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He gave a laugh, but it was strained, and his eyes were worried.
“Am I okay?”
“Yeah.” He looked around. “I just bought those tires, though. They shouldn’t have had an issue. I need you ready to fight if it comes to that.”
His words put me on edge, and I reached for my magic. My breath halted when there was more power in my core than just my magic. Mouth hanging open, I stared up into dark chocolate colored eyes. They stared back, unsure.
“I had to heal you. My Love element took a ride. It’s been pushing me to let it go to you almost since you arrived. I’ve been holding it back, not knowing what was going on until Nate’s explanation today.”
I’d tried sitting up to rise and help him. Now, I lay back, shock stealing all thought.
“I’m sorry. I should have just come right out and told you before this. After everything we’ve been through, I worried you would hate that we had such a relationship. I understand it’s not one of your favorite things and we’re pretty much stuck together, but one day I hope we can be friends.”
“Oh, sorry. I kinda thought we already were, or did I read too much into the café?” I winced, heat pooling in my cheeks. I’d read too much into it. At least I hadn’t considered it a date. That would have been worse.
His eyes lit up. “No, no. I just wasn’t positive you were at the friend stage yet. We haven’t gotten to talk about everything that’s happened, and I didn’t want to assume we’d made it that far. I’d love to be your friend, Tessa.”
My nose scrunched up. “Are you still going to call me Noodles?”
His eyes and grin turned mischievous. “Oh, little one, that will not pass.”
Crossing my arms and glaring while lying down did not make me look, or feel, powerful, but I did it nonetheless. “Fine. Then what do I get to call you?”
“Jeff?”
He winked and stood to look around. His body was still on edge, reminding me we were in a bit of trouble.
I held up a hand, and he took it, pulling me to my feet. We had rolled down a hill; not a big one, but a hill all the same. Snow lingered under the trees, half leafless and half evergreen, where the sun didn’t touch. Looking at the jeep, I frowned. It was a goner. Honestly, we were lucky we weren’t goners too.
Pulling my attention from the surroundings, I put it back on my Consort. Gosh, I had a Consort at my age.
“What’s Jeff short for?”
“Not going to answer that.”
He’d said it too quickly, and I smiled a sly grin and walked to him. “Am I going to have to start guessing? I kinda like the sound of Jeffarina. Or how about—"
“It’s Jefferson, okay, but nobody—NOBODY—uses it. Got it?”
I shrugged. “Still like my idea better.”
“I’m sure you do. Now, get by the jeep please.” He walked the ten feet with me and put himself on the other side of me from the jeep. “Keep low. I need to check out that tire, but I have to do something else first.”
He took off his vest with a wince. His long-sleeved undershirt was black, but when he reached for his right side, I noticed the wet mark on it and then the cut in the fabric.
“If blood makes you woozy, you’ll want to look away.”
I couldn’t look away as he pulled a decent-sized piece of glass from his side without a sound. He winced at its widest section, but other than that, he didn’t react. When he was finished, he tossed the glass in the jeep and replaced his vest.
“Are you okay?” My voice shook with worry.
He’d finished with his vest and pulled me up into a hug. “I’m fine, Noodles. I heal quickly. It will be a scratch by the time Cal, Adam, and Nate get here in a few minutes. Now, let’s look at the tire.”
Jeff kept me between him and the jeep as we made our way around to the other side of the vehicle. We were running out of sunlight to see by, but the pike sticking out of the rubber of the shredded tire was plain to see.
“Oh my gosh.”
My Consort held me close to him, hands on my waist, as he looked around. “If they were coming for us, they’d have been here by now, but I wouldn’t put it past them to be playing a trick. We need to get out of here.”
