Page 106 of Whispers of the Water

Stepping back from him, my chest constricted. He smiled at me, but I saw worry and hesitation buried in those eyes. He was no doubt afraid to let me go with them, but I knew I’d be okay. With time, I had faith everyone would see the other could be trusted.

With one final hug and kiss, I went to walk away. His hand tightened around mine, and when I turned back to him, he looked at me as if I were the only thing in the world that mattered. “I love you, Bria.”

My heart leapt into my throat, and my eyes filled with tears. I didn’t think I’d ever get used to him saying that or ever grow tired of hearing it.

Smiling, I gave him one more soft, gentle kiss. “I love you, too.”

With that final goodbye, I made my way toward Dallas and the others. The long stretch of road felt more like a swaying bridge that was seconds from collapsing rather than solid ground. I was walking away from my old life to start a whole new one, blind.

Dallas smiled as she watched me approach. “Ready to go?”

Hell no.

“Ready,” I forced myself to say.

“You’re in the middle SUV with me, Rance, Imani, and Dax.”

Great. I got to be stuck in a car with Dax for the 17-hour drive back to Tennessee. Yippee.

After climbing into the sleek, black SUV, I made my way to the third row seating where Dallas joined me. Dax rode shotgun while Rance drove, and Imani rode in the middle seat.

We headed out onto the road, and that’s when everything caught up to me. The stress of the week, the chaos of the past two days, and the burden of my new role. I laid my head back against the seat, and within moments, I was drifting off to a world full of no stress, no chaos, and no burdens. Filled only with paint, cinnamon rolls, laughter, and Rune.

Chapter Thirty-Six

“NOT TRUE,” RANCE shouted.

“So true!” Dax argued.

Blinking, I sat up, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. Familiar buildings passed by, and I realized we were almost back to campus. The storefronts on main street brought a small sense of comfort. I was back home, safe and sound.

Rance groaned, clutching his forehead with one hand while the other remained poised on the steering wheel. The car swerved slightly, and I swallowed hard.

I was almost back home, safe and sound.

“Are you that much of an idiot?” Rance sighed.

Dax glared at him. “You’re obviously the moron. I don’t understand your logic at all.”

Glancing at Dallas, I found her watching them with a very bored, if not annoyed, frown. They must’ve been arguing for a while. She noticed me awake and turned to smile. “Hey.”

“Hey.” Leaning closer, I whispered, “What are they arguing about? I feel like a fight is about to break out.”

She faced the front again, glaring at them. “Oh, nothing important. Those idiots are just—”

“Wrong,” Rance bellowed. “It’s your logic that’s warped. In what world is a Reese’s better than a Butterfinger? Reese’s are way too sweet.”

I blinked, then glanced back at Dallas, who waved a hand at them as if to say, there you have it.

“They are not too sweet,” Dax countered, leaning in toward Rance. “And what about that crap in Butterfingers that sticks to your teeth when you eat it? Who enjoys that?”

“Me. Duh. That gives you a treat to have later.”

“You’re disgusting,” Dax spat.

Rance glanced in the rearview mirror and spotted me watching them. Instantly, he brightened. “Princess! You’re awake. Perfect. Tell Dax that Butterfingers are better than Reese’s.”

Smiling sheepishly, I said, “Actually, I prefer fruity candies. You know, like Skittles or Starbursts. Chocolate isn’t really my thing.”

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