Forever Luminescent

Chapter 22

Neither of them could get a word out, a million conversations spilling out from each of their expressions but none of them coming to fruition.

After an agonizing minute, Ronan seemed to sink into his own. "Gwenn," he whispered.

Her lips parted, a response wanting to slip out, but buried away when Cathy strolled out from the back. Her hazel eyes brightened at the sight of her son.

"Ronan, you're here!" Cathy grinned, and twirled to face her. Gwenn swallowed and forced the easy fake smile she had perfected. It had worked for her teachers back in Winter Bay High, and the technique proved useful even in the work field. "How's that report coming along?"

"All done," Gwenn pointed to the folder in her hand. "I was just about to file it."

Cathy clapped her hands. "Wonderful, dear. I simply do not know how I've managed here without you. You've been a blessing."

The compliment shocked Gwenn, and her cheeks darkened a red hue as she thanked her boss. Not that it was an uncommon occurrence, but every time praise fell out of Cathy King's mouth, she felt her insides twist and turn as if practicing a cheer routine on her behalf.

"Ronan, let me get my stuff and lock up, so we can head out," Cathy directed to her son. His gaze was still locked on hers before snapping his attention to his mother, offering what she could see to be his version of the easy fake smile. Cathy turned around, shooting her a tiny grin before going to the back.

Gwenn released a breath and moved to file the report when Ronan called out her name again.

"Yes?" she answered, giving her back to him. His footsteps closed in, approaching the front desk. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end.

"About last night," he mumbled. Her hands shook as she placed the folder in its appropriate drawer. She took in a trembling breath and shut it close. After the night they had, she didn't know how to proceed from there.

"You did what you had to do, and it worked," she struggled out. A beat of silence followed, and she raked her fingers through her mess of blonde frizz. "It doesn't matter," she continued, having the courage to face him.

His shoulders sagged just as Cathy came back. "Gwenn, you can go clock out."

Gwenn nodded, sealing her mouth and walking to the backroom to get her stuff to leave. She grabbed her purse, leaning her forehead against the cool metal of her locker. She was tempted to sit on the bench and stare off at the peeling paint on the walls and forget she existed on the earth, but she knew she had to hurry along. The rest of her life awaited her outside the daycare.

After clocking out, she walked back out, ignoring the obvious icy stare her way. She offered her goodbyes, promising to see Cathy on her next shift, and walking out of the daycare to the sun still shining in the middle of the clear blue sky. Getting into her car, she didn't dare look back up to the daycare's entrance to see her boss walk out with her gorgeous son. Her cheeks flamed, and she went through her bag to find her phone.

As soon as her hand grasped around the device, it vibrated. She pulled it out to find a single text message on the screen.

Unknown: Meet me at the Florentine Portrait Galleria, my little spy. The wolf will be waiting for you.

The whole drive there, Gwenn practiced about a hundred breathing exercises. She thought that by the time she parked by the known galleria in Lockfell, she would be calm enough to deal with Wolf Lawrence. She was wrong.

She grabbed the discarded oversized plaid coat she kept in the back of her car and threw it over her crumpled clothes, hiding the evidence that she had come from her job at the daycare. She hadn't gotten a good look at herself in the mirror, but she suspected she had a few stains over her sweatshirt, courtesy of the children she took care of.