Page 22 of Crush & Byte
“You’re right,” I conceded, the words feeling rough in my throat.“We’ll wake her up, explain the situation, and let her decide.”
Byte stood, stretching his arms above his head.“She might surprise you, you know.She’s tougher than she looks.”
I thought of River climbing that tree yesterday, her face alight with joy and freedom.The way she’d faced us across that table last night, laying out her fears but not backing down from them.“Yeah,” I agreed.“She is.”
I checked the radar one more time, watching the storm’s inexorable advance.We had time, but not much.I slipped my phone into the pocket of my sweatpants and turned to Byte.“Let’s go.”
As we moved up the ladder, I took one deep breath after another.I’d give this to her.Then, once she’d chosen, I could figure out how to keep her safe.River had the right to choose her own path, even if that choice might put her at risk because she wasn’t ready to trust enough to give us control.It went against everything in me to cede that control, but I knew it was the right thing to do.The storm was coming, ready or not.All we could do now was face it together.However she wanted.
The only light in the loft came from a small solar-powered night-light Byte had strategically placed where it caught sun from three different windows at different angles.As long as there was sunlight, it charged during the day so it could give off a soft glow at night near the stairs.She was curled on her side, her hand resting on the pillow, face peaceful in sleep.Something caught in my chest at the sight of her so vulnerable, so trusting despite everything.
The wind outside picked up another notch, rattling the window frames like an impatient visitor.Byte moved to the bed first, sitting carefully on the edge of the mattress.The bed dipped slightly under his weight, but River didn’t stir.He reached out, brushing her hair back from her forehead with a gentleness I rarely saw him display with anyone.His fingers lingered, tracing the curve of her cheekbone, before he leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead.
“River,” he murmured, his voice low and warm.“Need you to wake up, honey.”
She stirred, eyelids fluttering.A small, sleepy smile curved her lips as she registered Byte’s presence, and she reached up to catch his hand with hers.“Byte?”Her voice was thick with sleep, but there was no fear in it, no confusion.Only recognition.Her smile never dropping, she kept her gaze on Byte.“Is Crush still asleep?”The simple question, the fact that she’d thought of me even as she was waking to Byte’s touch, hit me like a physical blow.
I moved closer, letting her see me in the dim light.“I’m here,” I said, my voice rougher than I intended.
Her smile widened, eyes still heavy lidded but warm as she looked at me.She shifted, pulling herself up to sit against the headboard, the blankets pooling around her waist.She wore an oversized sleep shirt, one shoulder bare where the neckline was too large for her.
“What’s wrong?”she asked, suddenly more alert, gaze moving between us.“It’s still dark.”She didn’t look scared, only mildly curious.
I sat on the edge of the bed opposite Byte, creating a circle of three.“Storm’s coming,” I explained.“A big one.A Pacific system headed straight for us now.”
Her eyes widened slightly.“How bad?”
“High winds, heavy rain.Possible flash flooding.”I watched her face carefully as I continued.“It’ll hit in the next four to six hours.”
“Oh.”She tucked her hair behind her ear in that nervous gesture I’d come to recognize.“That doesn’t sound good.”
“It’s not ideal,” Byte agreed, his hand still holding hers.“But we’ve got options.”
I nodded.“The cabin’s sturdy.We’ve got the generator, plenty of supplies.We could stay put, ride it out here.”A gust of wind emphasized my point, whistling around the eaves of the cabin.“Or we could pack up now, try to get down the mountain and back to town before it hits.”
“Both have risks,” Byte added.“The roads will get dangerous once the rain starts.Slick, possible washouts or downed trees.”
“But staying means being stuck here,” I continued, watching her reaction carefully.“Possibly for a couple days, depending on how bad the damage is.”
River’s gaze moved between us, a crease forming between her brows.“Stuck here.With you two.”
I nodded, feeling a knot of tension in my gut.“We know that’s a lot to ask, given everything we talked about earlier.Given how recently we met.”The words felt inadequate, clumsy.“We wanted you to have the final say in this.And not just because of our conversation earlier.A man in our situation who holds a woman against her will isn’t much of a man.No matter the situation.”
“If we can’t make you feel safe enough to stay,” Byte continued, “then we’re the ones responsible if you get hurt.”
“And we’ll die to keep you safe, River.”I wanted to drive this point home.“You’ve not made up your mind, but we have.”
Something shifted in her expression.A flash of understanding followed by something deeper, more visceral.To my shock, her eyes filled with tears, gleaming in the low light.
“River --” Byte started, concern etching his features.
But before either of us could say more, she lunged forward, throwing an arm around each of us in an awkward, fierce hug that nearly toppled me off the edge of the bed.Her face pressed between our shoulders, her body trembling slightly.“You’re giving me the choice?”Her voice broke with her emotion.“You’re actually letting me decide?”
I brought my hand up to cup the back of her head, fingers threading through her soft hair.“Of course, we are.”
She pulled back, wiping at her eyes with the heel of her hand.“You don’t understand,” she said, looking between us with a watery smile.“Nobody does that.Nobody ever has.”
The wind rattled the windows again, harder this time, a reminder of the decision looming over us.Outside, the first patter of raindrops began to hit the roof, a warning of what was on the way.
