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I shifted to the aisle seat too, and while two nurses from the Navy boarded the plane with the remaining people we’d rescued—who weren’t currently on their way to Mexico—I tucked a blanket under Blake so she could sprawl out across two seats and hopefully get some rest.
“Don’t tell me to sleep, okay?”
“I’m not telling you anything.” I gripped her chin and kissed her nose. “Butwhenyou fall asleep, I will be right here. You can use my leg as a pillow.”
She chewed on the inside of her cheek, struggling with problems that didn’t belong in her sweet head. She wasn’t supposed to fear falling asleep—or the light being off. She wasn’t supposed to want three rounds of bath time in one day either, but here we were. She’d scrubbed at her arms till I’d had to intervene. I fucking hated it.
Elliott reached a hand over the headrest of his seat, and I grabbed it, leaned forward, and kissed his hand. The slightest contact was more than welcome—I craved it. Felt like he did too.
“Are you and Uncle Ellie friends now?” Blake asked.
We’d expected this.
Because she’d grown up with Elliott and me avoiding each other, that had always been status quo, something she’d only started questioning the last couple of years—and not frequently. She just hadn’t understood, and she’d grown bored and impatient with us, separately, trying to explain that we didn’t get along well.
“We’re the best friends you can be,” I replied, brushing my thumb over Elliott’s finger. I wasn’t ready to let go yet. “I guess you can say that finding you brought us together.”
“Huh.” She tilted her head and eyed our hands. “Mom said you and Uncle Ellie are fighting over who gets to spend the most time with me, and I tell her every time I can stop going to school and just be with you two.”
I coughed around a laugh, and Elliott chuckled.
“Your mom says a lot of things,” he drawled.
She sure fucking did.
* * *
Four hours into the flight, Elliott and I finally got a quick moment of privacy.
Maybeprivacywas a stretch; we remained seated, me with Blake’s head in my lap, him with a sleeping Julian in his arms, and we had Reese dozing on and off across the aisle.
“I hope you’re not changing your mind about me staying at your place for a while,” I murmured.
“Of course not. I’ll need you there.” He kissed my cheek and rested our foreheads together. “This one isn’t housebroken yet. A nurse gave me a handful of Pull-Ups, but I gotta buy more.”
Housebroken—for chrissakes.
I killed my laugh and just shook my head. “It’s a person, you clown. Not a dog.”
“See? I’m hopeless.” He smiled tiredly.
He was anything but. A bit rough around the edges, maybe. Something I happened to find dangerously attractive.
The humor faded, and he just looked at me for a second.
I stared right back. I couldn’t wait for things to settle down. To be in one place for longer than a night or two. To behome.
“Did you and Piper decide anything?” he murmured.
I shook my head. “We didn’t really talk.” It’d been her moment with Blake. I’d texted Piper about the extent of Blake’s injuries—or what we knew so far—because Piper had obviously feared the worst, just as I had, when it came to sexual abuse. But that was one thing we didn’t have to worry about. “We should probably brace ourselves for a confrontation, though. Piper will wanna bring Blake with her for a few days, and I’m not sure I can do that yet. I don’t think Blake can either.”
He smirked ruefully. “So the solution is that both you and Piper stay at my place in the beginning?”
“Well, we’re sure as fuck not going to my depressing little apartment—or Piper’s place, for that matter.”
He chuckled quietly. “It’s fine. She can stay for as long as she wants. But—”
“We’re not hiding,” I said quickly. I had to. I had to get that out there. “You better not suggest we hide anything.”
