Stay by Alyssa Rose Ivy

uncomfortably. “Sorry. I just—”
    “I’m happy. He’s happy. You’re happy. Allie’s happy. We’re all happy.” That was a bit of an over simplification. Jared probably wasn’t all that happy—although if things worked out with Vera maybe he would be.
    “What are you thinking about?” Casey called me out on being lost in thought.
    “Your sister. Jared.”
    She turned, pulling her leg up under her. “What about them?”
    I shrugged. “Nothing in particular.”
    “I was thinking the same thing. They can even be together for all I care. I just want to spend more time with her.”
    “Healthy attitude.”
    “As long as she doesn’t go after you that is.”
    “Even if she did, I wouldn’t be interested.”
    “Come on. Did you see Vera?”
    “Yes, I met her.” I’d also carefully avoided seeing her naked to protect myself in just the conversation I was having now.
    “She’s gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous.”
    “Not as gorgeous as you.” I wasn’t just saying that. I meant every word.
    “You’re sweet.”
    “Just sweet? I call you gorgeous and I get sweet?” I teased. “How does that work?”
    She laughed. “I already called you perfect.”
    “That makes it a little better.”
    “Only a little?” She pushed my chest, sending me flat on my back on her bed.
    “A lot.”
    She crawled up my body before placing a feather-light kiss on my lips. “I love you, Toby. There’s nothing I’d ever want to hear more.”
    “And there’s nothing greater I’d want to hear.” I pulled her down on top of me, just holding her for a moment. I had no idea how much crazier things were about to become, and I was going to take every ounce of normalcy I could get.
    ***
    With a small bag packed we walked up to the roof. It was a clear night, and I couldn’t deny some excitement about getting airborne. Casey seemed just as excited, although the exhaustion was still clear on her face. Hopefully we’d get some answers soon.
    We flew up north toward Maine. It wasn’t a short flight, but it was definitely something we could do in one shot. I’d never get tired of flying with Casey. She was so graceful as she soared across the sky in her own pattern, occasionally looking back to make sure I was with her. The best part is no matter how stressed she was, she still smiled. Flying came naturally to her, the way it should have. As much as I didn’t love everything about being a Pteron, I did love flying. There was nothing in the world quite like it—well, except for Casey. She was even better. Combining flight with Casey was one of my favorite things in the world. Life needed to settle down so we could enjoy it far more often.
    We landed about twenty feet from the lake. It seemed silly that we couldn’t just fly in, but Eric had emphasized how important it was to wait for Casey’s cousins at the ferry landing. I didn’t voice my concern to Casey, but I wondered if they’d maybe shoot us down if we flew in. Most bears weren’t big fans of Pterons, and he’d warned us they might take our entrance as an attack. Knowing that didn’t make me feel all that confident about our trip. I had to rely on the fact that Casey’s family would be glad to see her. If they weren’t, we were just turning right around. There had to be someone friendly who could help us figure out what was wrong with her. And they’d fix her. They had to. I refused to accept that anything the boss did was permanent.
    “You trust Eric, right?” Casey asked. “There’s no way he’d ever lead us into a trap.”
    I didn’t respond at first. I was too busy admiring how amazing she looked with her wings.
    “Toby?”
    “Sorry.” I shook myself. This wasn’t the time to get distracted. “Surprisingly enough, I do trust him. I also looked into this place.”
    “When?” She put a hand on her hip. “We’ve been together this whole time.”
    “I just made a quick inquiry. This is a bear stronghold, and the names Eric gave match up.” I’d