“I know,” I say softly, pulling him into a tight embrace. His head rests against my neck, his breath warm against my skin. “But you don’t have to be perfect. None of us expect that from you.”
The silence between us stretches, heavy with the weight of his fears. Slowly, the tension in his muscles begins to ease, his breathing evening out as he clings to me like I’m the only solid thing in his world.
“Thank you,” he murmurs, his voice hoarse but sincere.
I tilt his chin up gently, pressing a soft kiss to his lips. “You don’t need to thank me,” I reply, my fingers threading through his hair. “Just trust us. Trust yourself.”
His lips find mine again, this time slower, more deliberate. The desperation is replaced with something softer, something more tender. The kiss deepens, his hands roaming over my body as if trying to memorize every inch of me.
He slowly drags his lips from mine, but remains close. Our breathing syncs as we lie tangled together in the cramped space, my head resting on his chest as the steady rhythm of the bus hums around us. I run my fingers across his skin, tracing lazy patterns along his tattoos.
“This is going to work out,” I promise, my voice a quiet murmur.
He nods, his eyes closing as his breathing slows, his body finally relaxing completely underneath mine.
In this small, quiet moment, the chaos of the world outside feels far away and I hope my words are true.
CHAPTER 30
BREAKFAST CHAOS
LILY
The smellof sizzling bacon and freshly brewed coffee pulls me from the warmth of my bunk. Blinking against the dim light filtering through the small curtains, I stretch, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. The soft hum of the bus engine vibrates beneath me, but it’s the muffled laughter and clatter of activity from the front of the bus that has me curious.
Something feels off—like the usual routine we’ve settled into has been completely upended. Sliding out of my empty bunk, I shuffle down the narrow hallway, my bare feet padding against the cool floor.
“Uh… guys?” My voice is thick with sleep as I step into the living area, stopping dead in my tracks. “What the heck is going on?”
The front of the bus looks like a tornado tore through it. Mattresses are piled high in the middle of the floor, cushions precariously stacked on top, and blankets draped over everything in what I can only describe as a chaotic fort.
Marcus stands at the tiny stove, flipping pancakes with a kind of nonchalance that makes it seem like this is just another morning.
Dylan, meanwhile, is tying the corner of a blanket to one of the overhead cabinets, grinning like a kid on Christmas morning.
Enzo lounges on top of the mattress pile, a steaming mug of coffee in his hand, his dark hair falling lazily into his eyes. He glances up at me, smirking. “Morning, sunshine.”
“What… is this?” I gesture toward the scene, struggling to suppress a laugh.
“We had an idea,” Dylan announces, stepping back to admire his work. His short brown hair sticks out in every direction, and his green eyes gleam with pride as he surveys the room.
“Clearly,” I say, arching an eyebrow as I take in the makeshift structure. “Why are the mattresses in the middle of the bus? Where’s the table? And the chairs?”
Marcus glances over his shoulder, flipping another pancake with expert ease. “Oh, the table’s in the bathroom,” he says casually, as though that is a completely reasonable place for it to be.
“Thebathroom?” I blink at him, incredulous.
“Yep.” Dylan grins, wiping his hands on his jeans. “We needed space for the fort.”
“The fort?” My voice pitches higher as I glance around the room.
Enzo takes a sip of his coffee, still smirking. “Movie night, Lily. If we’re all gonna watch something together, might as well do it in style.”
“You turned the bus into a mattress fort for movienight?” I ask, crossing my arms and fighting to keep a straight face.
“Not justamattress fort,” Dylan says, gesturing dramatically to the chaos. “The ultimate movie night setup. Comfort is key.”
I glance toward Jax, who’s sitting quietly at the far end of the bus. His dark hair falls into his eyes, and he looks more relaxed than I’ve seen him in days, though still not completely at ease. He catches my eye and gives a sheepish shrug.
