Page 24 of Unbroken

Weston

Lying on my back,I pull Lucy to my chest and inhale her sweet scent. Carson gave Malcom and Elisa his tent, which means he’s bunking with us tonight. And being loud as hell. I swear, he has rolled ten times in the last five minutes, huffing and puffing each time. “Can you be still?” I growl.

“Shit, man, I’m trying to get comfortable,” he grumbles.

“Try harder,” I growl into the dark. “I need sleep.”

I don’t let my hands stray past Lucy’s bra strap. The moment I do, I know I won’t be able to stop. She’s like an addiction, one I don’t think I’ll ever give up. I’ll be damned if I share an inch of her with Carson’s prying eyes. He hasn’t stopped flirting with her since the moment he met her.

Pressing a kiss to her head, I shut my eyes and force myself to relax.

The next time I open them, it’s morning and Lucy is shifting in the pallet next to me.

“Morning.”

Her answering smile could light the world on fire. There’s an openness in her eyes now that wasn’t there before, and I don’t know if it’s because I claimed her or because she doesn’t have to worry about going home. I don’t really care as long as those shadows never creep back in.

“You ready to head home?” I ask, nuzzling her neck.

“Sorta. I kinda wish we didn’t have to leave at all,” she says with a sigh.

“Hmm.”

Standing up, I pull her to her feet, and together, we step from the tent. Pacey is loading his truck up already. “You getting ready to head out?”

“Yeah, just waiting on Ash to get his shit together and we’re hitting the road,” he says, tossing a bag into the cab.

“You think Carson will let Malcom ride back with him?” I ask.

“Will Carson what? I know I heard my name.” Speak of the devil and he will appear.

Turning back to the tent entrance where Carson is emerging rubbing his eyes, I ask him, “You wanna let Malcom ride back with you?”

He stares for a moment, like he’s piecing the words together, before nodding his head. “Yeah, and Elisa too. I’ll drop her at Maggie’s. Where do I need to take Malcom?”

“That’s up to him.”

“Got it. Y’all enjoy the ride back in peace. But you owe me for this one,” he says, grinning from ear to ear.

“Oweyou?Last I checked, you still owe me for taking What’s-Her-Name home and pretending you got called into work.” It takes a second, but when he remembers, his eyes widen.

“Damn, man, that’s fucked up. We said we would never speak of it again.”

“We won’t.” I chuckle. “Now we’re even. Thanks, man.”

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