Defiance (Significance #3)(48)

He looked so ashamed. What was I supposed to say? Come here, Pop, it's all ok? I shook my head. "I'm glad you told me. It was you wasn't it? The one who’s been in my head. Warning me? You were the one who warned me that they were going to hurt my father, weren't you?"
"It was all I could do for you," he said gruffly. "I'd have given anything to know that I had a daughter. I never thought I'd have a family, wife, kids... If I had known…"
"I really appreciate that," I said carefully. "But I had a father. Have a father," I corrected. "I don't want him to find out about this."
"I don't plan to tell him. I won't do anything you don't want me to."
"I just…" I felt Caleb's hand on my back and breathed deep. "I just don't know what to say right now. I'm grateful for what you did, but as far as a relationship…between you and me, I just…don't know."
"It's alright," he said and cleared his throat. "I never expected anything. I did what I did because I felt like I owed you."
"But you didn’t even know about me? It's not like you just ran off."
"But I still missed everything with you. I still was a part of the family that tried to destroy you. I had to play my part in my family. They made me a council member because of the part I played, but I didn't mean any of it. And I was so busy with the council, I didn’t know what Marla was planning on the roof, or I swear I would have stopped them. None of what I did was real, except my silent devotion to you." He bowed slightly at the waist. "If nothing else, you are my Visionary, and my only want is to serve and protect you."
I tilted my head in acknowledgment and he stood. The awkward moment grew and I had no other words. I could barely think at the moment. He nodded as if understanding and turned to go. He stopped with his hand on the knob and looked back. "If you ever change your mind, we can come to an arrangement. I don't ever have to tell Jim what I am, but I would love if we could get to know each other."Then he left without another word.
Caleb wrapped his arms around me, a cocoon of healing and warmth. I had no idea how long I stayed like that, but one thing was sure in my mind; change was necessary and the truth was always the best option, but that didn’t mean that it was going to be a painless journey.
~~~
That night we all got ready for our last dinner together at the reunification. Though it was solemn, it was also a breath of fresh air and relief. Everybody sat with everybody. No council table, nobody serving each other. We all handled our own business and that was what we all needed.
Dad and Fiona were sitting with us, which surprised me. I thought he'd be with Fiona's clan in all things now. Fiona caught me watching them sitting next to each other and smiled.
Visionary? she tested.
I nodded, but I mouthed, 'Maggie.'
Maggie. I just wanted to say that I like what you're doing. I agree with you. Family is the most important thing and I have no intentions of taking your father away. I don't see why we can't be a part of both clans. It makes sense. And I've agreed to live with Jim at his house, so we'll be close to you all.
It was the best things she could have said to me at that moment. I thought I was losing my dad only to be thrown a replacement in Haddock. I was grateful to her for embracing our need for change. I got up and walked to her. I pulled her up from the bench and hugged her. It felt awkward, I won't lie.
But she hugged me back hard and Gran, always the inappropriate one, began to spout off.
"It's about time you gave that woman a hug. She's gonna be your step mom you know."
Fiona stiffened and leaned back. "Let's just stick with Fiona if that's ok."
"Definitely," I answered and smiled, but I got that little buzz of unhappiness again. I looked around the room until I could pinpoint it. There was a girl from another clan sitting near the fire. I went and sat next to her on the hearth and clasped my hands together in my lap.
"Hey."
"Visionary," she said and bowed her head once.
"You seem…upset," I said.
"I don't know what's wrong with me. I just feel this…ache inside me. I mean I know a lot has happened and everything is different, and with Rodney…I barely knew him, but he was such a sweet guy."
I got it then, and it sucked and it made me angry all over again. This was Rodney's significant; they just hadn't had the time to get together yet. This was the girl I saw in my vision. This was the girl he would have imprinted with and though she didn't understand it, her imprint was feeling the loss. I rubbed her shoulder and smiled. 
There was no way I could explain that to her.
"I know it's a crazy time for everybody," I tried to soothe, "but I have a good feeling about where things are going. Just don't give up, ok?"
She looked up at me for the first time. "You're really nice. The council made out like you were going to be a…" I heard the word in her mind and she bit her lip. "Not nice," she finished.
"It's alright. It was nice to meet you."
"You, too." Then she proceeded quickly as I got up. "Caleb's a nice guy, too. You're really lucky."
"I know," I said and smiled at her as I turned.
After dinner everyone said their goodbyes. We'd be leaving at all different times in the morning. I found Bish in my room when we got back. I hadn't seen him all day and I wondered where he'd been. His mind said he'd been on the roof, thinking.
"Hey," I said as Caleb shut the door behind me.
"Hey." He stood from the bed. "I'm leaving."
"Why? We're all leaving together in the morning."
He raked his hand through his hair, his jaw squared and hard. "I've been thinking and I…think it's best if I don't see Jen anymore."
"Bish…she'll come around, she's just worried," I stalled. "I haven't even gotten to talk to her yet about something that you both need to hear. You'll go mad if you don't-"
"Whatever, I just can't sit here and pretend like I don't want her. I understand if she needs time or whatever, so I'll give her some time and space. I won't be the reason that she's upset. If she wants me to stay away from her, I will."
"Bish-" I began. I was just about to beg him to listen to me when there was a knock on the door and Jen came in without waiting. She hadn't been at dinner either.
"Hey, uh…" she started to ask where Bish was, but stopped after seeing him. She fidgeted with the hem of her sweater that matched her jeans like a gem. "There you are."
"Me?" Bish said and he crossed his arms. "I guess it's good that you're here. I'm, uh…I'm leaving. So you won't have to worry about bumping into me anymore."
She smiled at him. Bish was confused at first, thinking she was pleased with his decision. He reached for the duffel bag that held his clothes and turned to go, but she made her way to him slowly. I heard her thoughts practically screaming across the room and my eyes filled as she spoke.
"After seeing Rodney…it made me think. He never knew who his significant was, and that's a shame. He'll never feel the way about someone that I feel about you."
His mouth opened, but he didn't say anything. She continued.
"I never want to take that for granted. And I know now, after seeing it with my own eyes, that Maggie can stop the vision if she says she can." She stopped inches from him and Bish waited eagerly, hoping and praying. She reached up and let her hand hover over the skin of arm. She looked up at him and he waited. "Do you still want this?" she asked in a whisper."More than I want to breathe," he said in a groan.
She smiled, tears filling her eyes as well. She reached up on the tips of her toes, her hands connecting with his meaty upper arms, and she kissed him like there was no one watching, like nothing else in the world mattered.
Their happy visions from the imprint played in front of my eyes as it did theirs and my own significant wrapped me in his arms. It made me smile more that Jen made the decision without me having to tell her about the going mad part. She just decided and it was based on her own heart, nothing else. They were all in and as we watched them imprint, I realized that was best feeling in the world.
To be all in, no regrets, no turning back, no matter the consequences. It felt a lot like freedom.
Caleb tipped my chin up and wiped a tear from under my eye with his thumb. "You're so amazing," he whispered, listening to all my internal rants in my head. "I can't wait for you to be my wife."
"Then let’s not wait," I told him and enjoyed the grin that spread across his handsome, rugged face before he took my mouth with his with the promise of much, much more.
Very soon…
The End For Now
Oh, the thank yous could go on for miles.
Thank you to my God, the readers who have picked up this book and my others as well, you are the reason I do this. It’s been SO much fun getting to know all different kinds of people from all over the world who have read something of mine. It’s humbling in every sense of the word and I thank you for allowing me to be a little piece of your world. You guys are the best and I love to hear from you! You rock!
Be on the lookout for the fourth and final installment of the Significance series, Independence.
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