Somewhere Along the Way by AR Walls

Author:AR Walls [Walls, AR]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-01-03T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fifteen

Someone clears their throat and I drag my attention away from the windows overlooking Alex’s barn. It’s drizzling outside and some of the less landscaped portions of the property are turning muddy as the morning continues. It’s warm, though, so I had no issue when Jaime raced outside in nothing more than a pair of his basketball shorts and a borrowed pair of rubber boots that extend comically far up his legs. It’s good to see him act so carefree. He’s not a troubled kid, but he hasn’t had the easiest start to life.

With Jaime occupied, I turn back to the room and face down the three men who have fully consumed my every rational thought. Alex leans carelessly in one of his overstuffed chairs, drinking his second cup of coffee. If I wasn’t starting to learn his tells, I’d think he didn’t particularly care about the conversation I’ve been unsuccessfully trying to put off. However, the tightening around his eyes and the way his fingers drum his knee give him away. Kodi and Noah have made no attempt in dimming their alpha energy. Noah’s pacing behind the couch like a jungle cat and Kodi is preternaturally still, waiting for me to purge my secrets.

Sighing, I push my hair away from my face and bluntly announce, “So, I have a stalker.”

Noah freezes. Kodi quirks an eyebrow. Alex’s coffee mug clanks down on a side table.

Before they can bombard me with questions, I tell them the full story from the beginning. I explain how I needed a jump and the creepy sensation that I got from the guy who ‘rescued’ me. I lightly skim past the details of me driving into a lamp post, hurrying on when I see Noah figure out the timing. Finishing, I summarize yesterday’s soccer game.

None of them are prone to emotional outbursts, so I’m not surprised when they remain quiet after I’m done. That being said, no words could describe the feeling of intensity that coils through the air. I can practically smell the testosterone as it pours from each of them. I’m not sure if it’s the timeless draw of a damsel in distress, their protective instincts coming to the fore about me specifically, or the most likely option—

“You never thought to tell one of us?” Kodi asks, menace underscoring each word.

Licking my lips, the only nervous tell I allow, I admit, “I didn’t know if it was all in my head.” My gut twinges thinking about the past year. “It sounds so cliché to start screaming ‘wolf’ as a newly discharged vet. It’s not like I don’t realize how bad my PTSD is. Trust me,” I fist my hands. “I know, okay? I didn’t believe what my instincts were telling me. And then after the incident on the highway that night—” I can’t help but let my eyes flick in Noah’s direction. “—that was more than enough confirmation than I needed to persuade me that I was imagining it all.”

Noah collapses on the couch and clasps his hands together.

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