feeling intensifies. Making its way over my chest. My breath catches on a gasp. It doesn’t hurt, nothing close to it, but it’s unfamiliar. I look up as Dante approaches from the front. Lifting a hand, he runs his fingers gently over the crest of my cheekbone. When his palm cradles my cheek, everything stops. Time itself seems to stand still.
My heart starts anew with a hard thump in my chest. A metallic taste fills my mouth as my body flushes, sweat dotting my upper lip. A wave of dizziness washes over me. I stumble forward, squeezing Milo and Ollie’s hands on instinct to stay upright. I pant out a breath as hot saliva fills my mouth; I’m seconds away from puking.
“Whoa,” I drop my forehead to Dante’s chest. Waiting for the feeling to subside.
“It’s okay, it’s okay,” Milo croons several times. His eyes widen when I tilt my face to look over at him.
“What the hell was that?” My voice is a rough whisper, hysteria is edging in.
“He’ll know now,” Dante mutters.
A hand brushes up my back and I realize I’ve glued myself to his front and Milo and Ollie are equally stuck to my sides. I’m completely surrounded. I swallow, confusion making me wary. I back away from them, shaking my hands free. “Who will know now?”
Dante cups my cheek and searches my eyes. “My brother,” he sighs. “He’ll know we found you.”
Eleven
Confused doesn’t begin to describe what I’m feeling. “I don’t understand what’s happening here.” My voice shakes nearly as much as the tremor that starts working its way up my body. Everything feels different. I feel twitchy, on edge, like I’m missing something, or I’m supposed to be someplace I’ve forgotten.
Dante’s phone rings again, jarring me from my thoughts. His eyes don’t veer from my face as he ignores it. This is all too much. I take two steps back, pulling further away from them and shake my head free of the fog that is trying to consume me. What just happened isn’t normal, these aren’t some rampant teenage hormones, this is something I can’t explain. “Who are you people, what are you doing to me?” My eyes scan the room looking for an escape. I can’t be here anymore. I have to get out of this place.
Ollie steps forward, his hand outstretched in an offering of calmness. “Laura, please don’t freak out.”
“Freak out? I’m really close to losing my shit. I need to know what the hell is going on here. You can start by telling me how you’re doing this shit, did you put something in my drink?” My eyes immediately find the iced coffee still sitting on the table with only ice and a tiny bit of watered down liquid in the bottom.
Milo huffs out a breath, then moves around the others, snatching up my cup. With his eyes firmly locked on mine he takes the straw between his lips and takes a deep pull, drinking every drop left, so there’s a loud slurping sound. He lets out an exaggerated sigh before placing it back on the table.
“Really Milo, I’d expect this from Dante, but why are you acting like a dick? Laura, ignore him, this is messing with all of us.” He takes his eyes from his boyfriend, and stares at me with big rounded puppy-dog eyes.
Dante is frozen behind him; his eyes widen and all the color drains from his face. “We have a problem,” he mutters.
“No shit,” Milo barks out.
“No, a bigger problem.” Dante grimaces before grabbing his forehead and squeezing at the temples. “He’s coming.”
Ollie’s hand smacks down on his leg. “Fuck,” he curses. His neck twists looking between the three of us before he hesitantly takes a few steps closer to me. “I wanted more time to do this. You have to understand, there’s no way we could have known you didn’t have a clue about us. I’m not even sure how it’s possible, but clearly you have no idea.”
My arms cross over my stomach, and I hunch forward. I lick my bottom lip as my teeth sink into the plumpness. I’m afraid. Not really of these boys, I don’t know why, but I don’t think they’re going to hurt me. I’m scared of what’s happening to us.
Ollie reaches his hand out, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “I’m sorry we didn’t understand how very difficult this would be for you.” His eyes stare into mine and his brows pull together. I want to run my