Chapter 22: Chapter 22

At least the skittishness seemed like an old hurt, somehow, a reflex. Whatever was going on today, it wasn’t about what had happened to him in the past, but rather something current.

Kaos nodded. “It’s… it is what it is,” he said, choosing his words carefully. No platitudes of “it’s not you, it’s me” or “it’s okay,” because those weren’t true, it seemed. Padraig respected the hell out of Kaos’s honesty in that moment.

He drove into his usual spot and got out of the car, knowing Kaos would follow. Except he didn’t. When Padraig turned back to look at him, Kaos was staring at the house, his eyes as wide as saucers, frozen on the spot.

Padraig moved slowly in his field of vision and opened the passenger’s side door. “Come on. You should see the inside,” he deadpanned.

Kaos snorted in surprise. “It’s… awesome,” he finally managed to say as he slid out of the car and closed the door after Padraig moved away.

“Yeah, it’s really nice.”