soft on my face.
"Later," he says. "You need to rest right now."
"I don't want to wait," I murmur. My heart jumps
at the thought of chickening out... or the thought of telling him. I'm not
sure which is worse.
He sighs and strokes my hair again. "We're not talking
right now," he insists. "You're resting. And I think you know how
stubborn I can be."
A little smile flits across my face. He would use my
own words against me. "Will you stay?" I whisper.
He smiles back at me. "No one could drag me out of
this room if they tried." He touches my cheek, then glances toward the
kitchen. "You want a little water before you sleep?"
"Mmm," I say. "That sounds good."
He gets up and walks to the kitchen. I drift off to the
sound of him rummaging in the cabinet to find a glass.
Chapter 6: Knew You
Loved Me
Kobee barges in on us, trailing Moses and Harlan behind
him. I'm not sure how long I've been asleep, but clearly it's time to get up.
Jonas scowls at them, and I climb out of the bed. We move toward
them and stand shoulder to shoulder before them.
"We need to talk about some things," Kobee says.
Jonas snorts, but before he can reply I ask Kobee calmly,
"Can I see your hand?"
He gives me a weird look, but he sticks out his hand, palm
up.
I take it in mine and turn it over, examining his fingers.
"Yep. Knuckles."
He frowns at me.
"You know what they're for?"
The others have caught on more quickly, and they try to
smother smiles and chuckles. Except Jonas. He doesn't try to hide his smirk
at all.
I push Kobee's hand back at him. "Knocking."
"Haha," he says, giving me a look—amusement,
annoyance—a combo of both. "Well, the smartass portion of your
personality is still intact. I guess that's something."
Jonas crosses his arms. "What do you want?"
Kobee looks him over then nods toward the couch. Jonas
sighs but moves out of the way as the group comes all the way in. We arrange
ourselves on the furniture. Time for a conference, I guess. But I'm not sure
we're ready to try to convince them one-on-one. I don't like that Spec's not
here.
"Look," Kobee begins, his voice heavy, serious,
"we have some real problems. There's a revolution brewing out there. If
you don't get out there and convince people that you are who you are, then
we're looking at some big problems."
Jonas and I exchange a look.
"Correct me if I'm wrong," I say, "but
weren't you the one starting this revolution?"
Kobee's face goes dark, but he meets my gaze. "It
wasn't a revolution," he says. "There wasn't anyone to revolt against."
"Lily left you and Spec in charge while she was
gone." There is no denying the anger in Jonas' voice. "You were
supposed to keep things running. Not take over. And certainly not try to turn
people against her by saying that anyone who came back wouldn't be her."
Kobee lowers his head, looking shameful under Jonas' scorn.
"You don't seem to understand," he says. "The plan was to have
Lily back in a few days—a week at most, to have her secure and on the way
home. She was gone for months. Close to a year. I didn't think she was
coming back. And things here aren't all just peachy, in case you haven't
noticed. We were stuck in limbo. Wynwood needs a leader—a real leader.
Someone who can move them to do what needs to be done."
"And you think that leader is you," I mutter.
But Jonas is moving on, his glower sweeping over their three
faces. "Obviously it took a little more time than expected. But on top
of everything else, she brought me back. She gave up everything to do that.
And the fact that she was even able to when your plan was so incredibly flawed—"
Kobee snorts. "No shit. I didn't miss that she
brought you back." His gaze switches to me, now. "I owe you for
that, Lily."
I wave him off, because I'm not sure if he's really sincere
or if all this is engineered to throw me off guard. We expected a struggle
with
"Later," he says. "You need to rest right now."
"I don't want to wait," I murmur. My heart jumps
at the thought of chickening out... or the thought of telling him. I'm not
sure which is worse.
He sighs and strokes my hair again. "We're not talking
right now," he insists. "You're resting. And I think you know how
stubborn I can be."
A little smile flits across my face. He would use my
own words against me. "Will you stay?" I whisper.
He smiles back at me. "No one could drag me out of
this room if they tried." He touches my cheek, then glances toward the
kitchen. "You want a little water before you sleep?"
"Mmm," I say. "That sounds good."
He gets up and walks to the kitchen. I drift off to the
sound of him rummaging in the cabinet to find a glass.
Chapter 6: Knew You
Loved Me
Kobee barges in on us, trailing Moses and Harlan behind
him. I'm not sure how long I've been asleep, but clearly it's time to get up.
Jonas scowls at them, and I climb out of the bed. We move toward
them and stand shoulder to shoulder before them.
"We need to talk about some things," Kobee says.
Jonas snorts, but before he can reply I ask Kobee calmly,
"Can I see your hand?"
He gives me a weird look, but he sticks out his hand, palm
up.
I take it in mine and turn it over, examining his fingers.
"Yep. Knuckles."
He frowns at me.
"You know what they're for?"
The others have caught on more quickly, and they try to
smother smiles and chuckles. Except Jonas. He doesn't try to hide his smirk
at all.
I push Kobee's hand back at him. "Knocking."
"Haha," he says, giving me a look—amusement,
annoyance—a combo of both. "Well, the smartass portion of your
personality is still intact. I guess that's something."
Jonas crosses his arms. "What do you want?"
Kobee looks him over then nods toward the couch. Jonas
sighs but moves out of the way as the group comes all the way in. We arrange
ourselves on the furniture. Time for a conference, I guess. But I'm not sure
we're ready to try to convince them one-on-one. I don't like that Spec's not
here.
"Look," Kobee begins, his voice heavy, serious,
"we have some real problems. There's a revolution brewing out there. If
you don't get out there and convince people that you are who you are, then
we're looking at some big problems."
Jonas and I exchange a look.
"Correct me if I'm wrong," I say, "but
weren't you the one starting this revolution?"
Kobee's face goes dark, but he meets my gaze. "It
wasn't a revolution," he says. "There wasn't anyone to revolt against."
"Lily left you and Spec in charge while she was
gone." There is no denying the anger in Jonas' voice. "You were
supposed to keep things running. Not take over. And certainly not try to turn
people against her by saying that anyone who came back wouldn't be her."
Kobee lowers his head, looking shameful under Jonas' scorn.
"You don't seem to understand," he says. "The plan was to have
Lily back in a few days—a week at most, to have her secure and on the way
home. She was gone for months. Close to a year. I didn't think she was
coming back. And things here aren't all just peachy, in case you haven't
noticed. We were stuck in limbo. Wynwood needs a leader—a real leader.
Someone who can move them to do what needs to be done."
"And you think that leader is you," I mutter.
But Jonas is moving on, his glower sweeping over their three
faces. "Obviously it took a little more time than expected. But on top
of everything else, she brought me back. She gave up everything to do that.
And the fact that she was even able to when your plan was so incredibly flawed—"
Kobee snorts. "No shit. I didn't miss that she
brought you back." His gaze switches to me, now. "I owe you for
that, Lily."
I wave him off, because I'm not sure if he's really sincere
or if all this is engineered to throw me off guard. We expected a struggle
with
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