Page 101 of The Photograph

A few seconds later, I wheel toward Chris’s gentle eyes. “Hi, Chris. Give me a second.” After setting my whisk down, I wrap my arms around him. “How are you?”

He steps back and frowns. “Have you slept at all?”

When I shrug, he pulls me back into his arms briefly. “I’ll be here, and I won’t let anything happen to you.”

That I know for a fact, so I touch his chest. “I know.”

When he retreats back to the living room, I resume my breakfast making.

“Do you need a hand, baby?”

I let the rumble of Gabe’s voice caress my skin before shifting my gaze to him. “Yes, please. Can you set the table up?” I point at the cupboards. “Plates and mugs are here.”

We work in silence, but his presence soothes me, and I bask in the little peace before the storm.

After a messy and somewhat subdued breakfast, Cara and I step out of the house, and I gape at the two chauffeur-driven cars Gabe organized to get us to Leslieville. My throat clogs, so I slip my hand into his extended one.

Chris rides with Cara and Mitch, who’s not leaving her side, while Gabe and I get in the second car. I slide next to Gabe who wraps his arm around me.

It’s going to take forever to get over him, but he’ll eventually understand I was right to let him go.

I squeeze his hand. “Thank you.”

He kisses the inside of my wrist. “You’re welcome, baby.”

I rest my head on his shoulder and close my eyes.

****

“Aelin? Baby, wake up, we’re here.”

I nuzzle deeper into my safe cocoon which happens to be Gabe’s shoulder. “Sleep. More.”

When I get caught in a mini earthquake of Gabe’s chuckle, still half asleep, I kiss his neck.

“Mmm. You smell so good.”

“Aelin.”

Oh, crap.I snap out of my sleepiness and sit up. “Sorry, did I drool on you?”

He brushes his fingers on my cheek. “No.”

After drinking some water, I breathe deeply and glance through the window on my side of the car. Hopefully, it’s the last time I’ll ever be here. I straighten my clothes and flick my hair back.

“How do I look?”

His eyes are soft. “Perfect.”

Will I ever get over him?

****

Erica booked us an entire floor of the only starred hotel of Leslieville, so we use one of the suites as the common room before settling in our respective rooms. I take the room across the hall from Cara and Mitch’s, and between Gabe’s and Chris’s.

Around 7:00 PM, as our little group enters the hotel’s restaurant, I scan the eatery where, apparently, all the demons of Leslie-Hell decided to dine out this evening.

God, I hate this place.

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