Chapter 52

OCTOBER 25 – SATURDAY 6:13 PM

T heo

This was heaven. A single snowflake had yet to fall, and I wasn’t complaining about extra time with Polly. Ren’s arms wrapped around my waist made it even better. The only grey in an otherwise perfect fantasy was that I would never experience this with Liam. As much as he liked me on my bike, he had zero interest and would never willingly be a backpack.

Ren’s grip on me tightened as I drifted back and forth in my lane, making me smile. I had taken the long route to the cabin, but the drive had been quiet, and we were just enjoying the cool, clear evening.

“Theo, do you think they’ll be okay?”

Myles, Nash, and Blake were on a mission to try and capture Owen so there was no need to ask who she meant. Owen had taken the bait with the photo, and now it was time to reel him into shore. Nash had gotten permission for Ren to leave the property while Liam and I volunteered to keep her thoroughly distracted for the night, so here we were.

“I think they’re smart and have put thought into this plan. They’ll be as safe as possible.”

“That was an incredibly political answer,” Ren said, and I laughed.

“Yes, I suppose it was.” Flicking on my blinker as we pulled up to a stop sign, I waited for the small line of cars to pass before pulling out onto the main road. “I guess we never really know. Anything can happen at any time, but we are as safe as we can be.”

“Just this once, can you lie to me,” she said.

“They’re going to be perfectly fine,” I said, but even I wouldn’t believe me. “Look, the only things I know for sure are that Myles hates his father and loves you. There is no way that he will let Owen come anywhere near you.”

“That’s what worries me most. He will do something unsafe if he thinks he’s protecting me. No matter what he says, I know that in the heat of the moment…he’ll just react.”

“True, but Nash is there, and so is Blake. Nash is the one person Myles will listen to and Blake is a great backup and able to call for help if needed.”

“Just one more thing to get used to, I guess. I hate it, though—all this danger and worry. If my hair wasn’t already white, it would be now from the stress. Every time we step outside, it could be the last.”

“Life is like that in general. We just face different dangers than most,” I said as we entered the massive S bend that led to our turn.

“Sure, if you say so,” Ren said, making me laugh.

“You worried about Christov finding us?”

Checking for tails was second nature for all of us now. There hadn’t been any so far, but you never knew. With a clear rearview, I pulled onto the dirt road.

“No, not really. He’s just another in the line of assholes who wants to get their hands on me. He can wait in the back.”

“I fucking love you.”

Ren slid her hands down and gripped my legs as my blood heated thinking about tonight.

“I love you, too. I feel like we’ve hardly had a chance to spend quality time together,” she said.

This was as good of a time as any to tell her my news.

“At least we’ll be prepared for next year.”

Slowing down, I eased onto the rough cabin road.

“Next year? Why?”

“I was accepted to Harvard. I haven’t announced it yet, and I’ve been trying to find the best time to tell you.” Holding my breath, I waited for her to respond.

“You…you got into Harvard?”

“Yeah.”

Ren’s body gently shook behind me, and I could hear her crying. Fuck, dread filled me as we cruised up the cabin driveway. We slowed to a stop, and I got off to help Ren. Tears trickled down her cheeks when I pulled off her helmet, but she was smiling. Confusion hit as she slammed into me, hugging me like I was going to disappear.

“I’m so happy for you,” Ren said.

Holding her tight, I kissed the top of her head.

“I’ll be honest, you don’t look happy.”

“I am…I mean, I’m going to miss you. And I don’t have a clue where I’m going. But I’m so happy for you. How did you get in so soon?”

“I’m a legacy, and my dad knows the administrator. He took one look at my grades and accepted me. I got lucky.”

Ren pulled back and glared at me as she shook her head.

“Yes, Ethan helped you jump the line, but you were getting in no matter what, Theo. You have better than a perfect average. Any school in the world would be doing backflips to have you. You’ve gone above and beyond with everything. You’ve got extra volunteer hours, and you’re already working in a law firm part time.”

I tugged Ren in against my body again.

“Yeah, you’re right, I’m pretty awesome,” I said, laughing as she swatted my arm.

Cupping Ren’s face, I kissed her and let my lips convey what her support meant.

“I was really worried to tell you.”

“Why?”

“Because I’ll be far away for so long.”

Ren shrugged. “I’m sure we can travel back and forth. Plus we’ll have holidays and summer breaks. I assume you’ll be clerking at your dad’s firm?” I nodded. “We’ll make it work.”

I kissed her again and loved how she leaned into me like I was the only thing keeping her on her feet.

“I need to tell you something, too,” Ren said. I turned and leaned against my bike. “Ugh, I’m sorry I’ve kept this from you, but…shit. I slept with Nash,” she said, cringing.

Crossing my arms, I narrowed my eyes at her, and her cheeks turned bright red.

“I’m so sorry. I should’ve told you right away. I feel terrible,” she said, looking at me with the saddest eyes. “Don’t just stare at me like that. Say something, even if you want to yell at me. I know I deserve it.”

“Do you really think I didn’t already know?” Ren’s mouth opened and then closed. “First of all, the two of you are not exactly subtle, and second, Liam has been keeping me up to date on all the dirt. What I’m wondering is why it took you so long to say anything?”

She sighed as I reached out and grabbed her arm, forcing her to step between my legs.

“Where do I start? It shouldn’t have happened. Seattle was a complete disaster, I never wanted to speak to him again, and he’s engaged to Vicky. I don’t even know what the hell I was thinking.”

“Do you love him?”

Ren crossed her arms.

“As long as you can love someone and want to stab them at the same time.”

Laughing hard, I smiled at her annoyed expression.

“It’s fun watching you turn yourself inside out with your feelings for him. Trust me, we all want to love Nash and kill him at the same time. You’re in good company.”

“Why are you taking this so well,” Ren asked, eyeing me suspiciously.

“Get that look off your face. Liam and I haven’t been with anyone else. We’d never do that to you. But this thing with Nash has been coming for a long time. We’ve all seen it as much as the two of you kept trying to deny it.”

Ren sucked in a deep breath and looked down at her boots, the leather on the jacket squeaking as she moved.

“Will you be honest with me,” she finally asked.

“Always.”

“Am I stupid for believing him? He says that he’s not marrying Vicky and that he has a plan. But I’m feeling pretty gullible right now.”

“No, you’re not.” Ren lifted her gaze to mine. “For as long as I’ve known Nash when he has a plan, he follows through. He may have signed that contract, but I don’t think he would’ve done it without having an exit strategy.” I ran her ponytail through my fingers. “Besides, I’ve seen the way he looks at you. He’s in love. Nash may not say it, but he is, so there is no way he’s marrying her,” I said, hoping that I was right.

My faith in Nash and his plans had never waivered before. But this seemed like a tricky situation, with Mr. Genovese being Vicky’s father. He was a man you didn’t piss off unless you wanted to go missing.

At the sound of the cabin door opening, Ren and I looked over.

“Hey, are you two coming in or what? Dinner is getting cold,” Liam yelled.

“Yes, Sir, coming right away, Sir,” I yelled back.

The press of his lips promised a hard spanking. It was my lucky night.

“We better go before Mr. Grumpy pants drags us inside,” I said.

“I heard that,” Liam growled, making me and Ren laugh.

Rising on her toes, she kissed my cheek. “Thank you.”

Holding her hand, we walked toward the cabin, and all the earlier butterflies and excitement came racing back. I’d imagined what it would be like to have the three of us together so many times that I’d lost count. Tonight really was a dream coming true.

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