Chapter 10 #3
“You’re right, honey. I’ll have plenty of chances to exercise when I get there; plus, it’s pretty damn cold here and I wouldn’t want to get sick.
” The bright blue skies of this morning are gone, and I can smell snow coming, which tells you exactly how shitty human weather forecasters are.
Clear for the next few days, my ass. But it’s another reason I need to keep moving.
“Good.” Sam sounds relieved.
“I’ll see you soon. Bye-bye now.”
I pull the phone away from my ear, get back in the car, put the phone with the still-active call in the center console, belt up, and start the engine. Only after I’m back on the highway and moving steadily south again do I pull out my Bluetooth earpiece and tuck it back into my ear.
“Still there, Sammy?”
“Yeah. What the fuck was that all about?”
“Elves,” I say succinctly, then run down what happened. “I don’t know what kind of senses it has, if it could hear me or smell me or what, but it came through the portal and just stood there, pretty much.”
“Hold on,” Sam says, and I hear his keyboard clacking away.
“I’m looking at satellite images of that area, and you’re right—there’s nothing there.
Not even any real tree cover. Are you sure it was so close?
Four or so miles from where you were, there’s more plant life, the terrain is more regular, and it’s much closer to the settlements Aidan visited. ”
“No,” I tell him, shaking my head even though he can’t see me. “It wasn’t anywhere near as far as four miles. I don’t even think it was one.”
“We’ll never know, then. Keep an eye on your rearview mirror, just in case.”
I roll my eyes. “Sam, portals, remember? They could come at me from the front and I’d never know until it was too late.”
“That doesn’t make me feel better, Al. Oh—Aidan said to tell you, if you take unnecessary risks, he’ll kill you himself.”
The small burst of warmth in my chest feels a lot like pleasure. It’s nice to know people care enough to make death threats.
“How’s he doing?”
“Annoyed,” Sam replies. “There’s been no sign of a problem, and you made him lock himself in the bathroom for the whole day. I’d strangle anyone who did that to me.”
“He would never strangle me.”
“How are you so sure? I definitely would.”
“No, you wouldn’t. Well, you probably would if I did it or Andrew or whoever. But if Gideon told you to stay in the bathroom all day so he could be sure you were safe, you’d do it.”
There’s a long pause, and I glance down at the handset to make sure the call hasn’t dropped out. It hasn’t.
“Sam?”
“Hold on a second.” There’s a shift in background noise, and a moment later, I hear a door close. “Okay, I’m alone.”
“Why do you need to be alone?” I ask. I mean, it’s not like he was in the middle of a mall. He was in the team office, which is secure, and we’re talking about stuff the whole team is cleared to know.
“Because you just compared my relationship with Gideon to yours with Aidan, and I’m not sure if you wanted Elinor and Andrew and the others to know that.”
I open my mouth to scoff, then close it again. Fuck me. I did .
What does this mean?
“What does this mean?” I demand, then wince at how hysterical my voice sounds.
Sam squeaks. “Um… calm down. Are you calm? You need to be calm. You’re driving . Through enemy territory. So be calm.”
“I’m calm,” I snap. “ What does this mean? ” Why is he waffling on about me being calm, for fuck’s sake, when I’m having a personal love crisis and need his support!
“It’s a good thing,” he assures me. “Right? You like Aidan. Ah… I’m guessing that you guys had sex? No details,” he adds quickly. “I don’t need any details. But it’s nice that you feel a connection to him. It’s growth. It shows you’re getting over your, uh, past trauma.”
Yeah. Yeah. I’m growing. Healing, and all that other crap. I’m ready to try relationships again. So me thinking of Aidan as my… what? I need a word for what we’re doing. It’s not a hookup; I’ve had plenty of those. This is different. Fling? That sounds so emotionless.
“What do you call the person you feel affection and lust for?” I ask Sam.
“Is it mutual?” He sounds cautious.
I think of the way Aidan initiated a goodbye kiss this morning, even though he was grumpy with me.
“Yeah.” The warmth is back in my chest. It’s nice to get a goodbye kiss from someone you respect and like and want to fuck through a mattress before you go on a potentially dangerous drive through enemy territory.
“Well… if you’re not ready for a relationship label like partner or boyfriend, but there’s more to it than friends with bennies, I guess… I have no idea. The person you’re seeing? Your lover?”
Delight runs through me. “Ooooh, lover sounds so illicit! It’s perfect. Aidan will love it!”
“I don’t know Aidan that well,” Sam says doubtfully, “but I’m pretty sure he won’t love it.”
“Clearly I know him better than you. What with being his lover and all.” This is perfect. I can’t wait to get back and tell him we’re officially lovers.
I mean, he knows that already after last night, but he doesn’t know that it’s our official label. He’s going to be thrilled; I just know it.