Acceptance | ✓

Chapter 15

"There," I said, patting the braid in place. She began to feel her hair with her fingers before turning to cast me a curious glance.

"Can I go see it?" she asked, making me smile for no reason at all.

"You can see it in the car's mirror when we get out," I said, looking down at my watch. It was already past eight. We had to be done with this by early noon. I had an online Q&A to attend to.

We left the house, heading for the car. I scolded Devein lightly when she kicked one of the chickens on the rear end. My thoughts suddenly went to Hector and how he was presently in a cardboard box with breathing holes, a bowl of water and a plate of bird feed so Ethan wouldn't find a reason to kill him before he went out to his lectures.

Opening the car door, I smiled realizing the Ethan would have to take the bus today. He'd taken it a few times and he never hesitated to complain about how awful it was when he got back.

He'll survive. I thought, starting the car as Devein shut the door of the passenger seat behind her.

We drove into town, pulling up at the local police station. I got down before greeting the security guard that was parading the parking lot. I asked Devein to get down as well. She was hesitant but she obeyed.

"Good morning officer," I greeted as I got behind the reception counter. The female officer behind it was busy on her computer and she gave me a hand signal that I should wait.

"There, now what can I do for you?" she asked, closing her laptop before folding her hands across her large chest. Her dark coarse hair curled around her neck in braids.

"Err, yes. I need to talk to someone concerning a missing child—"

"Your kid's missing? You could just fill out this form—"

"No," I said, waving the woman's suggestion of. "I found a kid — a preteen that wandered off," I corrected before turning to call Devein who was sitting at the reception.

"Have you spoken to her? How long has it been?" she asked, looking from me to Devein who was presently occupying herself with playing with the tip of her French braid.

"It's just been a day, but she's all the way from another state..." I trailed as the police woman's eyes widened into saucers.

"Did you run away from home?" she suddenly asked, turning her attention to Devein.

"No," Devein said with a frown, "I don't have one," she said plainly as she picked at her nails. The policewoman frowned briefly at Devein before looking towards me.

"I'll page you in with an investigation officer. I'll call you when you're up," she said as she began to dial up a number on the desk phone.

"Hello? Officer Coiler here..."

"Come on," I said, patting Devein's shoulder lightly, urging her to take a sit with me in the reception. I noticed how her eyes narrowed at every officer that passed by us, and at how unbearably quiet she was being.

"You don't like here, do you?" I said as she nodded calmly.

"We're just here to get some things cleared. You don't have to be afraid." I tried to reason with her. She stiffened, clearly not taking my word for it.

Some time passed before we were finally called in. Devein mumbled and answered the officer's questions in a low tone, giving an occasional frown when he said something she didn't comprehend.

"I guess this is just a case of rehabilitation. We could get her checked into a local orphanage here before returning her back to one in her state."

I watched as Devein's shoulders slumped at the officer's words. I looked from her to the officer. I wasn't so sure what to do — handing her over was the right thing to do.

"Does she have to stay at the orphanage? I mean, right now?" I asked making the brunette officer give me a stern look.

"Well yes, unless you're willing to keep her until we can get her back to her state," the officer said, fiddling with the stray pen on his hardwood desk.

"I could..." I trailed looking towards Devein whose eyes were now following an active fly.

"Would you?" the officer asked, making me nod as I turned faced him.

"Okay, you'll have to fill out some forms though. It could take a month or two before we're able to get her back to her state and rehabilitated," he said, searching something up on his computer.

"Did you hear that?" I asked in a hushed tone, leaning into Devein. She nodded before muttering a small thank you. She'd made it obvious that he wasn't looking forward to staying in an orphanage.

We were soon done at the station and headed back home.

Ethan raised a brow when I walked into the cabin with Devein trailing behind me. I shrugged, brushing his look off.

"She's staying for a while," I said plainly as I emptied a can of dog food into Roxanne's bowl. She came up to, it wagging her tail. She sniffed at the bowl's contents before digging in.

Ethan nodded in understanding, "For how long?" he asked, cleaning after the mess we made while making dinner.

"I don't know. The officer was pretty convinced it was going to take up to a month or two," I said as I measured some rice into my plate. I frowned as Ethan took a stray spoon and added some more rice to my plate. I didn't complain. I just gave him a threatening glare that he pretended not to notice.

"I should go call her to get dinner," Ethan said before heading out to the kitchen.

The three of us had dinner together that evening. Devein's mood was a little better and she made an effort at small conversation.

"I'm sorry I thought you were mean the other day," she apologized as we washed out the dishes together. I raised my brow before shaking the thought of my mind.

She'd watched some TV with Roxanne on the couch with her afterward before heading to bed.

"I think she's asleep," Ethan had muttered into my ear early that night. We were cuddled up together under the duvet, Ethan's head resting on the base of my shoulder.

I'd hummed in response and had gotten a trail of kisses up my neck afterward.

"Not today..." I trailed as he started grinding into me. I received a frustrated sigh in response followed by a low 'fine.' He resorted to tracing the line of my waist and hips, kissing up my shoulder and up my neck as I indulged in half-sleep.

"I love you," he muttered, pulling stray strands of my hair behind my ear. I stiffened slightly, not quite used to how frequently he was saying that now.

"You always say that," I muttered, feeling my face warm up.

"But it's true..." he trailed, sighing as he hugged me closer to himself. "I love you so much you know, and I really can't keep it in."

I kept silent as he repeated the words again, getting my mind all hazed up and confused.

I felt his fingers enlace with my much slimmer ones. Sometimes I wondered why he loved me, what he found attractive in my odd build and oversensitive nature.

"Did you get to do your Q&A?" Ethan suddenly asked in a husky sleep inflicted tone I was growing used to.

"Yeah," I replied, playing with his fingers, "You know, when I was busy with my phone in the kitchen."

"How convenient," Ethan laughed, nuzzling into my neck. "You almost burnt the rice."

I felt my face heat up in good-natured embarrassment. I couldn't really imagine a life with Ethan not in it now. I couldn't even remember my daily routine when he wasn't here. I knitted my brows, wondering how I'd woken up every morning for the past how many years without his body next to mine — how I'd managed on my own without him selflessly taking care of me.

I blinked back unshed tears. My emotions were in turmoil. I was becoming very dependent on him. I was scared and slightly relieved at the revelation.

Maybe it was time to let myself get taken care of, I was tired of bearing the entire burden on my own.