“You hate being around people.”
“So do you.”
“They’re my family.”
“You just had a panic attack about that.”
Her mouth snaps shut and she shakes her head. “You’re not coming with me.”
“Yes, I am,” I insist, pulling my phone out of my pocket. “What time is your flight?”
CHAPTER 37
Bailey
Even as Iwatched Wes buy his plane ticket online yesterday, I didn’t think he was serious about coming with me. He must be completely out of his mind. When he left, saying he was taking Bruno to stay with Jameson and Sutton, I tried to convince him once again that he didn’t need to come with me.
“We’re overloading their house with dogs. You’re not coming.”
“They like it.”
That’s all he said before heading out. I convinced myself throughout the night he wouldn’t be back. That I’ll leave tomorrow—alone—as planned.
The next morning, I grab my backpack and suitcase ready to head out when I see Wes leaning against my car with his own duffel laying on the ground by his feet. “Ready?”
“Are you serious?” I ask indisbelief.
“I told you I’m coming. I don’t know why you think I would lie to you.”
“Because this is insane,” I huff, walking to the trunk, opening it and before I can lift my suitcase in, Wes is behind me, speaking against my ear. His breath hitting my skin sends a shiver down my spine.
“Like I’ve said before, join me in my insanity then, Angel.”
I gasp rememberingexactlywhen he said that before. This situation is a bit different than last time, but still when he picks up my suitcase, loading it into my trunk, and then his own, it hits me. It really sinks in that he’s serious.
He stretches his hand out for my keys, and I hesitate.
“Do you really not want me to come with you?”
I bite my bottom lip thinking about it. It’s crazy, I know it is. But at the same time, having someone with me that I know does bring a sense of comfort. HavingWeswith me brings comfort. I’m about to see my siblings that I haven’t seen in a long time. Plus their families who I’ve never met. It’s a lot of people, and I’ll be the odd one out.
Knowing I’ll have Wes with me does make me feel a little better. Especially with how he helped calm me down yesterday. I don’t know how he knew what to do, or that he was capable of being so sweet.
It really hits me that everything I’ve been holding back, the feelings I’ve been attempting to suppress about Wes, are about to consume me. That thought alone could send me into another spiral, but I refuse to let it.
Instead, shaking my head as I hold his steady gaze, I hand my keys over and allow him to drive us to the airport. Hoping like hell I don’t regret letting him come with me.
Somehow I manageto keep myself together throughout the drive to the airport. I can’t read Wes because he’s always so stoic, but once we’re seated on the plane I can sense how tense he is. I place my hand on his thigh as the plane is taking off.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” he grunts unconvincingly.
“Are you afraid of flying?” I don’t expect that from him, but I guess I really don’t know that much about Wes when I think about it.
The look he gives me is almost smug. “No, I’m not afraid of flying. I was an Apache pilot in the Army.”
My jaw drops because I don’t know how I missed that piece of information before. But he doesn’t talk about his past, just like me. I do know both his parents passed away and that the Army was his life, but that’s the extent of my knowledge of his past.
