I just nod, and she leans back in to hug me.
I hold her tight to my chest, swaying her back and forth, afraid that when we part, I’ll never get to hold her like this again. I firmly kiss the side of her head, then squeeze her even tighter, reveling in the fact that I’m finally holding her in my arms.
Even if it is just the reunion of two friends, I’ll take whatever I can get.
One thing’s for sure. After feeling her embrace, knowing what it’s like to hold her, there’s no way I’m going to give her up to themwithout a fight.
The problem is convincing her of that, while the other four are constantly stealing her attention and keeping her away from me. Not to mention that I fear bringing it up will cause her to have another anxiety attack. That’s something I’m determined never to cause again.
If she just wants me as a friend, I can do that… for now.
But I’m more determined than ever to prove that I’m worthy of her, that I can be so much more, if she’ll just let me in.
CHAPTER EIGHT
WREN
If you ever want to know what tension feels like, try being stuck in a vehicle for several days with four escaped convicts and an FBI agent. Well…formerFBI agent.
They are constantly scowling at each other, as if we’re not all on the same team, and it has me on edge. How can we possibly expect to take Robert down when they can’t even agree on what to eat for dinner? The only time they ever seem to agree on anything is when it comes to my safety.
I love that they all care about me, but it is getting a little stifling. I get the sense that my boyfriends don’t want to leave me alone with Elias at all. They don’t trust him. I’m not sure what they thought would happen. I was glad I got to speak to him before we left the hotel two days ago. We’d been alone then, and nothing bad had happened.
They may be my boyfriends, but Elias is my best friend. After everything he had done for me, I could no longer hold it against him that he’d disappeared so abruptly. His life sincehad pretty much revolved around getting me out of there, and I hadn’t even known.
I find myself catching glimpses of this new version of him. One who has filled out into a strong, attractive man. He still has that boy-next-door charm, a term I learned from The Bachelorette. But it’s like he’s upgraded to man-next-door. He doesn’t seem so sweet and innocent anymore.
And if the way he looks at me sometimes means what I think it does, he doesn’t see me in the same way anymore, either. Thanks to the other guys, I have a good idea of what those looks mean. And they aren’t the way you look at your best friend. It is the same way the others look at me, but with a bit more longing and pain infused.
I have no idea what to do with this information. It’s not that I’m not attracted to him, because I am. Ireallyam. It’s that I already have four boyfriends, and getting that far has been a huge hurdle. Just thinking about broaching the subject makes me feel sick to my stomach. So every time my mind drifts in that direction, I think about something else before I have a panic attack.
Like Robert.
He’s stopped in Montana, which is where we’re heading now. Elias has found a safe house for us to stay at, and thanks to his new gadget and hacking skills, he’s confident the FBI won’t know we’re there this time. I’m looking forward to having a little more space for the six of us to cohabitate together. Hotel suites don’t offer many options for privacy, and the guys were getting on each other's nerves.
I’m surprised they lasted this long without a fist-fight breaking out.
“Turn off here,” Sly tells Dex, who moves usinto the exit ramp.
“What did we decide on for dinner?” I ask excitedly. Trying new food is becoming one of my favorite parts of the day. Well… that and cuddling.
“We’re going to an all-you-can-eat sushi restaurant,” Sly tells me.
“Sushi? Isn’t that raw fish?” Pete asks with a scrunch of his nose.
“I think you could all stand to add a little culture into your lives,” Sly says calmly.
“I don’t care what it is, you had me at all-you-can-eat!” Dex says excitedly as Sly tells him where to turn.
I glance over the seat at Elias as I ask, “Do you like sushi?”
He nods. “Yeah, it’s pretty good. And don’t worry, there are cooked options too.”
“What’s your favorite sushi?”
“Well, my favorite thing to get at a sushi restaurant is probably the spicy salmon roll.”
“Oh! I definitely want to try that! Sly?” I ask, turning back to the front where he’s seated in the passenger seat. “What’s your favorite?”
