going to explain the energy ribbons from Maggie' s gift to a human? So I took the coward's path a nd changed the subject. "You lie down back here." I shifted to ease her back down gently. She sighed, letting me know she knew something was up and knew I was playing the deflection card. "So what happened?"
Her lip started to quiver. I leaned down and put a hand on her head to hopefully offer her some comfort. I felt a little s t ing go through my arm. I realized it was my body warning me that this girl didn't belong to me and I wasn't supposed to be touching her. She wasn't Maggie . I pushed it away and tried to keep up my comfort of Maggie's best friend . She started slow. "We ran out of gas. But Ralph had just filled up about an hour before that so I knew something was wrong. The gauge said we were empty, but that wasn't possible. Our cells didn't work. We waited and waited and then decided to try to find someone or something when night came and… and we knew no one was coming for us. But then we got lost and couldn't find the car again."
"It's OK," I soothed, but under my breath I was cursing Marcus. I knew he had something to do with this. Knew it. "Shh. Sleep, all right?"
She nodded and let a breath go that said she was exhausted.
"Babe," I called quietly back to Maggie before rounding the back and sitting on the edge of the trunk. "How's he doing?"
"He drank the whole bottle down ." She smiled in relief. "I think he'll be all right."
"OK , well…" I hated this next part. "We can't take them to a hospital…or home, you know that right?"
She sighed and nodded. "I know. The Watsons can't know that they're alive."
" We'll find a hotel in town and then we'll go back to my place tomorrow. Figure out what to do from there."
"Are you going to be OK with that? All of us invading your space?" She bit her lip. "I mean, I've never even been there."
"Are you kidding? Of course I'm fine with it. I would like to have you there all alone, but…" Even I heard my voice go all husky. She scooted out from under Ralph's head, who had passed back out, and met me at the back. I helped her down and wrapped my arms around her. "You in my space is what I've wanted from the very beginning."
"Thank you," she whispered. I felt her body jolt as she tried to hold in a sob. She was breaking my heart all over again. " For being so sweet to my friend."
"Of course, baby. Of course." I put my hand behind her head and pulled her to me. She tried to stop me.
"No, Caleb, I'll start crying again. Let's just go-"
"Resistance is futile." She fought her smile and rolled her eyes at me. I smiled and beckoned her back to me with my fingers. "Come here."
She sighed dramatically, but her fingers told the truth when she gripped my back and laid her cheek on my chest. I knew we had things to do, but she needed this right now. She needed my touch to refill her and calm her so she could be there for her friend with a clear head. I combed my fingers through her hair before pulling the hood on my hoodie she was still wearing up over her head. "It's cold. Ok, let's go. You all right?"
"I'll be fine when these two are safe again." She closed her eyes tight. "She almost died. I thought she was dead."
"We'll find Marcus, don't you worry about that," I promised and felt the rumble go through my chest. "And when we do, I'll end this like I should have done a long time ago."
She looked up at me. I expected her to be appalled, but she nodded. "And I'll be right there beside you."
I didn't argue or agree. I just held her chin between my thumb and fingers and kissed her once. Then I ticked my head toward the car and climbed into the driver's seat to find us a hotel for the night.
I couldn't tell anyone that we'd found them or that they were alive. Not yet. That sucked worse than anything right then, remembering Beck's mom's face. She deserved to know the truth, but for now, it was our little secret to bear.
As I backed out to turn around, I saw Maggie reach
Her lip started to quiver. I leaned down and put a hand on her head to hopefully offer her some comfort. I felt a little s t ing go through my arm. I realized it was my body warning me that this girl didn't belong to me and I wasn't supposed to be touching her. She wasn't Maggie . I pushed it away and tried to keep up my comfort of Maggie's best friend . She started slow. "We ran out of gas. But Ralph had just filled up about an hour before that so I knew something was wrong. The gauge said we were empty, but that wasn't possible. Our cells didn't work. We waited and waited and then decided to try to find someone or something when night came and… and we knew no one was coming for us. But then we got lost and couldn't find the car again."
"It's OK," I soothed, but under my breath I was cursing Marcus. I knew he had something to do with this. Knew it. "Shh. Sleep, all right?"
She nodded and let a breath go that said she was exhausted.
"Babe," I called quietly back to Maggie before rounding the back and sitting on the edge of the trunk. "How's he doing?"
"He drank the whole bottle down ." She smiled in relief. "I think he'll be all right."
"OK , well…" I hated this next part. "We can't take them to a hospital…or home, you know that right?"
She sighed and nodded. "I know. The Watsons can't know that they're alive."
" We'll find a hotel in town and then we'll go back to my place tomorrow. Figure out what to do from there."
"Are you going to be OK with that? All of us invading your space?" She bit her lip. "I mean, I've never even been there."
"Are you kidding? Of course I'm fine with it. I would like to have you there all alone, but…" Even I heard my voice go all husky. She scooted out from under Ralph's head, who had passed back out, and met me at the back. I helped her down and wrapped my arms around her. "You in my space is what I've wanted from the very beginning."
"Thank you," she whispered. I felt her body jolt as she tried to hold in a sob. She was breaking my heart all over again. " For being so sweet to my friend."
"Of course, baby. Of course." I put my hand behind her head and pulled her to me. She tried to stop me.
"No, Caleb, I'll start crying again. Let's just go-"
"Resistance is futile." She fought her smile and rolled her eyes at me. I smiled and beckoned her back to me with my fingers. "Come here."
She sighed dramatically, but her fingers told the truth when she gripped my back and laid her cheek on my chest. I knew we had things to do, but she needed this right now. She needed my touch to refill her and calm her so she could be there for her friend with a clear head. I combed my fingers through her hair before pulling the hood on my hoodie she was still wearing up over her head. "It's cold. Ok, let's go. You all right?"
"I'll be fine when these two are safe again." She closed her eyes tight. "She almost died. I thought she was dead."
"We'll find Marcus, don't you worry about that," I promised and felt the rumble go through my chest. "And when we do, I'll end this like I should have done a long time ago."
She looked up at me. I expected her to be appalled, but she nodded. "And I'll be right there beside you."
I didn't argue or agree. I just held her chin between my thumb and fingers and kissed her once. Then I ticked my head toward the car and climbed into the driver's seat to find us a hotel for the night.
I couldn't tell anyone that we'd found them or that they were alive. Not yet. That sucked worse than anything right then, remembering Beck's mom's face. She deserved to know the truth, but for now, it was our little secret to bear.
As I backed out to turn around, I saw Maggie reach
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