Page 78 of Line of Resistance

Nate slid the tray onto his side of the bed before stroking one hand across her face.

Eloise’s lids fluttered open and she gave him a soft smile. “You’re back.”

“I’m back and you need to eat. Then you can go to sleep.” He scooted the tray closer as she shifted into a sitting position, then snagged one of the cans of pop and cracked it open, setting it on her nightstand before peeling back the sleeve on a package of string cheese and offering it up. Eloise took it with a softthank youand started eating while he opened the fruit tray, popping off the lid and peeling back the protective wrap before going to work on the yogurt-based dip at the center.

“What do you like to eat?” Eloise’s smile slipped. “It seems like you know some of my favorites, but I don’t know any of yours.”

“I can eat anything.” Nate pried off the lid of the yogurt dip and set it aside.

“That’s not what I asked.” Eloise waited for his eyes to come to hers. “I know you can eat anything. You probably had to as a kid.” She grabbed another package of cheese and opened it before holding it out to him. “I want to know what youlike.”

It was something he’d never really thought about. He simply always ate what was there and was grateful to be eating at all. Being picky was never an option. Not liking something never mattered. His willingness to eat whatever was offered continued as he got older. Even now, there were few things he would call a favorite. Few, but they did exist. “I like lattes.”

Eloise peeled off another strand of cheese, feeding it between her lips as she smiled. “Right. Because Elise had to learn how to make them and I’m sure you drank every one and told her it was amazing, right?”

He smiled at the memory of choking down more than a few terrible cups of coffee while the office manager for Alaskan Security perfected her technique. “Something like that.”

“Can we make a deal?” Eloise snagged a piece of cantaloupe and dipped it into the yogurt before holding it out, waiting until he opened his mouth before continuing. “I want you to be honest with me. If you don’t like something it’s okay to tell me. I don’t just want you telling me what you think I want to hear.”

Nate chewed through the cantaloupe, swallowing down the barely sweet, watery mess. “Isn’t that what you do? You go along with whatever your friends want, smiling the whole time while you pretend it’s what you want to do too?”

Eloise’s mouth dropped open and she scoffed.

But she didn’t tell them he was wrong.

She snagged another piece of cantaloupe, dipping it into the yogurt before feeding it to him. “I had a hard time making friends when I was younger. My dad raised me to be pretty blunt and straightforward and it turns out most people don’t enjoy that, so I decided to just be what they did like.”

“How did that work out for you?” Nate obligingly swallowed down his second mouthful of cantaloupe.

Eloise lifted a shoulder in a shrug. “Okay, I guess. I have friends and they seem to enjoy hanging out with me.” She popped a grape into her mouth, chewing through it before continuing. “I’m not so sure they would like me as much if they knew the real me.”

“I like the real you.” Nate leaned in, catching her chin with the tip of one finger to keep her in place as he brushed his lips over hers. “I like the real you a hell of a lot.”

He actually did more than like Eloise, but her reaction to what he was now fairly confident accidentally slipped out of her mouth made it seem like she wasn’t quite ready to hear that yet. Which was fine. He had all the time in the world to wait until she was ready. And he’d be waiting with her beside him.

“Yeah, but you’re weird.” She gave him one of the sneaky little smiles she didn’t offer anyone else. “And I’m still not sure I can trust your judgment.”

“Well, I fucking hated Matt, so hopefully that counts for something.” He hadn’t wanted to bring that ass back into the room, but the comment slid right out.

Eloise gave a gleeful little laugh that tipped her head back. “I can promise you he is not a big fan of yours either.” Her laugh developed an evil little edge. “I would have loved watching you throw him out on his ass if I hadn’t been so pissed off when you showed up that day.”

“Hopefully I don’t have the opportunity to do it again.” Nate snagged a piece of cantaloupe and fed it between her lips. “Maybe this weekend we can go start packing your place up.”

Eloise sighed, slouching down against the headboard as she chewed. “That’s fine, but I have to go to work Monday. I promised Becky I would be there when I called her earlier. I think she’s really worried about me, and I want her to see I’m okay.” She rubbed her lips together, eyes slowly coming to his. “Do you think they’ll be able to find Bryson before then?”

It was a question he knew would be coming, and honestly he was a little shocked it hadn’t come before now. “Heidi and the rest of Intel will absolutely find him.” He had even more faith in them than he had in himself. “I’m willing to bet they won’t stop working until he’s safe.”

Eloise nodded, sniffling a little as she toyed with the cheese wrapper in her hands. “I just don’t like not knowing where he is. Becky said he hadn’t been to school at all while I was gone, so that makes four days he’s missed.”

Nate shared her concern because he knew how vital school was to neglected kids. Sometimes it was the only place they could eat. The only place they felt safe. At least that’s how it was for him. “He doesn’t miss much school then, huh?”

Eloise shook her head. “His dad doesn’t do much, but he drops Bryson off every day so he can get rid of him and not have to deal with having a kid for seven hours.” Eloise reached up and slid a lock of hair behind her ear. “I guess I should be grateful since at least I know he’s safe and warm when he’s at school.”

Her interest in food was clearly waning, and she seemed dangerously close to working herself up to a point she wouldn’t be able to sleep because of how worried she was over Bryson. Nate collected what was left of their snacks and piled it onto the tray, moving everything out of the way before pulling the covers up around her. “Heidi and Harlow will find him. They might even know where he is when you wake up.” Nate leaned down to press a kiss to her forehead. “Let me take this stuff into the kitchen. I’ll be right back.”

He quickly put what was left of the fruit back in the fridge and chucked the garbage in the can before snagging a couple bottles of water and heading back into the bedroom. He set one on Eloise’s nightstand before depositing the other on his and sliding under the covers beside her.

She curled up against him, assuming the same position she had the past two nights. Her head rested against his shoulder as one arm slung across his middle and a leg wedged between his knees. Eloise wiggled around a few seconds longer before finally relaxing and sighing against his skin. “You might be a little more comfortable than the giant pillow I usually sleep with.”

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