Page 25 of You've Got The Love
Andyet… I don’t move.
Because for one quiet moment, it’s just us. No threats. No past. Just the weight of his arm around me and the steady rise of his chest under my cheek.
I want him.God, I want him.
But wanting something doesn’t mean you should reach for it. Wanting means risk.
And I’m not sure I could live with myself if the person I love ends up bleeding because of me.
“You’re shaking,” he murmurs, voice low and deep against my hair, interrupting my thoughts.
“Adrenaline,” I whisper. “And…everything.”
His arm tightens slightly, like he wants to hold all my pieces together. “You want to call him? Your dad?”
I nod, because the need to hear Dad’s voice outweighs the fear that my call might light me up on someone’s radar. Bas leans forward and hands me my phone from my bag, his fingers brushing mine for a second longer than necessary.
My hands tremble as I dial. Please let him answer, please let him be okay. The line rings once, twice—each beep loud in the tiny cabin. On the third, Dad answers, his voice a harsh whisper.
“Amber?”
“Dad,” I breathe. “We’re okay. I just… I needed to hear you.”
There’s a pause, then the faint shuffle of movement and a door closing somewhere on his end. His voice drops even lower. “Are you somewhere safe?”
“I… yes. I think so.” I glance at Bas, who’s watching me with that quiet, steady focus that makes my chest ache. “No one saw us.”
“Good,” he says. Then, sharper: “Amber, listen to me. That phone you’re holding? Destroy it. Now. Pull the SIM and either smash it or drown it in water.”
My stomach flips. “What? But?—”
“No buts. They can track it. I gave you a bag of burner phones for a reason, never hoped you’d need them like this though. Use a new one for a few days. No one else can reach you on it.”
I swallow hard and glance at Bas again. His brows lift, but he doesn’t say a word. He looks… uncertain, maybe even a little out of his depth. He’s strong and solid, but this isn’t his world.
“O-okay,” I whisper. “I’ll do it.”
“And Amber,” Dad says, voice rough, “I don’t know this guy you’re with. Just… keep your heads down and stay put. Do not come home until I tell you.”
The words sink in heavy and cold. “I hate this,” I whisper, voice cracking. “I hate hiding and waiting.”
“I know, babygirl.” For a second, his voice softens, and I picture him pinching the bridge of his nose the way he does when he’s trying not to yell. “But it’s the only way. You’re the only thing that matters right now. Text me from the next phone so I have the number. I’ll call when I have more news.”
“Okay,” I whisper. “I love you.”
“Love you too. Now get rid of that fuckin’ phone. Right now, Amber.”
The call clicks dead.
For a second, I just sit there staring at the darkened screen, listening to the creak of the barge and the gentle slap of water against the hull. My hands feel like ice.
Bas breaks the silence. “We have to throw it in the canal.”
“Yeah.” My voice wobbles. “He said destroy it now.”
He nods slowly, then stands and takes the phone from my hand. “I’ll do it.”
I blink at him. “You don’t have to?—”
