The truth is I’ve never felt so vulnerable, and if she rejects me after I pour my heart out, I’m not sure I’ll ever recover.
The next hour of the flight consists of me trying to talk to Delaney, and her avoiding all conversation.Good times.She turns her back on me completely, and after sneaking peeks at her for another hour—like a fucking creeper—I end up going over and dropping down beside Addie. If anyone has words of wisdom for me, it’s her.
Her intuitive cobalt eyes regard me knowingly. “You look like you just lost something very important,” she says in a low voice, for my ears only.
“I’m scared I might have,” I admit, watching Delaney thumb through the same magazine she’s been looking at for the past hour. “I don’t know what’s going on.” Frustration fills my voice.
“I think it’s pretty obvious,” she states.
“Really? Then please tell me.”
“Love transforms a person’s world,” she murmurs. “And one day you wake up and realize someone else’s happiness is more important than your own.”
“Is that an Angel-ism?” I ask, referring to one of her mother’s wise sayings.
“Nope. It’s an Addie-ism.” She smirks. “How does your world feel right now, Ryder?”
“Like I’m floating in a snow globe and someone just shook the shit out of it.”
Addie lets out a low snicker. I give her a wry smile then glance over at Delaney again. She’s watching us from beneath her long lashes, but the moment I meet her gaze, she returns her attention to the magazine.
“How did you know you loved Cole?” I ask.
“When I couldn’t picture my life without him,” she answers with zero hesitation.
“But how did you know he loved you back? That it was a leap worth taking?” I press.
“You can’t guarantee someone will love you back. But he did work pretty hard to make me see we had something special. And every time he looked at me, touched me, held me, it reassured everything I felt. Or, in my case, was scared to feel.”
“Like Delaney,” I murmur thoughtfully. “I think she’s scared.”
“Of course, she’s scared, dummy.” She slugs my shoulder. “She’s spent most of her life alone, hiding who she is from everyone. Then you come along with your pretty brown eyes and smooth-talking ways, and she opens up. Vulnerability is uncomfortable. Baring your heart and soul when you’ve kept it hidden and protected for so damn long? That’s downright terrifying.”
“When the hell did you become so wise?” I ask, a little in awe.
“After I fell in love.” She sends me a playful wink. “I suggest you go back over there and sit with your girl, because she’s starting to look a little green with envy.”
“Thanks, Addie.”
“Anytime, lover boy.”
One day you wake up and realize someone else’s happiness is more important than your own.
Yeah, I’m there. I’d do anything to put a smile on my little Brit’s face.
We land on a dirt runway at an airport—and I use the term loosely—that looks like it’s been abandoned. After exiting the plane, I lower my sunglasses and study the rugged land and far-off horizon.Shit, we really are in the middle of nowhere.Yet, somehow, two Jeeps loaded with gear and supplies wait for us, courtesy of The Man. Once again, I wonder who he is and how he has so many connections. We’re in the middle of the Kalahari Desert, yet The Man has everything we need already in place.
“Oh, look! My favorite!” Brighton exclaims, lifting a package of cookies out of a cooler in one of the vehicles.“Macarons au chocolat.” She bites into one and lets out a lusty sigh. “Mmm, tastes like home.”
Hmmm, interesting.I look through the rest of the provisions and don’t see any of my favorite foods. Or anyone else’s. As Brighton happily chews the little French cookie, I can’t help but think it was a special gift just for her. Makes me wonder if our mysterious benefactor might have a littlecrush on the gorgeous brunette. Looking at my friends’ faces, I’m pretty sure they’re thinking the same thing.
I take a minute to get my bearings straight, then dive into operations mode. “The mine is about an hour drive that way,” I announce, glancing up from my map and pointing south.
Hunter looks around, chews her lower lip, and frowns. “Maybe I should stay with the plane.”
“No way,” Knox declares. “You’re staying with me.”
She flips her ponytail, not appearing worried in the least. “I’ve got my gun, phone and comms. I’d rather not leave our ride unattended.”
