Chapter 26 #2
In less than a minute I’m already overwhelmed by his closeness, by the heat coming off him and his delicious scent. My body and my brain aren’t in alignment, because I have to fight off the urge to cuddle against his side.
This is torture.
For a moment we’re in the car alone before the others pile in. The doors are open, so we don’t have complete privacy, but it’s enough for Becks to feel comfortable leaning down. The tip of his nose brushes against my temple. He inhales slowly before murmuring, “I missed you,” in my ear.
A shiver runs through me that I can’t stop, and Becks’ low chuckle tells me he notices.
Stupid traitorous body.
I shift a little, repositioning within the limited space, not exactly pulling away, but not pressing into him either. I should be plastering myself against the window right now, but dang it, I can’t make myself. It’s like he’s a black hole and his gravitational force is too strong to withstand.
I make the mistake of tilting my face toward him. His green gaze is mesmerizing. The way he looks at me . . . if I didn’t know any better, I’d swear there was deep emotion there. Passion. Caring. Longing.
Even knowing there’s not, I’m pulled in by it, my defenses melting with the heat in his eyes.
“I was worried about you,” I confess, and something like relief softens his features.
“I was worried about you too.”
Reaching up, he tucks some hair behind my ear, his fingers sliding against my jawline before he pulls back. I tense to keep another shiver from running through me.
“We should talk,” he says, his gaze heavy-lidded, his voice a seductive purr I can feel in my gut. “There are some things that I need to tell you. Things you should know.”
My stomach knots. Is he going to finally confess his history with Locklyn and then try to let me down easily?
“Now’s probably not the best time,” I say.
“Right. The car’s pretty tight and—”
“No, I mean, maybe we should just table it until after all this is over.”
His nearness is messing with my head, making me want to lean into the illusion and shelve the truth.
Maybe I can pretend I didn’t overhear his conversation with Locklyn.
Maybe, even though it’s not real, I can enjoy what I thought we had for just a little bit longer, because let’s face it, a little bit longer may be all the time I have left.
His brows knit in confusion, and he shakes his head. “No, this isn’t something that can wait. It’s something I need to tell you. Something you need to know.”
I deflate, knowing that Becks isn’t going to let my disillusionment last. Because even though he has played with my heart, deep down I know he’s a good guy who wants to do the right thing.
His conversation with Locklyn probably made him realize what he was doing and he needs to make sure I understand that this is nothing.
We’re just having fun. A fling, as he put it.
My dad’s head pops between the seats in front of us and I rear back. “You guys both fit okay back there?” he asks, ignorant to the moment he just interrupted.
“We’ll manage,” Becks says for the both of us, giving my dad a broad smile.
My mom takes a seat next to him, and then Talon and Locklyn after.
“Everyone set?” Talon asks, starting the car.
“Yep, let’s get out of here,” my dad answers for the rest of us.
As the engine turns over, Locklyn flips her visor down and our eyes connect in the mirror. Her gaze jumps over, and I think she’s glancing at Becks before looking back at me. And when she does, I swear I read pity there.
The first pit stop we take back in civilization, I run to the single-stall bathroom with my secret phone.
Even though I wasn’t able to make any calls at the cabin, I kept the phone charged, just in case.
Now that we’re off the mountain and I have reception, however spotty, I need to connect with Tate and Kendra.
They’re probably worried sick about me, and also .
. . I need to talk to my friends. If anyone can give me advice about the mess I’m in with Becks, it’s them.
I’m already dialing as I lock the door behind me. It rings three times before Kendra picks up. “This better be Haven, but if it is, I’m going to kill her for making me think she was dead in a ditch somewhere.”
“It’s me,” I say, a smile on my face.
“Haven, girl, thank goodness you’re okay,” she says, her voice thick with relief. Then with her next breath she says, “But you and I need to have words for going dark for over two weeks. I’ve been a mess!”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t have any reception.”
“No reception. Where were you? The moon?”
“More remote,” I say with a chuckle. “Is Tate around.”
“No, and she’s going to be so upset she missed you. Are your parents all right?” she asks. “We tried to find them at the hospital like you asked, but they disappeared. It only worried us more.”
“They’re fine. Dad had to have surgery, but he’s recovering and is going to be okay.”
She sighs in relief. “Well, at least there’s that. Now that I know everyone’s still alive and kickin’, tell me everything. Are you all right? Are you coming back? Have you made babies yet with that gorgeous hunk of—?”
“Kendra!”
“That was a legit question,” she says, and I shake my head, rolling my eyes even though there’s no one to see me.
This girl. I can’t help but love her.
“Actually . . .” I start, and then bite my lip, not knowing where to even begin.
Kendra squeals so loud on the other end of the line that I have to jerk the phone away from my ear.
“You did!” she accuses. “I’m not gonna lie, I didn’t think you had it in you.”
“No, I didn’t,” I quickly correct her, “but there have been some . . . incidents.”
I take a quick couple of minutes to spill my guts, leaving out anything supernatural.
I can practically hear her swooning on the other side of the phone when I tell her about our first kiss.
I update her that my parents are with me right now and we’re still laying low, and that a friend of Becks and her husband are helping us, leaving out the whole twin information because it’s just too much to get into right now.
I go on to explain how things quickly progressed with Becks, and Kendra pipes in at the appropriate times with questions like any good friend, but then I drop the bomb about what I overheard and she goes silent.
I end with how we’re moving locations and how I don’t know how to act around Becks anymore.
“Haven, are you okay?” she asks quietly when I finally stop talking.
“Yeah. Sure, I mean . . . yes.” My throat starts to tighten.
“You’re not,” she says, and it’s true.
My eyes fill with tears. I just need someone to tell me what to do. “I’m . . . I really like him.”
“From what you’ve told me, it sounds like he likes you too. I think you need to sit down and have a talk with him. Put all the cards on the table.”
“I know. I should, but . . . I’m just . . .”
“Scared?” she asks gently.
“I am,” I confess, because she can’t see me nod.
“Oh, hon, I’m so sorry. I wish I were there to give you a big hug. You’ve really been through a lot of emotions these last weeks.”
“I have,” I agree. “Kendra, what should I do?”
“I can’t tell you what to do. That has to be your decision. But the way I see it, you have two choices. You can ditch his ass now, because you are a goddess and if he doesn’t realize that, he’s not worth your time . . .”
My stomach knots at the thought, even though it’s probably the smart thing to do. “What’s the other option?”
“You woman-up and ask him. Tell him what you overheard. Hear what he has to say. Something doesn’t add up.
The way he’s been treating you doesn’t line up with what you overheard.
There may be an explanation. And if not, then you know what kind of guy he is, and you can walk away knowing you’re better for it. ”
I take a shaky breath. “You’re right,” I say, a touch of peace settling over me.
“Aren’t I always?”
A laugh bubbles up in my chest. “I really miss you.”
“Me too.”
There’s some sort of commotion behind Kendra, then she says she’s putting me on speaker phone. A moment later, Tate says, “Haven, is that you?”
“It is!” I answer, excited that I get to talk to her, however brief.
“Are you coming back?” she asks bluntly, taking me aback.
“Um. No, not yet. We’re going somewhere safe.”
“Where?”
“Whoa,” Kendra says. “Not even a ‘how are you?’ for our long-lost friend?”
“I’m just worried about her,” Tate says, sounding snippy.
“We’re headed to Gettysburg.”
It’s such a random location, but there’s something about Cassian’s magic being strongest where blood has been spilled.
Kinda creepy actually, but I’m trying not to dwell on it.
I’m certainly not going to tell Tate about that.
If I live through this whole ordeal, I may open up to them about the creatures in the world, and about me, but now isn’t the time.
“In Pennsylvania?” Tate asks.
“Yes. There’s somewhere for us to lay low near there,” I say, stretching the truth.
“How long are you going to be there?” Tate sounds off. She’s the most caring of the group, yet she’s practically interrogating me.
“I’m so sorry, but I have to go.” I’ve already been in the bathroom too long. Any longer and someone is going to come looking for me for sure.
“Wait. Where in Gettysburg are you going to be,” Tate asks.
“Tate,” Kendra says, “lay off her.”
“I love you guys,” I say.
“We love you too,” Kendra says for the both of them. “Call us again when you get the chance. And make sure not to wait so long next time.”
“I won’t,” I promise, even though I shouldn’t.
Who knows how long I’ll be in the creature world for. This might actually be the last time I ever talk to them. My throat tightens with emotion as I say goodbye and hang up.
Before leaving the bathroom, I do a quick check to make sure my eyes aren’t too red from the unshed tears threatening to spill over. I splash some cold water on my face and blot it dry then step out of the small single-stall room.
Leaning against the wall, waiting for me, is Locklyn.
“How long have you had a phone?” she asks, her expression neutral and unreadable.
Like a deer in headlights, I freeze. My mind blanks.
She sighs. “It’s really dangerous to make calls. Phones can be tracked very easily.”
“It’s a burner,” I say. “I bought it when Becks purchased one.”
“That’s good, at least. Does he know about it?”
I shake my head.
“And who did you call? A boyfriend?”
“What? No! Just my two friends. They’d never tell anyone.”
“Okay,” she says, sounding tired. “Let’s go. Everyone is waiting.”
She starts to turn.
“Are you going to tell him about it?”
“Who, Becks?”
I nod and she pauses. “No point,” she finally says. “By tonight, the phone will be a non-issue anyway. The one place you can’t track a phone is a different dimension.” She gives me a crooked smile.
“Thanks,” I say, and she nods.
“About Becks . . .” she starts, and I catch a flicker of nervousness skate across her features.
“Yes?” I ask, and then hold my breath, feeling like she’s going to do it. Confess their history, right here, right now.
I brace myself to hear it thrown in my face again, but seconds tick by until Locklyn just shakes her head.
“He’s a good guy,” is all she says, confusing me.
“Okay.”
“Let’s get back. Everyone is waiting.”