***
When I enter my room, I immediately peel my shirt off and begin rifling through my drawers for clean clothes to wear. I passed Jenica in the hallway and she informed me that we were meeting in the Professor’s quarters in twenty minutes—just enough time for me to shower, shave, dress and scarf down a few strips of beef jerky and drink some water before joining the meeting.
Without thinking, I throw open the bathroom door, forgetting to knock like I always do. The connecting door to Blythe’s room is hanging open and I can see her and Gage inside, seated on opposite sides of her narrow bed, talking.
“I’m sorry I failed you,” Gage is saying as I drop my clothes onto the bathroom counter. My jaw tightens as he reaches across the bed to take her hand. “I failed all of you.”
“What happened to Olivia wasn’t your fault,” Blythe says, curling her fingers around his. “I don’t blame you.”
Gage shakes his head and lowers his eyes. “You should.”
“Hey,” Blythe says, reaching up to his jaw with her free hand. “No more guilt, okay? Remember, we’re a family here. There is no condemnation here. The operation was dangerous and we should never have attempted two rescue missions simultaneously. It put all of us at risk, including you. I would never have forgiven myself for being part of making that decision if something had happened to you.”
“Hey guys,” I call loudly from the bathroom, as if I’ve just walked in on them. “Meeting in the Professor’s quarters in twenty.”
Blythe drops Gage’s hand as if burned and stands quickly. “Oh, hey Dax. I guess we better get ready then.”
“Right,” says Gage, shooting me a glare as he stands as well. “I need to change, too. I’ll meet you guys there.”
He turns to Blythe and bends down to kiss her cheek. Murderous thoughts fill my mind and I find I’m starting to enjoy them.
“Thanks,” he says before leaving the room, pausing to shoot me another glare.
I raise my eyebrows and shrug as if I have no idea what he’s so pissed about. Asshole.
Once he’s gone, Blythe turns to me, arms crossed over her chest, a hint of a smile curling her lips. “Stop it, Dax!”
I hold my hands up and shrug. “What? What did I do?”
“You know exactly what you did. Stop acting like my guard dog.”
“Hey, speaking of dogs, where is Dog?” I haven’t seen our wiry, furry little friend since we got home.
“He’s in Mosley Hall with the kids, and stop trying to change the subject.”
“Okay, fine! I’m sorry, okay?” I say, stepping forward to pull her into my arms. I’m done playing the nice guy. “It’s just …”
She pulls back, but not completely out of my embrace, which leaves me feeling a bit smug. “It’s just that you told me you loved me, and I haven’t told you how I feel.”
I nod, giving her a little squeeze and reveling in the feel of her pressed up against me. She places her hands against my chest and pushes slightly, forcing me to let her go.
“Look,” she says, taking a step away. “You want the truth? I don’t know how I feel.”
I shrug and rub my chin nonchalantly. “Fair enough.”
“I need time to figure it out, but the problem with that is there’s is no time. The government is breathing down our necks, Olivia is imprisoned at Stonehead, we just had to shut down one of our most valuable hideouts and fuel-smuggling operations, and don’t even get me started on those Reject freaks.”
“I get it, B. I understand.”
She sighs as if releasing a ton of doubt and worry. “So, we’re agreed. I’m allowed to be undecided for now.”
“For now.”
“And you don’t get to make me feel guilty about it.”
“Duly noted.”
“And you’ll stop treating Gage like shit.”
I wince as if her statement has physically hurt me. “Now, see, that’s going to be tough.”
Blythe folds her arms over her chest and pretends to frown. “Try harder.”
Coming in close again, I grasp her shoulders and pull her up against me. Her arms drop to her sides and her body melts into mine.
“That’s the thing,” I say, my mouth inches from hers. “When a guy wants the same thing I want, I tend to get sore about it.”
“Just remember that I belong to no one,” Blythe says, the quavering in her voice betraying the straight face she’s wearing. “This isn’t a pissing contest and I am not a prize to be won.”
“No,” I say, my lips brushing hers lightly. “You are not a prize, you are the prize. And I don’t intend to lose you.”
She sways into me and it’s all the permission I need to cover her mouth with mine, groaning deep in my chest as she opens her mouth to me, the warmth of the inside of her mouth mingling with mine. When our tongues touch, she pulls away her eyes wide.
I smile and chuck her on the chin lightly with my knuckles. “I said I’d let you go on undecided, I never said I’d stop showing you just exactly where I stand.”
She continues to stand there, silent and motionless until I finally grab her by the shoulders and steer her back towards her room.
“Less than twenty minutes, B. Unless you want to see me take my pants off, you should go. Or stay, it’s really up to you.”
My laughter follows her as she runs from the bathroom and slams the door.