Buried Crown

t

ppeared into the guest room for the night. He stood in the living room, runnin

clutched in his hands. He wasn't upset, which w

buddy?" E

y. "Is Celeste stay

xhaled.

s, hugging Benny a l

estions, no complaints.

if that made him f

le

. The room was nice-too nice, really. A guest room that had probably never bee

the rest o

temples. Claire's sudden appearance had s

she was s

onships" without a reason. Claire clearly wasn't convinced by

hated

door broke thro

pushed it open, his expressi

arms. "You gonna tell me why your ex-wi

tation. She and I-there are things we stil

brow. "You think she'

ckle. "Claire doesn't cause

ed. "And you

ned. "It's not

mething back-something deeper than just a difficult

t

s between you two, you better figure it out fast. Because she

es darkene

e. "Then what are yo

ai

an's house, fingers tapping rhyth

ight, but when she'd heard about Cel

ded to

ow sh

n't con

d herself, the way she spoke to Ethan-it wasn't the

ga

enough of her ow

back and let some stranger step into Olive

car, gripping th

wasn'

ven c

t

barely

was already awake, sitting in his of

lways had been. But now, sh

eded was her figuring ou

e door pulled him

tanding in the doorway, r

ad

s mug down.

en climbed onto the

u mad a

haled. "

ng with Benny's ears. "

"What makes

"She looked at her like she

ked. "Like

he's trying to be polite but real

elp it-he let ou

isingly accura

was paying more attention

," Ethan said carefully. "Sh

red that, then

dn't look

le

sn't a mor

little, but the smell of cof

han standing at the counter, staring into

" she asked,

Claire's going t

I figured. She didn't l

to see anyone she

eyebrow. "That's a

at her. "You

, Oliver wandered into the k

t when he saw Celeste, t

smiled.

ured, climbing ont

word. It was a quiet routine, one that Celes

n his breakfast, his gaze flick

eak the ice. "Did

odded. "

our dad's house is too quie

d his head.

om the apartment next door..." She shrugge

s, then said, "You ca

smiled

window. "When it's really quiet

bigger than she'd expected, lined with tre

quiet wasn

could get

tle while