“You’d do that? You’d go with me to deal with my crazy family shit? No question… you’d just, be there for me?”
“Yeah,” I said simply. “I wouldn’t leave you to deal with it on your own. Whatever this is…” I cleared my throat. I hated feeling insecure, but I also knew now wasn’t the time to get into that. “I want you to know that I’m your friend, no matter what. If you need me, I’ll be there.”
He released a breath as he slumped back in the seat. The back of his head hit the headrest, and he gave my hand the type of squeeze that said the things he couldn’t voice.
“I don’t know what to do,” he said just barely above a whisper. “Braden has them for now. We’ve got to get your name cleared, then I can figure out that situation.”
“If you’re sure,” I said softly.
“Yeah, it’s the best I can do right now.”
He was trying to play it off like it didn’t bother him that much, but I felt how torn he was. I wished there was more I could do.
I was fucking stuck until I cleared my name. I couldn’t even get out of the car at a gas station for fear of being recognized or picked up by a camera. I knew the game, so I knew how to play it. Oh, yeah, I saw how fucked up it was. It turned my stomach to think about it too deeply. It didn’t slip past me the information I had from work and the training I’d spent my career doing was the very thing I happened to be using to stay under the radar. Which also were the exact things Lipton had been using for years to run an empire that hurt people. Kids! He hurt kids. He kidnapped them. He forced them to do things they…
“What are you thinking about?” Austin’s voice snapped me fully back into the present. It was a good thing since I didn’t need to get blinded with rage while driving, and I was well on my waythere. His thumb rubbed soothingly over my knuckles. “You’re gripping my thigh like you’re trying to strangle it.”
He gave a huff of a laugh, but I could tell he was only trying to lighten the mood. He knew it was serious.
“Sorry,” I said, releasing his thigh and flipping my hand over so I could curl my fingers into the spaces between his. I glanced over long enough to see his shy, smiling expression as he looked down at our joined hands. “I was just wishing this situation was over.”
“Oh,” he said, sounding surprised. “Yeah, I bet it would be nice to have your life back. The normal and all, right?”
He was doing that thing again, trying to play it off. Butagain, I could tell something was bothering him.
Sure, I could have ignored it. Could have let it slide. Or I could have even coaxed him into telling me what was wrong.
But… I didn’t want to do that.
I didn’t want to play games with him. I didn’t want him second-guessing anything. The only reason I was being so reserved with him was because I didn’t know where my life was going. Was I going to get out of this? If I couldn’t, I wasn’t going to drag him down with me. I didn’t hope that he’d fall for me and stick by my side while I was falsely accused and thrown in prison.
“Yeah, normal would be good,” I said teasingly. “I was just thinking about how I could help you if it weren't for this shit. I hate what he’s done to me. I hate that you’re caught up in it. I hate that… I can’t be there foryou.”I hate that I can’t give you all of me right now.
“That’s what you were thinking?” he asked, his voice soft. “You’d want… I mean, you see…”
“I see you in my life without all of this madness, Austin,” I told him honestly. I glanced over at him, nearly melting at the look on his face. It was like he’d finally let someone in andthey hadn’t let him down. Like he knew what it meant to have someone be there for him, no strings, no expectations. It broke my heart, but at the same time, it made me feel like I’d done something right for the first time in my life.
“Yeah,” he said. If I wasn’t mistaken, I caught a bit of pink tinting his cheeks before I turned my attention back to the road. “Yeah, that sounds okay, I guess.”
I smirked. His words were calm and cool, but his tone clearly gave him away. He couldn’t seem to cover up the excited tremble as he spoke.
28
Ford
We made it to the safe house. Finding it empty, Austin and I fell into the first room we found with a bed and crashed hard.
I couldn’t say how long we’d been out when the soft echo of voices pulled me from sleep.
I rolled out of bed, took one look at Austin’s peaceful sleeping face, and then made my way out of the bedroom, closing the door behind me.
Following the noise, I was led to the huge kitchen at the back of the house. Reed was putting away groceries while Dune and Remy were taking trips back and forth to the car to bring in more bags than I could count. I gave a silent wave and got a couple of chin jerks in return.
“Hey,” Reed said when he noticed me. “I take it you found the place okay?”
“Yeah. Thanks. We crashed when we got here.” I replied, leaving off the part that we crashedtogetherand that I’d left Austin sleeping when I’d gotten out of bed. My voice was raspy. A combination of smoke inhalation, exhaustion, and stress. His sympathetic kind eyes said he could see how bad this situation was wearing me down. “I’m fine. It’s just a lot. And I feel really bad because I’m pretty sure there’s nothing left of Austin’s house.”
At that, Reed cringed and looked down.
