Wake’s expression hardens, his voice dropping low. “Because Phoebe Addison is my heart and soul. The air in my lungs. The blood in my veins. Your daughter is my world, and I fight for what is mine.”
Silence.
I think my soul just left my body.
Dad’s mouth opens and closes like a fish out of water. Mom looks like she’s going to faint. Cora, across the room, is grinning like she’s never been more entertained in her entire life.
I clap my hands together. “Okay! Well, I think we’ve established that Wake is serious, so—”
Mom, still staring at the screen, breathes out, “My God.”
Dad runs a hand over his face. “Phoebe, when exactly did you two meet?”
“Nope! I think we’re done here. I promise to call more regularly. Love you!
I shut the laptop before they can say another word.
Wake glances at me. “Did that not go well?”
I sigh, rubbing my temples. “I… I don’t even know anymore.”
Cora finally loses it and starts laughing.
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