Chapter 52
Chapter fifty-two
Annalise
“Cheers, everyone!”
Our glasses clink in unison, the bright, easy sound cutting through the low tavern hum. For the first time all day, the knot in my chest loosens a little.
Aiden left this afternoon for a twenty-four-hour solo mission—his third since our mission together two weeks ago.
Recruits typically get one or two in their final months here, but since Aiden is averaging more than one a week, we’re fairly certain Halden is pushing him and Hades harder than anyone else—they’re the only bonded pair in Bravo Company, after all.
Not that Aiden can confirm any of it. It’s becoming increasingly tricky to come up with an excuse to give James and Josh every time he misses a hangout.
Antonio had a mission last weekend, but since we didn’t go out as a group, James just assumed he stayed in with Sasha.
“I brought cards, or we can play Spoons while we wait for the food,” Josh says from my right, pulling two decks from his back pocket and dropping them on the table between us like it’s normal to walk around with cards.
Sasha groans. “We are absolutely not playing Spoons. I still have the bruise from the last time Matt dove across the table like he was possessed.”
“I was possessed,” Matt argues, already smug. “Possessed with the need to win.”
“You might actually be crazy, you know that, right?” Sasha fires back, but she’s already picking up one of the decks to shuffle.
“I can’t believe you guys are graduating in just over a month! You must be so ready to get out of here,” Matt says excitedly, but I don’t miss the way Antonio squeezes Sasha’s hand just a little tighter.
“Not me. This has been like a personal vacation after spending so long on the frontline.”
“I wish they would’ve let you join Charlie Company,” I say with a pout. “I don’t want them to take you away so soon.”
“You make it sound like he’s being carted off to prison, Lee. We’re the criminals, remember? He’s just going back to war.”
“I want the nice man to stay in our prison a little longer, Mattey. Please”
A straw wrapper hits me in the face, James smiling sweetly at me, “Are you two done? I want to get our food order in before the kitchen closes.”
“Party pooper.”
“I’m sorry, who was the only person to jump in the ocean at the beach party?”
Antonio’s scoff has James spinning toward him, “I didn’t see you get in, Antonio. Actually, now that I think about it, I didn’t see much of him or Sasha. How about you guys?”
“I’m so excited to go shopping tomorrow, aren’t you, Lee?” Sasha says, her face pink as she changes the topic.
“Ooo, what are we shopping for?” Matt asks.
“Graduation dresses, of course. Annalise’s closet is all workout gear, club clothes, or super fancy formal gowns.”
“Hey! I have normal, everyday clothes in there too!”
“Ok, fine, those too. My point is, she has absolutely nothing to wear that’s right for graduation and meeting her future in-laws.”
“Uh-huh. And what time are we doing this?”
“No, Matt, this is a girls' only shopping trip. We barely get any time together lately.”
I can see Matt already trying to think of a way to change her mind, but she’s right. Not only have we both been really busy with classes, but since Matt and Aiden started their security detail, we haven’t hung out without at least one of them around; not that she’s away from Antonio much either.
“I’ll come find you as soon as we get back,” I tell him, but he doesn't look convinced.
No one else knows about Lucas stalking me, but they haven’t needed to since I’m protected almost twenty-four seven. Aiden even shocked me by asking Matt to stay in the room with me while he’s on his missions because he doesn’t want someone breaking in overnight again.
“Why don’t you two start your girl time now while I teach these guys a thing or two about playing spoons?” Antonio suggests as he kisses Sasha on the cheek.
Once our orders are in, the table turns into a chaotic battlefield of flying cards, trash talk, and way too many spoons hitting the floor as the guys throw down.
Sasha starts catching me up on some of the projects she’s been working on in class, and to only her surprise, she’s already been asked to assist with Arcane Healing once Delta Company starts their tracks.
We laugh at the sudden silence that crashes over our table when the food arrives, the guys all digging in like they’d been starved.
Looking around our table, I can’t help but smile at the way our little group has become my family. Matt takes the bacon from my plate, I take Josh’s pickles, and Antonio feeds Sasha one of his fries that he’s been raving about.
As much as I wish Aiden were here with us, the happiness I feel right now is enough.
After my Tyr supervised morning run and stop for coffee, I make my way to the end of my hall to get my laundry before I’m gone all day.
Sasha and I ran into Emily last night when we got back from dinner, and as soon as she mentioned not having a dress for graduation yet either, Sasha was insisting she join us.
I’m just closing the door, gently in hopes I don’t wake Matt up, when my phone starts vibrating like crazy.
You would have thought it was an emergency, but it was just Sasha and Emily going back and forth on how long they needed to get ready before we head into town.
Considering they both sent selfies, still lying in bed, it’s decided we’ll meet in my room in an hour.
I pull out some leggings and a cute crop sweatshirt and head to the bathroom to start getting ready. It’s been warming up lately, but I want to be comfortable between the five-thousand dresses I’m sure Sasha is going to make me try on today.
After standing under the hot water for too long, blow-drying my hair so it has some volume, and getting dressed, Matt is wide awake when I come out of the bathroom.
“I really don’t like this.”
I raise an eyebrow, “It’s the same coffee you drink every day.”
“You know I’m not talking about the coffee, Lee. We don’t know who is stalking you. Aiden is gone, Tyr can’t fit between the buildings to stay with you today, and you’re not letting me come with you because I have a dick.”
I laugh and shake my head, “I’m going to be with two other people. It’s not like Lucas is going to attack me in the middle of downtown when I’m with my friends.”
“Maybe he won’t try to hurt you physically, but you know as well as I do that there is still plenty he could do. He’s already broken into your room once before, and it’s not like your anklet just walked away on its own. I just need you safe, Lee.”
The vulnerability in his voice kills me, and I melt into him just a little. “I am safe, big guy. I’ll bring a dagger and everything. Plus, Emily is coming, remember? She’s a total badass.”
I hear him giving in as he sighs, “Fine. But message me every once in a while to let me know you’re ok, please?”
“I will. I promise.”
We sit and drink our coffee, a little tension still lingers in the air, but neither of us acknowledges it. A couple of minutes later, there’s a soft knock on the door.
“It’s open!” I call.
Matt shoots me a glare, I’m sure, because I forgot to lock it after I got back, as Sasha walks in.
“It sounded like the sibling fight was over. Everything okay now, or should I come back?”
“You’re good,” Matt says, trying his best to put on a smile. “I’m going to head to the gym, but you girls have fun today picking out pretty dresses…or whatever I’m supposed to say.”
“Oh, don’t you worry, we will! Shoes too!” Sasha says, pulling me out the door. “I ran into Emily when I was leaving the coffee stand. She’s meeting us at my car.”
Slowly driving down Main Street in Ravenwood, I can’t help but get excited about all of the cute boutique shops we’ll be going in and out of today as I see the adorable window displays.
I don’t even remember the last time I went shopping for fun.
When I was young, my dad and I only went shopping when I needed new clothes for an event or if I had outgrown most of what was in my closet.
Then, when I got older, it was the same, but with the added stress of knowing how little I could afford to spend so that I still had enough money to cover the bills.
“I thought we were eating after shopping?” I ask Sasha as we pull into a cute little café.
“We are! But we’re having mimosas before we shop!”
“You don’t have to convince me!” I say, climbing out of the backseat.
We decide to split a bottle with a flight of juice choices that leaves me wishing I could text Tara to tell her her mimosa bar was better, but I can’t, so I settle for the next best thing.
“Selfie!” I call out, and Emily and Sasha quickly squeeze together behind me, drinks in hand, as I snap the picture to send to Matt with a “Still alive,” text.
Then I open my conversation to Aiden and send it to him too, knowing he’ll get it when he turns his phone on after his mission is done.
Half an hour later, our bill is paid, and we are walking down Main Street, arms linked and ready to shop.
The first shop we go into gives all the proof you could ask for that while the three of us are friends, we all have very different tastes in dresses.
Sasha has practically run to the flowy, glittery section in every shop, Emily to the tight tube-top dresses with ruching, and me to the flirty but slightly more formal. I would say it’s just old habits die hard, but I actually love the way I feel in an elegant dress.
Sasha found her dress in the second store we walked into. Technically, before we even walked in, since she saw it on the window mannequin, she asked the saleswoman to grab it in her size, and had already decided to buy it before she even walked out to show us.
She then found shoes, jewelry, and makeup that she “just had to have” in the stores that followed.