BRIDGER (28 page)

Tess’s eyes were shining with worry. “Ashlyn, you can’t.
 
This isn’t your problem and Emily would kill me.
 
Plus, to be honest, I think of you as a daughter already.
 
You need to think of Liam, too.
 
If you were harmed, you know what it would do to him emotionally, not to mention physically.”

Ah, Liam.
 
The one thing that would make me see reason in this mess.
 
It was also the reason I wanted to go.
 
If he didn’t want to protect me, he deserved it if I got hurt.
 
I shouldn’t be that petulant about things, but then again, he shouldn’t be out kissing other girls just to annoy me. Two could play that game.

I decided the best plan of action was to just let this idea go for now – at least verbally.
 
“You’re right, Tess.
 
It probably isn’t worth it,” I conceded.
 
“If only there was something we could do, though.”

“If only is right,” she said with a sigh.
 
“If only the Changelings didn’t exist.
 
At least then you and I would be normal.”

“
You
would be normal,” I laughed.
 
“I’d still be part Glaistig.
 
Ankou wants me since Memaw went and got on his bad side all those years ago.
 
I’m doomed either way.”

Tess chuckled.
 
“Well, if nothing else, at least you have a reliable protector.”

I looked away, the corner of my mouth turning downward.
 
Tess noticed.
 
“Liam will never let anything hurt you no matter what.
 
He’ll come around. I’ll make him see sense, Ash. Trust me.”

At that moment Reese burst into my room like a hurricane.
 
“Hey Ash I’m not trying to be in your business but…” he trailed off, realizing I was having a conversation.
 
“Oh, hey, is that the giant mother-in-law of yours?”

He was so terrible at first impressions; he should be quarantined for his own well-being.

Blushing, I turned to Tess, apologetic.
 
“I’m so sorry!
 
Reese doesn’t know what manners are. He was raised by wolves.”

Tess smiled broadly, practically showing all of her dazzling white teeth.
 
“It’s okay, Ash.
 
You know I could beat him senseless if the need arose.
 
I can take being called a giant since I am one for a woman and there are worse things than being called your mother-in-law.
 
Maybe someday it’ll happen if we can get that son of mine to wise up.”

I blushed.
 
Tess eyed Reese with honest curiosity.
 
I hadn’t mentioned him to her on purpose.
 
The last thing I needed was her thinking something was going on between us.
 
At this point, though, she should know better.
 
“Go talk to your friend, Ash. Sounds like he had something important to say.”

“I miss you, Tess.”

“I miss you too, dear.
 
Well, take care of yourself and please call again soon.
 
Promise?” Tess made it feel like she really did want to keep in touch despite the ever-growing chasm between her son and me.

Smiling, I agreed.
 
“I can do that.”

Be careful and tell your family hello.
 
Nice to meet you,” she added, nodding toward Reese.
 
Reese returned her acknowledgement with a smile.
 
With that, Tess hung up, leaving me with a regular desktop screen.

“Does she know I know what she knows?” Reese said, laughing at his own convoluted sentence while taking over my bed.

I laughed, too.
 
“I’m pretty sure she does.
 
Her and Memaw are pretty good friends.
 
There’s not much that gets past the two of them.”

Reese nodded, patting the area next to him.
 
It was involuntary; by the time I got there, I couldn’t remember even making the conscious decision to go.
 
That was just how easy things were between us.
 
We were just two halves of a whole.
 
It was dangerous.
 
I knew he liked me more than he let on. The dangerous part was that the more time I spent with him, the more I found myself missing him when he was gone.

“So what’s up with the Protector thing?
 
If Liam isn’t doing his job, maybe I could step in? You know I’d do my best to protect you like you deserve. How hard can it be to beat up a couple faeries?” He smiled at his nonchalance.

I had a hard time not choking on my tongue.
 
“No, Reese.
 
It doesn’t work like that.
 
Once someone swears their life to protect, they can’t get out of it.
 
I’m kind of taken.”

“But you’re not.
 
He doesn’t want you.”

Wow, talk about blunt.
 
I needed to hear it, but that didn’t make it any easier to swallow.
 
The air hitched in my throat.
 
Reese noticed.
 
Wrapping his arms around me, he pulled us to the wall where he could lean back and still have me in his arms.

“Hey, it wasn’t supposed to come out like that.
 
I’m sorry.
 
It just drives me nuts that he’s wasting his time on someone he doesn’t even care about.
 
He’s constantly asking about you offhandedly, checking in on you.
 
I wish he’d just enjoy what he has because there are a lot of guys that would love to have you.”

I looked up at him to find his eyes burning.
 
“Reese, look, there’s just nothing that can change how things are.
 
I’m sorry.
 
Liam and I are bound in more ways than I would like to be at this point.
 
Having a protector that only protects you so they don’t die isn’t the greatest feeling in the world.”

Nodding, he pulled me closer.
 
“I know, Ash.
 
It just sucks you had to find an Irishman.
 
I didn’t know you dug the accents. If it would make it better, I can fake one,” He laughed, making me bounce against his chest.
 
It was nice.

Sighing, I enjoyed the moment.
 
Reese brought me back to earth.
 
“So, I was gonna tell you.
 
I saw Chris getting into this black truck when I pulled into your driveway.
 
I said hey.
 
He just looked at me like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
 
I introduced myself to the dude in the truck, you know, to be nice.
 
I shook his hand, and Ash, it was like shaking an ice sculpture.
 
It was the creepiest thing I’ve ever felt.
 
He must’ve been standing outside all day to be that cold.”

“What color did you say the truck was?”

“Black.”

“Was the guy inside old?”

“Look, I didn't check the guy out. What’s with the interest anyway? Shouldn’t you be more worried about Chris than the guy in the car?” Reese was getting frustrated with the twenty questions.
 
It seemed like guys had a knack for knowing just enough to pique your interest, but no details to properly inform you of anything.
 
Then, they’d get mad when you asked any questions to clear it up.
 
I swear it was a conspiracy.

“Sorry, just want to know who he’s hanging out with.”

Reese sighed. “Sorry I don’t have more details. Next time the truck comes around, I’ll look closer, deal?”

“Thanks.”

All of a sudden Reese’s body tensed up. He must have realized I noticed the change, since he coughed and readjusted. “So uh, look Ash. There’s something we need to talk about.”

Glad he couldn’t see my face, I closed my eyes and rolled them at the same time. Now was not the time for him to go down this road. “Reese, please don’t do this.”

“I have to, Ashlyn. You should know it was coming anyway,” he laughed nervously. “You should consider us, Ash. We have fun together. You don’t mind when I hold you like this, do you?”

“Reese, you know Liam is who I want.”

Reese turned me around to face him. “Yeah, but Liam isn’t necessarily the most sensible guy out there. He didn’t give you a chance to explain. He doesn’t even know what he had. Why can’t you just think about it? I don’t need an answer today. I just want you to think about it. Is that so hard?”

Without waiting for a response, he pulled me in for a kiss. His warm lips met with mine and he pulled me even closer. His strong arms wrapped me in tightly and there was no way to argue. It did feel nice. Easy. It made sense. Suddenly realized I was enjoying his embrace. My fingers entwined themselves in his hair. For a moment I wondered why I’d even fallen for Liam when Reese had been here all along.

Liam. Even his name had the ability to stop me in my tracks. Reese noticed I had stopped kissing him back and pulled away. “What’d I do?”

“Nothing. It’s just you’re not him.”

He sighed and allowed me to turn back around, his arms wrapping around me once more. Although I knew whom I preferred, it was impossible to pull away from Reese right now. He had made an easy choice impossible to make. “You’re right. I’m not him. I’m better than him. It’s only a matter of time before you realize that.”

As I opened my mouth to respond, there was a knock on the door.
 
It opened before I could even say come in.
 
It was Liam.
 
Did these guys ever give a heads up that they were coming over?
 
No.
 
They dropped in whenever they wanted.
 
His shocked look told me he hadn’t been expecting to find Reese and I in such an intimate position.
 
Immediately I moved out of Reese’s embrace.
 
Not that it mattered.
 
Liam was taken.
 
He didn’t seem to remember that for a moment as he gaped at Reese.

Reese held his hands up as though he was surrendering. His words said differently. “Hey man, she’s fair game.”

I rolled my eyes. “Liam, what do you want? I thought you said you didn’t want to talk.”

It was obvious Liam was irritated by the way he swung his arms, dying to leave.
 
“It’s my
job
to protect you,” he said, emphasizing the job part of it.
 
“Don’t make this any more difficult than it needs to be by running around with Reese, trying to make me jealous.”

It was Reese’s turn to become irritated.
 
Getting off the bed, he took two steps toward Liam.
 
“You really didn’t just say ‘don’t make this any more difficult than it needs to be,’ did you?
 
Because last time I checked, you were running around making out with that senior girl just to drive Ashlyn nuts. I’m pretty sure that makes this more difficult than it needs to be. Not to mention if you gave Ashlyn three seconds to explain, it wouldn’t be an issue. Not that I care if you’re around or not, but at least give her the time of day to explain to you that you’re a complete idiot. It’d make me feel so much better if that was out in the open.”

Liam snorted.
 
“Three seconds to explain why she kidnapped my brother?
 
She has nothing to explain.
 
She’s a Changeling.
 
Just because you’re buddies with kidnappers and home breakers doesn’t mean I have to be, too.”

“Oh, so I guess you categorize your
mother
as a kidnapper and a home breaker, then?
 
Did
she
kidnap your brother?”

There was silence.
 
In the midst of the growing argument, the guys had ended up toe to toe.
 
I was still on the bed, shocked.