Chapter 8. Nonchalant

Xenois POV

When I returned to the kitchen, Luna was wiping down the counter, her movements slow and precise.

Ollie had abandoned his half-eaten breakfast and was now busily stuffing dinosaur toys into his backpack by the door.

“I have to head out early,” I said, lying easily to her as I continued speaking.

“Council meeting before office hours.”

Luna stopped in what she was doing and for a moment, I thought she would call me out on it. Challenge me on this and demand the truth.

Part of me almost wanted her to—wanted the fight, the confrontation, anything else but this strange silence that she seemed to be using whenever she was around me.

But she only nodded her head slowly. “We’ll be fine.”

“Daddy, are you taking me to school?” Ollie came over, filled with eager energy and hope.

The naked longing in his eyes felt like I was being stabbed in my heart.

When had I last done something as simple as drive my son to school?