Ellen hits her crystal glass with her spoon and clears her throat. “We’re here to…Where’s Riot?”
Oops.
“Feeding Batman?” I say.
“I thought the pets were fed already.”
“Batman is...particular. Doesn’t trust anyone but Riot.”
Her face softens. “I see.” Then she scowls and points a finger. “You, young man. We wait until everyone is seated before we start eating.”
Gale freezes with a chicken drumstick in one hand and his mouth open. He closes it with a snap. “Seriously?”
I swallow laughter.
Corey rolls his eyes. Beside him is another buddy of Riot’s from the agency—Zeke. He is eyeing his glass of wine as if it’s radioactive.
“Why did I agree to do this?” Ellen asks nobody in particular, slumping back in her chair.
“To make Riot happy?” I venture.
She invited the people that count in Riot’s life for Christmas. So here we are, waiting for him.
The table is set as if for a royal buffet, with trays upon trays of meat and pasta and veggies and sauces. Crystal wine glasses are filled with ruby wine. Candles burn merrily. There’s a scent of burning wood and good food.
“What’s keeping him?” Ellen finally says. “I’ll go get him.”
“No, I’ll go.” I put my white linen napkin on the table and get up. “Won’t be a minute.”
I don’t wait for a reply.
I find him in the patio, crouched beside Batman, stroking the dog’s head. He looks up when I approach, his eyes lighting up. He’s still bruised and swollen, but he looks a thousand times better than he did after the fight. The pallor of his face had scared me half to death after he’d regained consciousness, but the doctor was right. A day in bed and some warm food, and he was back on his feet.
“Hey,” he says. “I’m waiting for him to finish so we can go back inside. Can’t leave him outside, he’ll freeze.”
I nod and crouch down beside him in my fancy red dress and shoes. “He lets you pet him more now.”
“He trusts me.” Riot takes my hand, pulls it over the dog’s head. “He can learn to trust you, too.”
Gently I run my fingers on Batman’s velvety fur. His ears twitch and he lifts his head to stare at me.
“Hi, Batman.” I smile at him, and he stares for a few more seconds before going back to eating.
Heh. I guess he doesn’t entirely distrust me anymore.
“We’re ready to start eating. Ellen was going to come looking for you.” I nudge his shoulder. “This isn’t just about Batman. You don’t want to come inside? Gale is about to steal the food and hide under the table to eat.”
He chuckles. “I can see that happening.” He starts to get up, winces, and I grab his arm to help him. “I just...don’t know, Pax. Don’t know what to think. Everything that happened these past days just seems impossible. Like it never took place. Like it was a strange
dream.”
“But it’s real,” I tell him. “It is real.”
It’s been a few days since the fight, and the swelling in his face has receded, leaving behind deep, ugly bruising. He’s paid most of Kyle’s medical debts with the money we won at the fight, and I was with him when he went to the agency and told them he resigned.
He’s free to start again.
With me.