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29
Libby
Bailout
“The sour-sisters…” I shake my head and study my hands as we pass white line after white line on our way back to town.
Everyone packed up, Romeo is out, Spence is out, which means we’re all out. Now we’re following the convoy all the way back home, because whether Jay is mad about the failed meet or not, Spence is his brother, and he’s calling family emergency.
“I can’t believe the sour-sisters are involved in this shit.”
Gunner drives with an elbow resting on the door, one hand on the wheel, and the other sitting in his lap. He appears to be relaxed, but he’s anything but. His past has reared up just as savagely as mine, and his ticking jaw proves how mad he is. “Not that it surprises me. They were bitches then, and they’re bitches now. But I guess I’m still a little in shock. I can only take so many blasts from my past before I explode.”
“I wonder what game they’re playing?” I look up and meet his eyes. “Like, what do they want?”
“Revenge?” He shrugs. “They no longer live a life of luxury.” He rubs a hand over his face and sighs. “I truly have no clue. Meeting us in the valley wouldn’t have done them any favors. What do they expect? Us to write them a check?”
“I wonder who the guy is?” I nibble on my bottom lip in thought. “I didn’t recognize him by his body or anything.”
“Me neither. He’s just… average. Tall, but loads of dudes are. He’s not abnormally wide like Spence and Romeo, but he’s not skinny either.”
“He works out,” I ponder. “He wasn’t jacked, but he wasn’t fluffy either. We would have seen his face if we weren’t so high up. We should have been waiting in the valley.”
“We’ll work this out,” he promises. “And when we figure out who he is, we’ll take care of it.”
We let the silence take over for hours while Gunner drives until his eyes droop, and when he finally relents, we switch drivers and keep going all the way back to town.
It feels strange going back to town this way. It feels like we’ve been gone forever, but more than that, I’m coming backwithGunner. I know I technically left with him too, but this feels different. I’m not going to be scared of what people think anymore. I’m going to live my life with him right beside me, and just as soon as we take care of this fake-Theo business, I’m taking him to the station, and I’ll be telling them who he is to me.
My man.
The same man I’ve been in love with since I was nine.
Seventeen hours on the road. Two hours sleep for each of us. We arrive smelling of travel and stale air, only to watch Soph and Jay’s car head straight to the hospital. Frowning, I follow them into the parking garage, and when they head inside at a fast trot, Gunner and I collect our phones and wallets, and we follow them in to find that sweet girl Spence has spent every day for two months talking to on the phone, checked in and awaiting surgery.
“Family emergency.” Gunner takes my hand once we get enough information to ascertain what’s going on, then he leads me away from the packed room and back into the elevators. “They don’t need us here. Let’s go home and shower.”
“My apartment?” I yawn and lean against his strong body when mine decides it’s done with today.
Our threat is a million miles away from here, and though we should be worried, there’s no need to be, for now. We’re back home, and I refuse to be on guard instead of checking out long enough to get a decent sleep and a good meal.
“Yeah, your apartment. Let’s get some sleep. We’ll figure out the bitch sisters tomorrow.”
“At least it’s night this time.” I can’t stop the yawn that overtakes my body.
I’m beyond exhausted, and dangerously close to catching my second wind, so I stay sleepy, I let Gunner drive us home, and when there’s nothing weird happening at my apartment building – because despite my plans to not be on guard, I can’t turn that off so easily – we stumble our way up the stairs and through my front door.
I dump my bags on the couch and snatch up the red sweater like it’s my lifeline. I don’t need it anymore. I have the man and a lifetime promise, but I still press the sweater to my face as I stumble my way toward my room. I have a single second to worry that Gunner hasn’t followed, but when I toss the sweater onto my pillow and shove my jeans down my legs, he’s right there, helping me with my laces so I don’t trip on my face.
Jeans off, shirts off, we both strip down to our underwear, and when I climb under the covers, he follows me in and pulls my back against his chest so we touch from head to toe.
“I love you, Libby. I’ve got your back. We’re gonna fix this.”
“Love you too.” I yawn again and pull the sweater against my face the way I’ve done so many times over the years. “Thank you for loving me. Two people say that now. I like it.”
I feel the kiss he presses to the back of my head, but I’m already drifting off. “I’ll say it forever and ever. I’ve got you, babe. We spit shook on it.”
