Chapter 63: Breakfast

I find Clem and Ivy sitting at the kitchen island in silence, staring at the backsplash over the oven with distant faces. I lean against the doorjamb, watching as Ivy slips her arm over Clem as her face falls into her hands and she cries. It’s strange, watching Ivy be the one doing the comforting, but the more I stand here, the more it seems to make sense. Caleb needs time to digest what he saw. I push off the frame and walk into the kitchen, pulling the kettle out and filling it with water.

“He closed off the emotional link,” Clem whispers, looking up at me with sad eyes. I frown at her and slide my eyes over to Ivy, who watches me intently.

“Caleb is showering and then he will be down for tea.” I sigh, spinning and placing the kettle on the stove. “He needs a few minutes of silence.”

Clem nods her head.

“He blames me, doesn’t he?” she asks so softly.

“No,” Ivy responds instantly. “If he blamed you, he wouldn’t have mated with you. Caleb thought all of us were dead. He may not have