Total pages in book: 52
Estimated words: 47822 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 239(@200wpm)___ 191(@250wpm)___ 159(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 47822 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 239(@200wpm)___ 191(@250wpm)___ 159(@300wpm)
“River,” he murmured, his voice low and warm. “Need you to wake up, honey.”
She stirred, eyelids fluttering. A small, sleepy smile curved her lips as she registered Byte’s presence, and she reached up to catch his hand with hers. “Byte?” Her voice was thick with sleep, but there was no fear in it, no confusion. Only recognition. Her smile never dropping, she kept her gaze on Byte. “Is Crush still asleep?” The simple question, the fact that she’d thought of me even as she was waking to Byte’s touch, hit me like a physical blow.
I moved closer, letting her see me in the dim light. “I’m here,” I said, my voice rougher than I intended.
Her smile widened, eyes still heavy lidded but warm as she looked at me. She shifted, pulling herself up to sit against the headboard, the blankets pooling around her waist. She wore an oversized sleep shirt, one shoulder bare where the neckline was too large for her.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, suddenly more alert, gaze moving between us. “It’s still dark.” She didn’t look scared, only mildly curious.
I sat on the edge of the bed opposite Byte, creating a circle of three. “Storm’s coming,” I explained. “A big one. A Pacific system headed straight for us now.”
Her eyes widened slightly. “How bad?”
“High winds, heavy rain. Possible flash flooding.” I watched her face carefully as I continued. “It’ll hit in the next four to six hours.”
“Oh.” She tucked her hair behind her ear in that nervous gesture I’d come to recognize. “That doesn’t sound good.”
“It’s not ideal,” Byte agreed, his hand still holding hers. “But we’ve got options.”
I nodded. “The cabin’s sturdy. We’ve got the generator, plenty of supplies. We could stay put, ride it out here.” A gust of wind emphasized my point, whistling around the eaves of the cabin. “Or we could pack up now, try to get down the mountain and back to town before it hits.”
“Both have risks,” Byte added. “The roads will get dangerous once the rain starts. Slick, possible washouts or downed trees.”
“But staying means being stuck here,” I continued, watching her reaction carefully. “Possibly for a couple days, depending on how bad the damage is.”
River’s gaze moved between us, a crease forming between her brows. “Stuck here. With you two.”
I nodded, feeling a knot of tension in my gut. “We know that’s a lot to ask, given everything we talked about earlier. Given how recently we met.” The words felt inadequate, clumsy. “We wanted you to have the final say in this. And not just because of our conversation earlier. A man in our situation who holds a woman against her will isn’t much of a man. No matter the situation.”
“If we can’t make you feel safe enough to stay,” Byte continued, “then we’re the ones responsible if you get hurt.”
“And we’ll die to keep you safe, River.” I wanted to drive this point home. “You’ve not made up your mind, but we have.”
Something shifted in her expression. A flash of understanding followed by something deeper, more visceral. To my shock, her eyes filled with tears, gleaming in the low light.
“River --” Byte started, concern etching his features.
But before either of us could say more, she lunged forward, throwing an arm around each of us in an awkward, fierce hug that nearly toppled me off the edge of the bed. Her face pressed between our shoulders, her body trembling slightly. “You’re giving me the choice?” Her voice broke with her emotion. “You’re actually letting me decide?”
I brought my hand up to cup the back of her head, fingers threading through her soft hair. “Of course, we are.”
She pulled back, wiping at her eyes with the heel of her hand. “You don’t understand,” she said, looking between us with a watery smile. “Nobody does that. Nobody ever has.”
The wind rattled the windows again, harder this time, a reminder of the decision looming over us. Outside, the first patter of raindrops began to hit the roof, a warning of what was on the way.
“I know what this is costing you,” she continued, her gaze settling on me with an intensity that made my breath catch. “I can see it in your face, Crush. Every instinct you have is screaming to make the call, to keep me safe. Isn’t it?”
I couldn’t deny it. “We want you safe, River. More than anything.”
“But you’re still giving me the choice.” She shook her head in wonder. “Do you know how much that means to me?”
Byte squeezed her hand. “We’re trying to show you that you’ll always come first with us. We meant what we said earlier. And we’re serious about this being your decision. Whatever you want to do, we’ll do, honey.”
She looked down at their joined hands, then back up at both of us. “I’d never want someone to risk their safety just so I was more comfortable,” she said firmly. “Never. And I wouldn’t forgive myself if something happened to either of you because I was too scared to be stuck here.”