Chapter 5

The car ride to the Murky Cauldron started out quiet, but it didn’t stay that way for long. Jayden drove as Buttercup never managed to get her license, but that wasn’t where the youngest Valentine’s control ended. “You know you have to move out, right?”

Buttercup glanced over at her sister, her brows bunched in confusion. “What are you talking about? Move out of where?”

“Out of warrior boy’s condo. What did you think I meant?” Jayden weaved through traffic, focusing on the road ahead, although Buttercup had the feeling Jayden’s focus was just an excuse, and she was doing her best to avoid glancing over at her.

“Why would I need to do that? It’s my home.” Rhychard’s apartment had been her home ever since he rescued her from the gargoyles at Mark Shepherd Park. Why would she leave it? She didn’t understand what Jayden meant. Had someone said something to her? No, that couldn’t be it, because her little sister had barely talked to Rhychard or the others. Since Renny had reappeared into the world of the living, he had been locked up in his bedroom doing Buttercup didn’t want to know what. Besides, Buttercup highly doubted he would ever throw her out.

“Because his girl is truly back now and not just in the spooky walk-through-walls way like before. She’s alive, Laci. She’s not going to want to share her home with another woman. It kind of makes things a little uncomfy, you know?”

Buttercup stared ahead at the passing road. She had never thought about it the way Jayden presented it, but it made sense. Renny would want to be the only woman in Rhychard’s life, and Buttercup was sure that the fact she was a former street hooker didn’t make Renny all warm and fuzzy being in the same house with her boyfriend. “I hadn’t thought about it.” Her voice was weak, soft, not wanting to admit what became too painfully obvious to her.

“I didn’t think so,” Jayden said, not in a judgmental sort of way, but with concern in her voice. “Good thing for you that you have another home to go to now.”

Buttercup jerked her gaze back around to her sister, a hollow twisting in her stomach. Jayden wasn’t looking at her straight on, but Buttercup caught her shooting furtive glances to the side. “What..?”

“Mom’s been asking about you. She misses you and, well, your room is still empty. What better way to get to know each other again than living in the same house? Besides, isn’t it getting kind of crowded in there with that Fama… Famallumini… Falmulamee… the elf that lives there?”

Buttercup gave a soft laugh. “I can’t say his name, either.” She turned her gaze back to the front. “I just… I just never thought about it, I guess. I mean, we did just reconnect again. A lot has happened. I don’t know if mom… I mean, what if she…?”

Jayden reached over and took Buttercup’s hand, squeezing it. “She wants to get to know you again. She holds nothing against you. Neither of us does. We just want to be a family again.”

Tears trickled down Buttercup’s cheeks, which she swiped away with the back of her hand. When she first saw Jayden walk into the Murky Cauldron a couple of weeks ago, she never thought it would go beyond the two sisters being able to be in the same room together. Never would she have imagined she would be asked to move back in with her family. She only wished her father was still alive.

She stared out the passenger window, lost in Jayden’s words. It made sense that Renny wouldn’t want Buttercup to continue living in Rhychard’s condo. Yet, was it time to move back home? Could they all survive the eight years that had passed since she left? The knot in her stomach made her doubt it, but her heart prayed it was possible. She was ready to go home.