They didn't move right away.
Rick stayed kneeling for a beat longer, his head slightly bowed, his breathing uneven like he'd been holding it for too long. Emerald studied him for a second more, her chin tilted high, weighing whether to let him up yet or leave him there to stew.
Finally, she gave a sharp jerk of her chin toward the chairs near the low table.
"Sit," she ordered.
Rick obeyed without protest, rising slowly as if every muscle in his body ached from more than just kneeling. He crossed to the nearest chair and lowered himself into it.
Across the room, Darius moved to claim one of the other seats.
Emerald stood straight across from them. On the outside, she seemed calm and collected, but inside, her mind was racing.
If Rick was telling the truth, and she had enough years of reading his expressions to know he was, at least about most of it, then they finally had something they'd been missing.
