Page 121 of Disobedient Pawn

I shook my head.

“He’s not speaking to me, and he’s going away for work, so…I’m doing what I want.”

Life was too short, and I refused to stay locked up like a prisoner.

“You’re so much braver than I am. How are you getting to the airport,” Ivy asked as Myles walked through the door to the girl’s wing.

He looked delicious in his jeans and hoodie with a long stylish coat open over the top. It was like he was strutting down a runway as he walked toward me, smiling. The bruise on his cheek and the cut on his lip were almost gone now. Was it terrible that I would’ve loved to see Nash and Myles fighting? Rolling around on the ground, muscles straining.

“I think I know now,” Ivy said.

“What?” I whipped my head around to look at them as they giggled, making my sudden hot flash worse.

“Hi ya, Snowflake,” Myles said, handing me a coffee.

When I took it from his hand, he wrapped his other arm around my waist and tucked me into his side. He smelled so good, and just being around him made me want to curl up in his warmth and kiss him until we passed out.

“I missed ya.”

Of course, the only thing my brain came up with was to smile stupidly back and say, “Thank you for the coffee.”

“Well, I think that’s our cue to go. I just wanted to catch you before we left,” Ivy said, and Chantry nodded.

“You two have a wonderful holiday and send pictures. I can’t wait to see everything,” I said as I stepped away from Myles to hug them.

It felt oddly normal when I returned to his side, and I wasn’t sure what to make of these newfound feelings. I wasn’t used to being touched other than the odd hug, but he always wanted to have contact with me. Even while studying, he needed to be close enough that our shoulders or legs touched, or he’d hold my hand. It was awkward at first, but now I looked forward to the little touches and stolen kisses.

The skeptical voice in the back of my mind kept telling me to be careful, but I needed to learn to take some risks to have the life I wanted. So far, Myles was proving himself trustworthy every second we were together, and I didn’t hear any rumors of him hitting on anyone else. I needed to start trusting myself and people again, or I would have a sad life.

“Did you tell them where you’re going,” Myles asked when we were in my room.

“Yeah, was I not supposed to?”

I put my coffee down on my desk.

“Look, I’m not going to say don’t tell them about yer life, but everything ya know and say can be used against ya. Words and knowledge are just as powerful as any weapon.”

Myles walked us over to the table and sat down, pulling me onto his lap.

“Mmm, ya smell so sweet.” He kissed the side of my neck. “One day, I wanna take ya to Ireland and show ya around. We still have my old home there.”

My eyes fluttered closed as he continued his soft kisses until our lips met, and a moan escaped my lips.

“You keep doing that, and I may miss getting a flight.”

“That’s me plan,” he teased.

Clearing my throat, I gave him a quick kiss and stood before I really did end up staying.

“Tell me what I should be worried about with Ivy and Chantry.”

I wandered over to my bed and pulled the suitcase out from underneath. Light blue was definitely not the color I would have chosen. It had been used once and looked like I’d beaten it with a black baseball bat.

“For starters, Ivy’s father is not a good man as ya’ve seen with yer own eyes. I think he plays too many sides and doesn’t know who he owes more to. It would be easy for Ivy to slip up and mention where yer goin’.”

He sipped his coffee while I thought about what he said.

“So they may not be a direct threat, but what they know or who may see their phones could be.”