All I can look at is Maeve's red, desperate eyes.

"VEL, ARE YOU OKAY?!" She desperately asks.

"I'm fine," I whisper back as guilt builds within me.

"WHAT IN THE HELL IS GOING ON! YOU TWO BETTER START TALK—" Maeve stops cold at the sight of Malcolm.

"How did you find us?" I ask, confused.

"The hospital called and said you were gone. Then I couldn't fid Jaxson, so I tracked his phone, knowing he'd be wrapped up in whatever was going on. Who the hell are you?!" She demands, suddenly noticing Malcolm.

"I am Master Malcolm, astrol—"

"What the hell is a grown man doing in the middle of the night with underage kids!" Maeve shoots an acquisitive eye at Malcolm.

"Ms. Shamrock! This dude straight up made me put floors back together and now won't let me leave!" Maverick yells.

Maeve shoots a perplexed look at Maverick shaking an unresponsive Cece back and forth.

"Ms. Shamrock, it's not what it looks like," Rina begins, still supporting Jaxson, whose currently at a loss for words.

"Hi, Ms. Shamrock, I'm uh, I'm Jin." He awkwardly extends his hand.

Maeve, who looks like her head is about to spin off her body, ignores Jin and narrows her eyes at me.

"Explain. Now." She says a little too calmly, as her left eye begins twitching.

"May I interject?" Malcolm announces, staring at Maeve like she's a long lost toy.

"You," she says, turning towards him to point her boney finger in his face, "Have two seconds to tell me what the hell you're doing here before I call the police!"

"He's with us, Maeve," I say, not knowing where to begin.

I watch Maeve's frustrated face stare coldly at the unknown man. Her wheels are turning. She's smart. She sees what I saw when I saw his photo.

"Who..." Maeve begins, dropping off as her eyes become desperate. "Who..."

She knows. I nod my head, finally giving her the answer she's been searching for her whole life.

"No," she says, turning back to Malcolm.

"I am Master Malcolm, best selling author, astrologists extraordinary, world-renowned hypnotist—"

"Get to the point!" Jaxson yells, suddenly awake from his daze.

Malcolm ruffles his chest and smoothes down his suit before completing his introduction with, "And your dad."

Maeve doesn't respond. Instead, she takes a deep breath and pushes herself past everyone. We all watch as she enters the living room, looking around at all the excessive damage. Closing her eyes, she runs her hands along the ripped walls as if listening for something. She moves toward the kitchen, her eyes darting at the boards sticking up left and right from Maverick's terrible handyman skills. Then, she stops at the stairs with her back towards us, while her clenched hands raise to the back of her head.

Looks like Maeve has finally lost it—took her long enough.

"Maeve, I can explain..." I say as Jin, Jaxson, and I exchange worried glances.

"Just stop," she says, remaining unmoved. "You took something from me today."

"What are you talking about?" I say as Jin and I exchange confused glances.

"I went back to Shirewood Valley, after your friend's little ruse."

Oh shit. Mom's stuff. "Maeve, I had to f—"

"Go get MY letter," Maeve's cold words cut me off.

"Is that the long story you were talking about?" Jaxson whispers to me.

"Yeah."

"On it," Jin says, hurrying out the open front door towards the car.

"You," Maeve says.

Jaxson, Malcolm, and I look around at each other, trying to decide who she's going to yell at. I low key wouldn't be surprised if her version of Red Lady emerged right now.

"Were you the one who sent me a letter three years ago?"

"I am."

"And whatever you warned me of, it's happening?" Maeve continues, her voice softening.

"I'm afraid it is."

"Here," Jin says, running back into the entryway with the opened letter.

Malcolm quickly takes the letter from Jin and walks over to extend it towards Maeve. Her hands unclench their grasp on her head and swiftly grab the letter. The room grows silent as we listen to the crinkling of the paper in Maeve's shaking hands. My heart rate rises as I recall the letter in my mind. Poor Maeve.

I'm startled by the sudden, soft feel of Jin's hand reaching to interlock with mine, causing my heart to beat even faster. Dammit, Jin—doesn't he know I'm already about to have a heart attack?

"What the hell?" A soft, whiny voice says.

It's Bundty—she's awake.

"C, let's get the hell out of here," Maverick says, tugging on a dazed Bundty.

Here's the thing about Bundty—she doesn't stay quiet for long.

"Where's my phone! I'm calling the police! That man did something to me!" Bundty begins demanding.

There she is. Bundty begins rummaging through her pockets to look for her phone.

"We can't let her call!" I say to Jaxson and Jin.

But before they can spring to action, Maeve's quick hand snatches Bundty's phone before her dumb fingers can dial.

"No one is calling anyone," Maeve says coldly, turning with the open letter in her hand to face us.

"I could sue him for whatever he did to me! AND you for taking my personal property! GIVE IT BACK!" Bundty's whiney voice yells.

"You won't be suing anyone or even speak a word of any of this if you want your phone back," Maeve's cold voice says.

"Is that a threat?! Are you threatening a minor?!"

"I'd never threaten a minor. I'd just hate for your parents to see the video I have of you and a certain boy sneaking into one of my vacant homes to do illicit activities."

"Damn, Ms. Shamrock, that cold!" Maverick says as Bundty's jaw drops.

"Close your mouth, you look like a fish," Maeve says, rolling her eyes. "Now, you two go sit in the living room and just shut up."

"Sit on what?! This place is trashed!"

"Just shut up and go sit Cece!" Rina yells out of nowhere.

Damn Rina. I low key forgot she was here. Guess she is getting down with the sickness.

"You," Maeve says to Maverick. "Give me your phone too."

"Da hell I'm supposed to do without my phone?"

"Now!"

"Damn! Chill!" Maverick says, reluctantly handing over the phone.

As I smugly watch Bundty and Maverick sulk off into the living room, I'm grateful for Maeve's no bullshit boss mode. It always used to piss me off, but when I'm not on the receiving end of it, it's pretty badass.

"Can I explain?" Malcolm says, stepping close to her.

"No," Maeve says, taking a deep breath and straightening her chin. She's putting on her big girl panties. "I think I know."

*Thanks for reading. Please don't forget to vote.