Page 38 of A Wrench in the Plan
Because, as my lips pressed against hers and she softly kissed me back, I realized that this wasn’t just for her.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Cat
I pulled away from Chry’s lips with a gasp.
No.
Oh, no.
What had I done?
I’d just kissed my best friend’s… almost-boyfriend. The person he cared about a lot more than he’d admit to. I’d just betrayed him.
And though I’d pulled away, I hadn’t done it right away. I’d kissed Chry back. I’d closed my eyes and melted into him as I got the first taste of the man I was in love with.
A moment that felt so sweet seconds ago, tasted like acid on my tongue. Bitter. Wrong. The exact opposite I always dreamed a moment like that would be.
“Cat,” Chry whispered. There wasn’t enough light to see his expression, but from his tone, I knew he felt it was wrong too.
“It didn’t happen,” I shot back, breath sawing in and out of my lungs.
“Cat,” he said again, this time it was like he was scolding me for being a silly little girl.
“I know,” I said as I dipped my chin in an attempt to put more distance between us. I wanted to let him go, but I was afraid he hadn’t stopped bleeding. “It’s the situation. It’s fine. We can just… go back to the way things were. This was just a mistake because emotions are crazy right now and you think we’re going to—”
I cut myself off. Logically, I knew this situation was headed in one direction. The deep feeling of dread was sitting like a boulder in my stomach. We weren’t going to make it out of this. Not alive, anyway. But somehow, saying it would have made it final. It would have seemed like I’d given up all hope, and I wasn’t ready to do that yet.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered, and I felt his chin come to rest on the top of my head.
“Just…” I blew out a breath. “No more talking. No more… anything.”
We were quiet for a long time. I finally let my shaking legs relax, releasing the death grip I had on his thigh. I suspected that the bleeding had slowed if not stopped, and I prayed that it would be okay as long as he didn’t move around too much. What I didn’t do, though, was pull away from him. I kept my head tucked right under his chin, nose pressed against his chest. I focused on his unique, familiar smell that was underneath the stink and dirt every time I breathed in. Let myself take in his warmth, not because I was in love with him and trying to make this moment so much more than it was, but because it reminded me that we were still alive.
I listened to his breathing. In and out. In and out. My chest began to rise and fall in sync with his. This went on for an eternity, or so it felt. I forced it to be my sole focus, letting it take the edge off of the fear.
Strange blips of light flickered around the dark box, bouncing off the walls in a pattern that triggered something in my brain. Normally, it would cause panic, not that I’d ever been in a situation where those kinds of lights were behind me.
“Chry,” I gasped as I sat up. Sure enough, around the edges of the door, those flickering blue and red lights seeped in. “The police.”
We were saved! I was bursting with relief.
“What are you doing?” he hissed as I got to my feet, thankful that they hadn’t bound my ankles again. I was dragging about two feet of that itchy rope with me, but I wasn’t going to complain about it.
“If they pull over, I’m going to bang on the door. Let them know we’re back here,” I said, excitement in every word I spoke.
And like I’d willed it to happen, the truck started to slow down.
I braced my shoulder against the wall as I felt a shift to the side. Then we stopped.
With my ear against the door, I listened for signs of someone coming close. I wanted to make sure they were going to hear me. A car door slammed, then I heard a crackling voice on a radio. Another voice responded, calling in what sounded like a location.
“Help!” I screamed as I began throwing my weight against the rolling door. “Help us!”
“Stay in your vehicle!” I heard shouted. “I said, stay in your vehicle.”
The loud rumble of motorcycles hit my ears, their engines loud and angry as they drew closer at an insane speed.
