Avalon's Last Knight - Jackson C. Garton Page 0,73

better not argue with me about paying rent. I mean it.”

The streetlight directly overhead flickers a few times before turning on, and I fasten my mouth on his before he can protest or object to my conditions. I don’t want to think about the possibility that I might be gone by the end of this week, that I might not live to see next Monday, that I will have to trade something precious in order to keep Arthur alive.

I snatch the hem of his shirt and press my body into his with an urgency I haven’t felt since arriving here two months ago. Arthur doesn’t know about the trade—nor do Mordy or Gwen, for that matter, because how the fuck am I supposed to tell them that I might have to trade my life for Arthur’s? Mordy certainly wouldn’t allow it, and neither would Gwen. The only person who knows is Morgan, and every time it gets brought up, I dance around her tune, carefully avoiding the refrain.

“Lance,” Arthur says, retreating from my lips. “Can I be weird for a minute and ask you a question?” I adjust my head on his shoulder, and nod. “Do you believe in the concept of soulmates?”

“Yes,” I reply. “I do.”

“And if I told you that I think you’re my soulmate, would that freak you out?”

I take his hand into mine, interlocking our fingers, and extend our elbows in an outward motion. “A little.”

“Because sometimes I feel like I’ve known you my whole life, like I can’t remember a time when I didn’t feel this way about you.” He pauses, and continues, “It’s like when I first saw you, everything unfolded in slo-mo and the earth stood still, like I was hit with the world’s biggest case of déjà vu. I sound fuckin’ nuts, I know.”

I bring his knuckles to my lips. “I feel the same way.”

Because we have known each other our entire lives—present and past—we just didn’t know it.

“I have something I need to talk to you about, but now’s not the best time, I think.”

“Okay,” I say. “Well, I’m not going anywhere.” At least I hope I’m not.

Earlier today, Gwen had asked Arthur if he wouldn’t mind giving her a lift after she got off work. Her car had broken down on the side of the highway two days ago, and she refuses to ask our parents for help. We’ve been sitting out here in his truck for the past hour waiting for her shift to end.

Lately, things haven’t been so hot for my sister. Lena hadn’t given her a week to pack like had originally been planned, so Arthur had offered to let her crash at his place a few days ago, and she’s been staying with us ever since. We haven’t lived with each other for the past two years, and it’s been really nice having her around, waking up to the sound of her making pancakes, and sitting outside, underneath the stars, talking till sunrise. Just the three of us hanging out, like old times.

“Hey, y’all.” Gwen’s head suddenly appears over ours and she drops a bag of fragrant cinnamon rolls on Arthur’s chest. “Liv said to toss those, so I figured I’d bring ‘em home. What you two doing out here?” Her eyebrow arches and she crosses her arms.

“Waiting for your broke ass,” I reply. “What else?”

“Are we still on for tonight? Is it really necessary?” Gwen’s voice is shaky and low. “Are you sure you think it’s wise to break into your work? That’s literally breaking and entering, Lance.”

What Gwen doesn’t get is that sometimes you have to break the law in order to help the ones you love, or at least that’s what I’ve been telling myself for the past few hours. Mordy would agree, but then again, I think Mordy would be down for hooligan shit at all times. He’s good like that.

“Yes, I know. But what if this helps us find Tammy?” I feel Arthur’s body tense underneath mine. Ever since he found out Emmett might have had something to do with her disappearance, just mentioning my boss’s name has put him on edge. “Arthur will pull up behind the store, and I’ll be in and out of there in no time.”

“Whoa. Absolutely not,” Arthur protests. “You’re crazy if you think I’m letting you go in there alone. Emmett could be a deranged lunatic for all we know. What are you gonna to do if he is an evil wizard? You said it