Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 110278 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 551(@200wpm)___ 441(@250wpm)___ 368(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 110278 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 551(@200wpm)___ 441(@250wpm)___ 368(@300wpm)
“No kidding,” I reply. Tinsley puts her seatbelt on. I do the same, then I shift the Suburban in Drive, and we drive more miles than I ever thought possible in a day and half the freaking night.
TWELVE
TINSLEY
Last night, when we made it to the hotel that we reserved, it was dark, like black as midnight. If it weren’t for Leo, there was no way I would have gotten out of his vehicle. It was so dark you couldn’t see if anything was lurking around the corners. That promise I gave Leo, yeah, it didn’t happen. We showered together, not alone like I suggested so he could get some much-needed rest. Leo wasn’t having any of that though. So, we both quickly washed off before piling into bed. I was snuggled under the covers when Leo’s stomach rumbled. We looked at each other, seeing who would blame whom for the ravenous hunger running through it.
Then came the debate of what we should eat. I didn’t care as long as neither of us had to leave. We chose pizza, both of us devouring it as soon as it was cool enough to eat. I told Leo once while we were still in Seattle how much I loved hot sauce on my pizza. He somehow had it delivered with our food. That man, he knows the way to my pizza-obsessed heart.
We passed out shortly after we ate. I snuggled into his side, my legs tangled with his, my head on his chest while feeling him play with the strands of my hair. It lulled me to sleep faster than a newborn being rocked to sleep. How he’s able to keep his eyes open this morning, I have no idea.
“Ready to be in Virginia?” he asks me as he takes a sip of his black coffee at the pit stop we just made for food. How anyone can drink black coffee floors me. It’s so flavorless.
“Definitely. Are you sure you’ll be okay to drive the rest of the way today?” I won’t say I’ve nagged him during this trip, but I definitely have voiced my fears of him doing too much.
“Oh yeah, it’ll be worth it to be at my place. Not to mention I’m going to have to give the guys a briefing, and vice versa. It’s part of the reason Slade and I aren’t communicating right now. We didn’t want anyone to have a lead on where we are. So, your schoolwork will have to be put on pause for the day.” He’s leaning on the inside of the open door while the gas tank is being filled with fuel.
“I’m okay with that. Did something else happen besides the thing that shall not be discussed?” I quip, causing him to chuckle.
“No, sweetheart. Staying cautious until I can get you safe and at home with me.” He sets his coffee down in the cup holder before turning around to remove the nozzle from the gas tank so we can get on the road again.
“I love that, you know,” I say as he sits in the driver’s seat and starts up the vehicle.
“What’s that?”
“Being at home with you.” The way his throat works, the swallow he takes, the way Leo’s eyes devour me whole, I know he likes what I’ve just laid out for him.
“Me fucking too. It’s hard not to worry, but I’ll say it again. I promise everything will be okay, but we do need to get back on the road. I’ll feel better when we’re home, where there are other people around us and we have more of a game plan.”
“Not to mention it’s still my turn, you know?” I say to lighten the tone.
“Oh, I’m more than ready for that. There’s no doubt about that.” His voice is dripping with desire. It causes my core to clench and my legs to rub together to ease the need inside me.
We settle in for the long haul. Luckily, the Suburban he rented is comfortable, and when we stop for gas along the way, it also lets me stock up on snacks and run to the bathroom. How my body is handling the long car ride, I have no idea, but it’s probably due to the fear of the unknown and what my father is capable of.
“You think things will be normal after you guys get on the same page?” I ask. My mind is reeling. I told Leo I’d wait to find out what is really happening, but I’m on pins and needles waiting just the same.
“I think they will. It might take some skillful tactics and picking your brain, especially with what your grandfather told you. I’m going to go out on a limb and say there’s more that we haven’t figured out yet. Especially the money situation and your trust,” he mutters. Leo handles the car as if he was born to drive, no matter the traffic or the other drivers on the road, and believe me, I was on the edge of my seat some of this trip with the crazy way some were weaving in and out of traffic. I’m thankful that Leo told me all about Lodgeview, the small-town feel, no interstate in your backyard, and there are even areas where you’re surrounded by nothing but trees and grass. The way he described his home is something I’ve been visualizing, the small community-like feel in Drake’s subdivision but further in the back, so there’s still distance between them, but both can visit whenever. From the sound of it, Leo is trying to work on their relationship. Those years he was fighting, apparently, he wasn’t in a good place mentally or emotionally when it came to his family. It’s something that has raged a war inside of him, but he’s still mending the fences he broke years ago. A piece of me knows it’s misplaced guilt. From the way he’s talked about everybody, how they were willing to drop everything to help me in a time of need, there’s no way Leo is anything but loved. People make mistakes—some choose to learn from them, some choose to wallow in it. Leo isn’t wallowing in it by any means. I think he just needs to work it out in his own time.