He Lost His Place Protecting Me, So I Took the Whole Family novel · Chapter 20 of 24

Chapter 20: Luan's POV

Luan's POV

On the last Friday in February, the night before the year ran out, she sat in my kitchen with her feet on the rung of the chair and read Lule's text for the third time.

Zef has been home since Christmas, it said. He sits with the blanket. He told me to call the table. Eighty. Tomorrow. Boston Road.

"The same hall," Drita said.

"The same hall."

"Ermal will be there."

"Ermal asked for it," I said. "He's been telling the crews for a week that you're his at midnight. He's paid for the lamb."

She put the phone face down.

She had pinned her hair up for work, and it was coming down, and she wore the green sweater she kept at my flat now with her name on the tag inside.

I had looked.

A year ago I had stood in this kitchen with her hand on my face and not known what to do with my own.

I knew now.

I did not know what to do with the fear.

"Say it," she said.

"I'm not afraid for me."

"Say what you're afraid of."

"That I'll lose you at midnight," I said. "On a technicality. A room full of men and a word."

"Come here."

I stood, and she stood, and we were so close in the small kitchen that her sweater brushed my shirt.

"There is no technicality," she said. "There's you, and me, and the table."

"Drita."

"Kiss me."

I did.

I took her face in both hands and kissed her slowly, with all of it in it, the hall and the stairs and the roof and the tub.

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