“I'm trying,” I whisper.
“I know. That's what makes this so much sweeter.”
The call ends, leaving me sitting in the dark with my heart racing and my entire future feeling like it just shifted into sharp, thrilling focus.
I pull up the group chat.
Me: I think I'm falling for him.
Holly: I know. We've been watching.
Lily: FINALLY SHE ADMITS IT.
Chloe: Okay but also??? This is beautiful??? And healthy??? And COMMUNICATION?????
Maya: When's the wedding?
Me: We haven’t even been on a date yet…
Amber: Give it a week.
Emily: Give it three days.
Holly: Give it until this weekend when you have that face-to-face talk and he does the thing.
Me: What thing??
Holly: You'll know it when it happens. Trust me.
I set my phone down and stare at the ceiling, smiling like an idiot.
Because Holly's right.
I have absolutely no idea what I'm getting into.
But I've never been more certain that I want to find out.
CHAPTER 5
The weekend arrives faster than I expect. I’ve spoken to Ty on the phone every day, sometimes multiple times a day, but I haven’t seen him again in person. It feels like we’ve known each other forever. Two nights ago, we spent four hours talking on the phone. Four hours. Longer than most dates I’ve been on. I’ve learned a lot about him during our conversations. His family, his upbringing, his career. Ty works to find trafficked, kidnapped children and bring them home to their families while putting monsters who hurt children behind bars. He’s part of a Crimes Against Children multi-government task force. He takes his job very seriously. He’s a protector, through and through. He speaks multiple languages, loves good food, and adores his nieces and nephews. It’s official, I have fallen for him.
Saturday morning, I wake to a text.
Ty: Pack an overnight bag. I'll pick you up at noon.
My stomach flips even as I'm reaching for my phone to respond.
Me: Where are we going?
Ty: Somewhere we can talk without interruption.
Me: That sounds ominous.
Ty: That sounds necessary. Trust me.
There's that word again. Trust. And the wild thing is, I do. Completely. In a way that should probably scare me but doesn't.
I pack carefully. I’m visiting town and only brought a couple of suitcases of items with me anyway. I pull the small one from the closet and pack it with comfortable clothes, toiletries, the lavender sleep shirt I know he likes from our video chat, and my favorite tennis shoes. I have absolutely no idea what I'm walking into. My hands shake slightly as I zip the bag closed.
