Lilly: I’ll never forget. And when things settle down, will you promise to visit me?
Timmy: I’m waiting for an invitation. You just tell me when. Also, on the business side of things, if you stay up there, we need to figure out what to do about the Wagon and me buying you out.
Lilly: Don’t worry about it.
Timmy: That’s not how business works. We’ll work out an agreement. You put your time into our wagon.
Lilly: Okay, we’ll figure it out.
“Lilly?” Keller asks, pulling my attention from my phone.
“Yeah?” I smile up at him.
“Lunch is ready.”
I set my phone down and say, “Okay.”
“Were you talking with Timmy?”
I nod as I get off the couch. “Catching him up on everything. Now that the news broke, I thought it would be okay.”
Keller’s jaw tightens. “You mean, you haven’t told him anything about what we’re doing up here?”
“No.” I shake my head. “I’ve kept everything very confidential. I wasn’t sure how much I could tell him. I actually haven’t talked to him that much at all. We’ve talked more about you than anything.”
I think he’s going to ask more questions about that, but he doesn’t. He scratches the side of his cheek. “Brimar was thinking that Timmy could be the leak.”
“What? No way. Not Timmy. Drama might be his middle name, but his loyalty is as strong as yours. He’d never say anything. Plus, I haven’t told him any details, so he wouldn’t have much to talk about.”
Keller doesn’t respond, leading me to believe that he isn’t satisfied with that answer.
Growing even more serious, I say, “Keller, he’s not the leak.”
“Okay,” he says. “But I don’t think it would hurt to just check it out.”
“Are you serious? I’m telling you right now that he’s not the leak. Why don’t you believe me?”
Sighing, he fits his hand with mine and holds it tightly as he looks me in the eyes. “Lilly, one of the things you need to realize about this position is that anyone, and I mean anyone, for the right price, would be willing to sell information. We’ve seen our fair share of scandals, and a lot of the time, they come from people connected closely to the crown.”
“Timmy is the only family I have left. I’m telling you, it’s not him.”
“Okay,” Keller says. “I trust you.”
“Thank you,” I say as I release his hand and start to walk by him, but he stops me with a hand to my waist and tilts my jaw up with his thumb before placing his lips on mine. I sink into his kiss, and he washes away every last bit of irritation I was just feeling by this simple connection.
His affection is lethal, and I fear how he’ll use it in the future.
“I’m mad at you guys,” I say, causing all three heads in the room to pop up.
“You’re mad at us?” Lara asks. “Why?”
Keller’s eyebrows draw together, concern etching his features.
“Yeah, I’m really mad at you.”
“Care to explain why?” Keller asks.
“Sure.” I set down the scissors in my hand and carefully say, “We’ve spent how long in this freaking castle, and today is the day you decide to tell me about paper cutting? We could’ve been doing this nightly the whole time, but instead, you wait until a few days before we have to leave. That’s truly doing me a disservice, because look at how good I am at this.” I unfold my paper, revealing a row of connected penises cut into paper.
Lara snorts, covering her mouth.
Brimar chuckles.
And Keller gives me a look.
“I could have been cutting genitals this whole time.”
“You’re not supposed to be cutting genitals, Lilly,” Keller says. “You’re supposed to be working on mountain scenery.”
“Yeah, well, the mountains didn’t excite me like all the penises. I mean, look at how good this is.” I stretch my paper out like an accordion. “It took some real imagination to accomplish this. Let me see what you guys have done.”
Lara unfolds her paper, showing off an intricate, swirly design. It’s pretty, but it’s no penis lineup.
Brimar nearly rips his as he pulls it apart. He’s been struggling the entire time, grumbling about how paper cutting isn’t a tradition he’s good at nor cares to be good at. His design is a simple line of hearts.
And then Keller . . . the overachiever, unfolds his, showing off an elaborate cut-out bird on a tree limb and leaves surrounding it.