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Like when we drove here, I expect Hunter to make me sit up front so he can sit beside Raven. And unlike when we drove here, I’m okay with that, figuring I can use a break. But as I wait for Hunter to climb in, he doesn’t, telling me, “I need to plug some stuff in, so do you want to sit in the back?” He’s cautious, as if he can sense me veering toward the edge.
“I … Sure.” I swallow down a shaky breath then move to climb in.
“Are you sure?” Hunter double-checks.
I’m not, but I nod anyway and get in, leaving a bit of space between Raven and me as I settle in the back seat. She eliminates that space slightly, scooting closer to me.
“Are you okay?” she asks quietly with worry in her eyes.
I nod then turn my head before she can read the lie in my expression.
Then she does something that nearly shatters me.
She reaches over and places her hand on mine, giving it a squeeze. I did something similar to her today, and I’m not sure if that’s why she does it, or if she just senses that I’m about to break. Whatever the reason, I find myself grasping on instead of pulling away, like I normally would. Even with Lana, I was closed off. It’s one of the many reasons why we broke up.
Raven doesn’t say anything else, remaining quiet as we start the short drive toward her house, with me clutching onto her hand. Eventually, I start to relax and thread my fingers through hers. She briefly tenses, and I expect her to pull away, but she doesn’t. She just continues to let me hold onto her. And the scary part is I like it. I don’t know why. Why I feel this connection to her, but it’s freaking me out a little.
Maybe Jax is right.
Maybe we shouldn’t have let Raven into this group.
10
Raven
Jax is upset,and I’m still a bit uncertain why. I’m also a little unsure why I decided to hold his hand. Maybe because he did the same thing for me earlier? I don’t know …
Whatever the reason, the gesture does seem to relax him, enough that he scoots closer to me and laces our fingers together. He doesn’t say anything, just breathes softly while staring out the window as we drive toward my house. Hunter doesn’t talk either, too busy setting up the gear. Zay’s quiet, too, but I do see him glance at me in the rearview mirror a few times. Why? I’m not sure. What I am sure about is that these guys are really confusing.
The silence almost becomes maddening to the point where I’m kind of relieved when we park beside my house, something I never thought I’d ever feel. Zay parks in the trees where the car is out of view of anyone who pulls up into the driveway, but I can still spot the house through the cracks in the trees.
“Are we ready to go?” Zay asks Hunter as he turns off the car.
Hunter nods as he stuffs the last of the cameras and equipment into a backpack he brought with him. He keeps one of the iPads out and twists in the seat to look at me.
“However, this device goes to this pretty girl right here.” He grins at me as I take the iPad from him.
I roll my eyes. “And there you go with your cheesy lines again.”
“Aw, baby, I’m sorry,” he says innocently. “I forgot I said I was gonna try to stop.” He bats his eyelashes at me. “Please forgive me.”
I roll my eyes again but can’t help smiling. “I will, but only if you don’t call me baby anymore.”
“I’ll try my best,” he tells me with a mischievous smile.
“Great. That means you’re gonna call me baby a lot, doesn’t it?” I grimace.
He wets his lips with his tongue. “I think you’re catching onto my quirks, aren’t you, pretty Raven?”
“Quirks?” I question with my arms crossed. “Or obnoxious habits?”
He chuckles at that while Zay sighs and pushes open the door. “Make sure she knows how to use the app,” he tells Hunter before climbing out.
Hunter gives him a salute, his gaze briefly flitting to Jax, who hasn’t uttered a word and is still staring out the window. He momentarily frowns but erases it when he focuses back on me.
“All right, so all you need to do is keep this open.” He leans over so he can tap the screen of the iPad, strands of his hair tickling my face as he gets close.
As he pushes the buttons, his gaze strays Jax and mine’s interlocked fingers and freezes. He blinks, and I almost pull away but don’t want to upset Jax. When Hunter’s gaze skates back to me, he doesn’t look upset or anything, just curious. He offers me a smile before tapping open an unlabeled app. When the screen goes black, I glance up at him in confusion.
