not to. Especially since he thought I was dead. But that’s also exactly the reason I didn’t run into his arms and tell him as soon as it was clear who he was. Would he even believe me? I didn’t exactly have proof of my identity or anything. Even if I did, I couldn’t just spring it on him like that.
I wasn’t sure when, but I knew I had to wait for the right time. I promised myself I wouldn’t take too long and I tried to control myself when he walked out onto the porch after my meeting with Riot.
“Mornin’,” he growled. The Jesse I remembered was happy, his voice light and excited about life. Wreck was the exact opposite. He was serious. Brooding, almost. He walked around like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders, and now that Grace had filled me in, I felt awful knowing I had a part in changing him.
“Hey,” I said, smiling at him. I’d missed him so fucking much for the last ten years. I couldn’t help but drink him in. The way he smelled, the way the heat rolled off of his large frame, the size of those tattooed arms, the way his cut stretched across his huge shoulders. He’d grown, in more ways than one. Jesse was a boy, but this man in front of me exuded masculinity. His dark grey eyes smoldered when they landed on me, ripping the breath right out of my chest. I swallowed hard, lifted my chin, and took a strained and ragged deep breath as I stared deeply into his eyes.
Couldn’t he tell it was me? Didn’t something inside of him recognize me, even if I didn’t look the same? He tore his eyes from mine and my heart sank.
“So,” he said, staring off into the woods. “Sleep well?”
“No, not really,” I replied, staring at his familiar profile. “Lots of anxiety, I guess.”
“That’s to be expected,” he said, nodding.
“Yeah,” I said, followed by the most awkward silence ever. He just stood there, looking out at the trees, not saying a word. I was beginning to think he’d forgotten I was even there, when he turned to me suddenly.
“There’s another meeting,” he said. “In ten minutes.”
“Oh, okay,” I nodded, watching as he turned and walked back in the cabin. And just like that, he was gone.
Fuck. He was friendly yesterday, and he wasn’t being unfriendly now, but he was so withdrawn, almost cold, and again, I couldn’t help but think of the contrast between the old Jesse and Wreck.
It dawned on me that maybe he was going through the same thing, only for different reasons. He looked like he’d lost his best friend and I guess he had. We both had. I couldn’t imagine how it would have felt if he was the one that died. I’d been taken away from him, but I always knew he was safe and sound.
In the back of my mind, I’d always known I’d find him once I’d escaped from Royce. But I never in a million years thought it would go down like this.
I have to tell him. I have to.
But it was really hard to have a discussion with someone that looked like they were wearing a suit of body armor. He was so closed off, I was left wondering if he’d ever open up again.
And once I told him, then what? If he wasn’t interested in being around me now, in being around the person I was now, then maybe what we had was gone. Maybe that had died, too.
“Hey, darlin’,” Slade’s head poked out of the front door. “Meetin’ time.”
“Thank you,” I said, walking in as he held the door open for me.
“My pleasure,” he said, winking at me. Slade was tall and a little scary, but I liked him. He was real. Genuine. A salt of the Earth kind of guy. With Slade, it was obvious you got what you saw. No games, no punches.
I liked him. A lot.
We walked into the War Room together and joined everyone at the table. Grace was at the head of it and she started talking as soon as we sat down.
“Okay, I’ll make this brief. We’ve come up with an initial plan to get close to Randolph. Ryder and I are going to figure out a way to get an introduction to him and pose
I wasn’t sure when, but I knew I had to wait for the right time. I promised myself I wouldn’t take too long and I tried to control myself when he walked out onto the porch after my meeting with Riot.
“Mornin’,” he growled. The Jesse I remembered was happy, his voice light and excited about life. Wreck was the exact opposite. He was serious. Brooding, almost. He walked around like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders, and now that Grace had filled me in, I felt awful knowing I had a part in changing him.
“Hey,” I said, smiling at him. I’d missed him so fucking much for the last ten years. I couldn’t help but drink him in. The way he smelled, the way the heat rolled off of his large frame, the size of those tattooed arms, the way his cut stretched across his huge shoulders. He’d grown, in more ways than one. Jesse was a boy, but this man in front of me exuded masculinity. His dark grey eyes smoldered when they landed on me, ripping the breath right out of my chest. I swallowed hard, lifted my chin, and took a strained and ragged deep breath as I stared deeply into his eyes.
Couldn’t he tell it was me? Didn’t something inside of him recognize me, even if I didn’t look the same? He tore his eyes from mine and my heart sank.
“So,” he said, staring off into the woods. “Sleep well?”
“No, not really,” I replied, staring at his familiar profile. “Lots of anxiety, I guess.”
“That’s to be expected,” he said, nodding.
“Yeah,” I said, followed by the most awkward silence ever. He just stood there, looking out at the trees, not saying a word. I was beginning to think he’d forgotten I was even there, when he turned to me suddenly.
“There’s another meeting,” he said. “In ten minutes.”
“Oh, okay,” I nodded, watching as he turned and walked back in the cabin. And just like that, he was gone.
Fuck. He was friendly yesterday, and he wasn’t being unfriendly now, but he was so withdrawn, almost cold, and again, I couldn’t help but think of the contrast between the old Jesse and Wreck.
It dawned on me that maybe he was going through the same thing, only for different reasons. He looked like he’d lost his best friend and I guess he had. We both had. I couldn’t imagine how it would have felt if he was the one that died. I’d been taken away from him, but I always knew he was safe and sound.
In the back of my mind, I’d always known I’d find him once I’d escaped from Royce. But I never in a million years thought it would go down like this.
I have to tell him. I have to.
But it was really hard to have a discussion with someone that looked like they were wearing a suit of body armor. He was so closed off, I was left wondering if he’d ever open up again.
And once I told him, then what? If he wasn’t interested in being around me now, in being around the person I was now, then maybe what we had was gone. Maybe that had died, too.
“Hey, darlin’,” Slade’s head poked out of the front door. “Meetin’ time.”
“Thank you,” I said, walking in as he held the door open for me.
“My pleasure,” he said, winking at me. Slade was tall and a little scary, but I liked him. He was real. Genuine. A salt of the Earth kind of guy. With Slade, it was obvious you got what you saw. No games, no punches.
I liked him. A lot.
We walked into the War Room together and joined everyone at the table. Grace was at the head of it and she started talking as soon as we sat down.
“Okay, I’ll make this brief. We’ve come up with an initial plan to get close to Randolph. Ryder and I are going to figure out a way to get an introduction to him and pose
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