Page 43 of Myla: The Hawthornes

Cian nodded.

We all found seats again, and without any fanfare or a single word, Cian gripped my hand and made sure that I was sitting next to him. He didn’t even look at me while he did it.

“We’re the first wave,” I warned quietly. “My parents are a couple hours behind us. I’m not sure who’s with them.”

Cian nodded.

“They’ve got hotel rooms,” Ashley added. “Good thing, with everyone sleeping at the house already.”

“You drive the RV out?” Brody asked her.

“Of course,” she replied. “Why, did you want to stay with me?” She wiggled her eyebrows.

“You wish,” he teased back.

“If I was twenty years younger.” Ashley winked.

Cian leaned back in his seat and dug his fingers into his eye sockets tiredly.

“We’re going to find a vending machine,” Frankie announced as she and Lou got to their feet. “I’m parched. Anyone want anything?”

“Get me a water, would you?” Gray asked, reaching for his wallet.

“I can pay for a water,” Frankie said, waving him off. “Anyone else?” She waited as everyone shook their heads, then put her hand out to me. “Come on, go with us.”

“Uh, I think I’ll just—”

“Go with ’em,” Cian said quietly.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah. I’m not goin’ anywhere.”

“All right.”

I pushed myself to my feet and followed Lou and Frankie as Ashley told the boys she was going to let Aoife know they were there and walked off in the other direction.

I glanced over my shoulder as we reached a bend in the hallway and saw the guys leaning forward and speaking quietly.

“Oh,” I murmured. Somehow I hadn’t even realized that the guys wanted us to get lost for a few minutes so they could talk without us there.

“Yeah,” Frankie said. “Brody gave me a little get-the-fuck-outta here signal.”

“What does that look like?” Lou asked wryly.

“Narrowed eyes,” Frankie replied, throwing her arm over my shoulder. “With a little chin jerk.”

“I totally missed it,” I mumbled.

“You were in a Cian bubble,” Lou said, walking backward so she could look at us. “I told you he wouldn’t tell you to fuck off.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“He looked relieved you’re here.”

“He probably is,” I replied. “Did you see his face?”

“Looking pretty haggard,” Frankie said as she dropped her arm. “Ashley looks beat, too.”

---