Page 47 of Rescuing Josiah
The man’s words only made Chelsea cry, and Josiah knew it was because she was thinking that it was exactly what she wanted with him, but thought she could never have. And it made his heart ache to know he wasn't brave enough, strong enough, or courageous enough to take that leap of faith and give it to her.
May 17th
12:28 A.M.
The slight shift in the mattress beside her had Chelsea springing awake.
Unlike last night when Josiah had woken her from a dead sleep with the news that their townhouse was about to be broken into, tonight her sleep had been restless. She was unable to settle enough to let her mind drift off. Even her body felt tightly coiled, like a spring ready to be let free.
Not even Josiah’s warm, strong body beside her was enough to calm her.
How could anything let her relax when she knew right now there was some young man or woman, scared and alone, possibly in pain, maybe having already lost some of their organs, being brought to this luxurious mansion because of her? While she was sleeping on thousand-thread-count Egyptian cotton sheets, they were tied to a hospital bed.
That person would soon be rescued, but they didn't know that, and that was eating her alive.
Lifting her head, she saw Josiah attempting to ease out of the bed carefully, obviously trying not to disturb her.
“What’re you doing?” she whispered. They weren't sure if this room was bugged, or if it was just the common areas, so they had to play things safe and assume that every single thing they did was being watched at the very least, possibly every word they said being listened to as well.
“Go back to sleep, Chels,” he ordered in that way that told her he was up to something and trying to protect her from it.
“Nuh-uh,” she said quickly. “We’re a team for as long as we’re here, whatever you have planned, I want in.”
Crying yesterday in Dr. Gant’s office because she craved every single thing he’d mentioned with Josiah and yet knew she was never going to get had been silly. There were bigger problems right now, more important issues to deal with than her not getting the fairytale ending with the man of her dreams.
Lives depended on them pulling this off, so she had to stay on target.
Which was exactly why she wanted in on whatever he was up to.
“This is too dangerous. I want you to stay in bed, try to get some sleep.”
“I'm supposed to look like I'm not getting enough sleep,” she reminded him. “And this whole thing is dangerous. We’re safer if we stick together.”
“Not for this.”
“What exactly isthis?”
When he didn't answer, merely tucked the covers back up around her and reached for his pants, she realized what he intended to do.
“You're going snooping,” she accused. Given they knew cameras were dotted throughout the mansion, that was more than just dangerous, it was pretty close to suicidal.
“And you're going back to sleep.”
“I wasn't sleeping, I was tossing and turning, and at best fitfully dozing,” she informed him as she threw back the covers and swung her legs over the side of the bed.
“I’ll take fitfully dozing over this,” Josiah snarled, but she knew it wasn't from anger, he was just afraid for her.
“We go together or I go on my own,” she informed him, hurrying to the closet to grab some clothes.
“Chelsea.” Josiah huffed in annoyance.
“Josiah.” She huffed right back at him, and she was pretty sure she saw one side of his mouth curve up into the smallest of smiles. “We have free run of the house, we can pretend we just got lost if we get caught.”
“Given who we are, they’re not going to believe that.”
“Then we make them believe it. We’ll pretend we were looking for a doctor because I wasn't feeling well.”
“No.”
