Page 214 of Wild Like Us
Akara nods slowly.
My chest tightens. I can’t shut up about this. He needs to hear it now, not after. “And if it’s you, I’m going to have to ask for some sort of reassignment—”
“Stop.” He grimaces.
“I can’t watch you be with her, Akara,” I say, hurt already compounding against my ribcage.
His eyes are bloodshot, fighting something back. “You watched me be with her last night.”
“That was different. I was with her, too.” I let out a frustrated breath. “And I don’t know why you’re giving me a hard time. You’re going to quit her detail, if she chooses me.” I hate that outcome too. I hate not having him as a friend.
“Yeah, I will,” he says. “But maybe I like the scenario where I keep the girl and I keep you. Fucking sue me, I’m greedy.”
I smack his chest. “I think you get sued enough, man. I don’t need to add to it.”
He laughs. “Shit, I can’t believe you’re making me laugh.” His humor fades and the air sobers for a moment. “Either way, we lose each other, don’t we?”
I fit a toothpick between my lips. “She’s worth it.”
Akara nods. “Yeah, she always has been.”
Tires crunch gravel, and we both turn to watch the security vehicle drive down the road. The SUV parks near ours. Sulli hops out, waves to Gabe, and the car heads back to where it came.
She blows out a breath. Her hair billows in the wind and she hugs her arms to her chest. I want to bring her into my body, warm her, but Akara and I are rooted in place.
“Sulli—” Akara starts.
“Before you two say anything,” she interjects and holds up a hand. “I want you to know that the time I spent with both of you in Yellowstone has been undeniably some of the best times of my life. And whatever happens after today, just know I love you both.” Those words rush through me.
I glance to Akara.Is he going to say it first?
He looks to me. Waiting.
She smiles. “Oh hey, I know you both love me, and I love that you care about each other enough to not hurt one another by saying it.” She eyes me. “So I’m officially thesecondgirl you’ve ever fallen in love with, huh, Banks?” She says it very fucking proudly.
Hate to ruin her good time.But I’m grinning like a fucking fool.
Her smile fades. “What?”
“You’re not the second, Sulli.”
Her fingers touch her lips, confused. “Wait, but you said you’ve been in love once before.”
“Yeah.” I nod strongly. “With you, mermaid.”
“All the way back then?” The realization chokes her up for more than a second.
I nod, but I don’t want to say anything else. This isn’t a hand I’m playing. It’s just the truth, but I can feel Akara’s tense energy beside me.
She looks between us. “I care about you two too much to drag this out any longer. That’s why my decision was already made this morning.” She exhales before she says, “I was going to choose your friendship.”
Was.Past tense.
My blood ices over. I don’t know whether to be fucking destroyed or overjoyed by this news.
I bite on my toothpick. “So in that scenario, we both watch you be with some other guy?” I wonder.
She shrugs. “Or I could stay single forever. Who knows?”
