Waking up to an empty bed shouldn’t have been a surprise considering that’s all I’ve ever known. But when I opened my eyes and the only evidence of Ethan’s presence was a slight dent in the pillow next to me, I almost felt like something was missing.
I pulled the covers up over my head in an unsuccessful attempt to hide from my own thoughts. I couldn’t help it; I felt my lips curve into a smile as I thought of last night. Ethan had been so sweet, so reassuring.
The gentle touch of his fingers lingered on my skin before the harsh reality of the morning slapped me across the face. What are you doing, Haley? You cannot get attached to these guys.
Questions raced through my mind. Had Ethan fallen asleep in here? How long did he stay? I pushed back the blanket and lightly ran my hand over the pillow. It did seem a little warm.
Thinking back, I wondered if I had shared too much with Ethan last night. I hoped he appreciated how personal the constellation myth was to me and tried to reassure myself that he did. Behind Ethan’s frequent smirks and wicked sense of humor, I recognized a depth lurking beneath the surface.
Nothing had really happened, but I wondered what the other guys would think. Maybe Chase and Knox hadn’t even noticed, asleep the entire time. Who was I kidding? They would have to be unconscious to realize that Ethan wasn’t out there.
I sat up, rubbing my hands over my face before laughing softly at the thought of what Jessica would think of such a predicament. She was a typical boy-crazy teenage girl, and over the years I often found myself living vicariously through her experiences. I could only imagine how she would react to Knox, Ethan, and Chase. I wished I could talk to her about them.
Finally ready to drag myself out of bed, I limped across the room and opened the bedroom door. Just as I took a step forward, the bathroom door opened and Chase stepped out, nearly crashing into me.
I gasped, startled by his sudden appearance and by his nakedness. Unable to stop myself, I glanced down and was relieved to see he was wearing a long peach towel tucked neatly at his waist. My temperature started rising and not just from the warm, humid air that slowly flooded the hallway from the bathroom.
Chase laughed, “Oops. I didn’t mean to almost run you over.”
“It’s fine,” I stammered, “I was just startled.” I really did try to avert my eyes from his shirtless body, but it was hopeless. Moisture clung to his glowing skin, the dew highlighting the contours of his muscles. He had powerful shoulders, toned biceps, and noticeable six-pack abs. His golden tan brought out the gold tones of his tousled blond hair. A few drops of water trickled down his chest, and I watched them disappear below his belly button.
Chase stepped back, suddenly looking embarrassed, pink filling his cheeks. “Sorry about this,” he said, gesturing to his body. “My clothes are in the dryer, and I didn’t expect you to be up yet. I’ll just go get them and get dressed.”
I stood there silently as he walked away, stunned by what just happened but admiring his form. Although I had obviously seen guys in their boxers or swimsuits on television, this was by far the closest I had come to a shirtless guy in real life.
Heading toward the kitchen, I passed Chase and tried not to stare. When he bent to dig in a backpack, I could see the clearly defined muscles of his abs flexing. He hastily grabbed a few items and returned to the bathroom. Glancing around, I didn’t see Ethan or Knox anywhere and assumed they must have already headed out.
I busied myself, debating what to have for breakfast. I quickly opened and closed cabinets, looking but not seeing their contents. Opening the fridge, I stared for several seconds, relishing the cool air on my face. Get it together, Haley.
Breakfast was ready by the time Chase reemerged, this time fully clothed, from the bathroom. Although my ankle was feeling significantly better than yesterday, I still had to limp around, and it made carrying anything awkward and slightly precarious. As I turned from the counter, Chase automatically picked up the dish for me and placed it on the table before sitting down.
Trying to remind myself that Chase was likely more embarrassed than I was, I thanked him and joined him at the table. He finally looked at me, a note of bashfulness remaining in his eyes. “Of course.”
Wanting to put him at ease, I tried to think of something to talk about while I ate breakfast. “So, what’s the plan for today? More board games?” I had fun hanging out with him yesterday and was hoping for a repeat.
“I may be going out later, but I’m sure we could fit in a few games.” He paused. “Actually, I have something I wanted to talk to you about.” He rubbed the back of his neck, a gesture I was beginning to associate with nervousness on his part.
“Oh yeah? What’s that?” My stomach flip flopped, certain that Chase was about to drop a bomb on me.
“The thing is, we have been wrapping up all of our business in the area and need to head back to Santa Cruz soon.”
I tried to keep my expression blank, but my heart immediately sank. I knew they weren’t going to stay here forever, but with the craziness of the last few days I hadn’t really thought about my next move. And now that I was finally getting used to having the guys around, I wasn’t sure I could stand the thought of them leaving. What am I going to do now?
Chase looked at me earnestly. “Haley, we want you to come with us.”
“What?” My shock was evident. “What do you mean? Like move there?”
“Yes. We want to help you, but we can’t stay here indefinitely. We will keep looking for your dad, and in the meantime, you will have a safe place to stay. And we can even help you find a job, if you want.” He paused, scanning my face for a reaction. “What do you think?”
I had no idea how to respond. What did I think? Part of me was ecstatic that it was even a possibility. But the more realistic part of me thought it was a crazy idea. I couldn’t really leave with them, could I?
Perhaps sensing my hesitation, Chase spoke again, his voice softer now. “I know you want to find your dad, but what are you going to do if you stay here? Get a hotel room and wait for him to show back up?” Preferring to see this as a rhetorical question, I mulled it over in silence.
Finally, I spoke. “Chase, it’s really nice of you guys to offer. But I don’t see how it could possibly work. I can’t just move hundreds of miles away while I have no idea where my dad is. How would he ever find me?”
Even as I said the words, I knew that they weren’t completely honest. Dad had told me that if the situation arose, I should run and not worry about him. And going to Santa Cruz would get me closer to San Francisco where the safe deposit box was located. While I was sure this wasn’t quite what he had in mind, there was no way he could have anticipated this situation.
Chase reached across the table, gently placing his hand on top of mine. “I don’t want to overwhelm you, but you need us. You already know that we think there might be someone after you as well, and we can protect you.” He paused, and I sensed that he was searching for the right words. “Knox, Ethan, and I have looked at this from every angle, and we think this is the best solution. We want you to come with us.”
He gently squeezed my hand before rising from the chair. “We will be in and out today. Take some time to think it over.”
Woodenly, I got up from the table and made my way to the deck. Chase was right. What was I going to do if I stayed here? Apart from the meager amount of cash in my purse, I was pretty much up a creek without a paddle. I didn’t have a place to stay, a driver’s license, a car, or a cell phone. I can’t even walk properly, I thought. Laughing to myself, the situation seemed utterly ridiculous.
Sitting on the deck chair, hours passed like minutes, my thoughts a jumble of uncertainty. My stomach was in knots. There was still a tiny part of me that worried Chase and the others were working for the bad guys, whoever they were. But the bigger part felt almost sure they were looking out for my best interests.
I didn’t want to be naive, but all things considered, going with them was the only thing that made sense. Dad had always told me to run and take care of myself. At the moment, I didn’t have the resources to make it on my own. And although I had been suppressing any worry about my personal safety, it was a definite consideration.
* * *
Before I knew it, the door slid open and Ethan popped his head out. “Hey there.” My heart did a little flip, and I grinned at him in response. He smiled, his mouth still closed, before opening it to speak. “Want some lunch?”
I shrugged. He said, “Don’t go anywhere,” before his head disappeared. A few minutes later, he reappeared carrying sandwiches. He handed me one before spreading out on the chair next to me.
As excited as I was to see Ethan, I was concerned that things would be awkward between us after last night. But I shouldn’t have worried; he talked to me like nothing had happened, asking about my ankle and making small talk.
Polishing off his sandwich, Ethan breathed a sigh of content. He sipped his drink then spoke. “I stopped by a few more places today to ask about your dad. Still no luck.”
Trying to reassure myself that Dad was fine and just staying off the radar, I twirled my hair and stared at the trees. All arrows seemed to be pointing toward Santa Cruz.
Ethan sighed. “Haley, I don’t know what’s going on here, but I really think you should come with us.” Having pretty much already reached that conclusion myself, I felt some of my tension ease. But I wasn’t ready to tell them yet. Some small part of me clung to the ridiculous hope that Dad would magically appear.
Ethan got up and offered me a hand. “Do you want to come in for a while?” I grasped his hand, and he pulled me up before looking me over. “Hey, isn’t that my shirt?”
I glanced down and nodded. After showering earlier, I was happy to put back on my bra, panties, and shorts, but I had to grab the first clean shirt I could find. The patterned button-down was clearly Ethan’s, and since it stopped about mid-thigh, I rolled the sleeves to my elbows and tied it at my waist.
“It looks much better on you than it ever did on me.” I blushed, trying to hide a smile. I felt giddy at the unexpected compliment.
A short time later, Ethan went outside to make a few calls. I relaxed on the couch for a few minutes but started feeling too antsy to sit idly in the silence. Remembering I’d left a book in the bedroom, I went in there to read.
I sat on the bed but quickly realized I could hear the faint sound of Ethan’s voice from outside the window. Lulled by the cadence and rhythm of his voice, it took me a minute to realize he was talking in Spanish. I was surprised by how fluent he was.
Inching over to the window, I hid in the shadows, curious about why he switched languages. Ethan was now directly outside the bedroom, and I was able to clearly make out his words.
At first, his side of the conversation sounded pretty mundane, like he was providing an update on what he’d done today. But, then I heard something that froze the blood in my veins. I covered my mouth in disbelief. Replaying the words in my head, I translated them again to make sure I hadn’t made a mistake.
“Yes, I think Chase has convinced her to come with us.” He fell silent, then, “No, she can’t know about that. She wouldn’t agree if we told her.” More silence. “I know, but we need to get her to Santa Cruz first.”
Ethan’s words became unintelligible as he resumed walking. While I only heard one end of the conversation, it was clear that they were talking about me. What can’t I know about? He said I wouldn’t agree to go to Santa Cruz if I knew.
Worried that Ethan would come inside and figure out I was eavesdropping, I shut the bedroom door and climbed under the covers. Suddenly exhausted, I figured a nap would be the easiest way to get alone time. Ethan checked on me about ten minutes later, and I told him that I needed to rest after not sleeping well last night.
The certainty I was feeling just a few minutes before slipped away. I had felt so confident that the guys were on my side, Ethan’s statements totally threw me for a loop. Even if they sounded worse out of context than they were, I was now doubting my decision. I didn’t think I could agree to leave with them when they were blatantly keeping important information from me. It stung to realize that my growing trust in them was misplaced.
I could have confronted Ethan, but the cautious side of me didn’t want the guys to know I was suspicious of them once again. It seemed like I would be better off if I just parted ways with them now before things became even more tangled and confusing. Once they dropped me off in the nearest town, maybe I’d have more luck finding Dad on my own.
After a short nap, I emerged from the bedroom and found Knox in the kitchen. “Hi,” I said, “I didn’t know you were here.”
He grabbed a drink from the fridge before walking to the living room and sinking into the armchair. “I just got back a few minutes ago. Sit down for a minute, please,” he said, pointing to the chair across from him. My stomach lurched, and I felt like a little kid again, waiting for a scolding from my dad.
Once I was seated, he continued. “I know that Chase and Ethan talked to you about coming to Santa Cruz. I don’t want to rush you, but we need to leave by tomorrow morning. Are you coming with us?” The way he said it was casual, almost as if he was asking if I needed anything from the store.
Not wanting to drag this out longer than necessary, I took a deep breath and lifted my head. “I appreciate the offer, but I can’t go with you. I need to find my dad, and I should stay in the area.”
He sipped his drink then spoke again. “We’ve been pretty thorough in our search. He may be good at hiding, but if he was still in the area, I think we would have found him by now.”
I grimaced, unsure whether I should be grateful or upset that the guys had not been able to find my dad. I opened my mouth as if to speak then closed it again. Finally I spoke. “If you were in my shoes and it was your brother out there, would you leave?”
Knox leaned forward, his green eyes drilling into mine. “I understand where you’re coming from, but I think you’re making the wrong choice. Your dad is most likely far away from here, probably trying to keep you safe. He wouldn’t want you to stay here by yourself, putting yourself in danger.”
My hands started to sweat, as I was sure he could tell something was wrong. I hoped my voice sounded more sure than I felt. “Thank you again, but I’ve made my decision.”
Knox relaxed against the couch cushions. “Okay, I’m not going to twist your arm,” he said with a small grin. “I think dinner is about ready. Let me help you to the table?”
That was it? I felt a small twinge of disappointment that Knox had given in so easily.
Dinner was a quiet affair. The guys discussed general plans for getting the cabin and cars ready to leave. No one asked me about my decision to stay or what my plans were once they left.
After dinner, I didn’t have the energy for poker. Glancing at the clock, I was surprised to find it wasn’t that late. I spread out on the couch with a book while they played at the table. The game was more subdued tonight; there was less banter, less animation.
Time seemed to slow. I felt a wave of sadness hit me, realizing that I would probably never see them again. I glanced slowly from face to face, lingering on each. All three were captivating and yet so different from each other.
Knox was such a dichotomy: powerful yet gentle. His striking green eyes could see right through me, allowing no room for questioning or hiding from the truth. Ethan was a mystery. Brown eyes sparkled behind his glasses, a smirk playing at the corner of his lips. Outwardly calm and comforting, there was more to Ethan than met the eye. And Chase, his clear blue eyes honest and true. He was a sweetheart.
My chest tightened. I felt like I belonged with them, and yet I knew I didn’t. Ethan’s phone conversation had removed any lingering doubts. They would go back to their normal lives and forget all about me in a few days. But I knew I could never forget them.
Even though I’d taken a short nap earlier, I was sleepy and my body felt drained of energy. I read a few words, but then my eyes closed and I drifted to sleep.