Page 30 of Hunted (Desert Island Duet #2)

Chapter nineteen

Darla

“ T hat’s a good girl, deep breath in… and deep breath out,” Kingsley says softly, his voice a steady anchor as he holds me sideways in his lap, the seatbelt buckled snugly around us both.

We’re driving home, getting closer and closer with every passing moment, and I try to focus on that instead of the chaos still buzzing in my mind.

The crowd at the airport had been too much. The noise, the bodies, the flashing lights, all of it pressing down on me until I thought I might snap.

Once I was ushered into the SUV, Kingsley had pulled me into his lap and started whispering words of reassurance while I gripped my necklace tightly. It helped to keep me grounded and stop me from spiraling as I clung to him and let his words soothe me.

The others piled into the SUV and the shouting of the paparazzi faded quickly behind us.

But even with the doors shut, the city wasn’t quiet.

San Francisco traffic buzzes around us, horns honking, engines growling, and I can feel it rattling my nerves.

My hands tremble as I cling to Kingsley, my rock in the chaos .

Bower has my legs across his lap, his hands gentle and rhythmic as he rubs them over my leggings. Kingsley’s hand never stops moving on my back, tracing long, calming circles while he whispers softly, reminding me how to breathe.

“Not too much longer now. It will get quieter in a couple minutes and it’s about fifteen until we get home.”

“Does your side hurt at all?” Reece asks from the row of seats in front of us.

I shake my head. “No, it’s fine.”

“You’re doing really well,” Kingsley says, kissing the top of my head and giving me a comforting squeeze.

I roll my eyes, knowing how close to breaking down I am, for no real reason. “Yeah, right. I’m a mess.”

“Sweetheart, I think you’re doing extremely well,” he replies gently. “You haven’t heard the sound of another person, let alone a hoard of people or a city full of traffic, in a very long time. Even I’m having a little trouble adjusting.”

“Really?” I ask, hope curling around my words.

He nods, smiling down at me. “Yeah, really. Just do us all a favor and stop apologizing for how you feel. There is no expectation or wrong way to react or feel right now. Just let us know what’s going on in your head or what you need so we can help you.”

I rest my cheek against his chest, the beat of his heart grounding me. “Okay. I think I just need you close right now. All of you, I mean.”

“You’ve got us.” He wraps his arms around me, solid and warm, as Reece shifts forward to say something to Weston and Arnold up front.

A moment later, soft rock filters through the SUV, the volume low and comforting.

I smile at the memory of listening to this kind of music with Reece, all those years ago as we laid on our backs on my bedroom floor, staring up at the ceiling.

My breathing evens out, the weight pressing on me begins to lift, and the world fades gently to black as I drift into sleep, surrounded by their soothing presence.

I stare up at the large estate they’ve been calling a house, my mind reeling at the size of it. “You live here?” I glance at the large two-story home. Pine trees line either side, blocking out the neighbors, and I’m pleased to see it’s located on such a quiet street on the outskirts of the city.

“ We live here,” Bower says, correcting me as he grabs my hand and gives me his signature smile.

Right. I live here now, too. I glance over at Weston, who looks just as stunned as I feel.

“You haven’t been here before?” I ask him. He turns to me and shakes his head, looking a little uncomfortable.

I reach out my free hand towards him, and he takes it in a firm grip as he moves to my side. “Shall we check out our new home together, then?”

He swallows uncomfortably and nods.

“Come on then,” Bower says, giving my hand a tug as he leads us up to the massive front doors .

He lets go of me to push the door open, then steps back as Weston and I enter side by side, my head tipping back to take in the entrance hall. It’s not as big as the houses Reece and I grew up in, but it’s still impressive.

What surprises me most is that it doesn’t feel stuffy and elegant like I expected. The modern furniture and artwork give it a more casual feeling, making me feel a little more relaxed.

I hear a click and something flashes, I turn to see Bower holding up his phone to us, a smirk playing on his lips. “Just wanted to remember the moment you came home.”

Before I can respond, we’re led to the right, which is obviously the main space of this house.

A large open living room and kitchen seem to take up most of this floor and my eyes bounce around, trying to take in everything at once.

The large L shaped couch, the massive flat screen TV that must be at least ninety inches, the abundance of video game systems lining the shelving underneath, and along the back wall, past the kitchen, large windows that look out into the backyard.

“It’s beautiful,” I say, noticing the three of them are watching me, waiting for my reaction.

“Why don’t we show you the bedrooms and bathrooms upstairs?” Kingsley suggests. I nod as my eyes continue to explore the space as we follow him and Bower upstairs with Reece right behind us.

“This is my room,” Kingsley says, pointing to the first door on the left.

“The next door is Bower’s, and we share a bathroom between us, which you’re welcome to use.

” He pushes his door open so I can peek inside.

It’s clean and tidy, the walls painted a navy blue with matching white and blue bedding. It suits him.

Reece points to the door across the hall. “That’ll be your room, West.”

Weston’s eyebrows raise in surprise. “I have my own room? ”

“Did you think you were gonna bunk with one of us?” Bower asks with a laugh.

“I guess I hadn't really put much thought into it.” I let go of Weston’s hand so he can explore his new room.

The walls are painted a medium toned gray with dark gray bedding.

There are gray accents on the pillows and curtains and somehow, I feel like it matches his personality.

He seems to narrow in on some boxes stacked against the side wall and moves to them.

He opens up the top one and sucks in a sharp breath.

Whatever he sees in there has surprised him.

“What is this?” he asks, reaching in and pulling out a picture frame.

“That’s all Arnold’s doing,” Reece says, making my eyebrows pinch together in confusion.

“How…” Weston starts and trails off.

“I asked him to find out what was happening with your apartment. He spoke to the landlord. They considered it abandoned when you were gone for thirty days. Luckily, he kept your stuff in storage for you. He also wanted to pass along that he was very happy to hear you were okay, and if you need an apartment, to call him and he’ll give you the next one available. ”

Weston frowns down at the picture frame, his lips pressing into a tight line. I move closer so I can peek over his arm and get a look. He turns it towards me so I can see the photo of what must be a younger version of him and his brother, both in their military outfits.

“Brian?” I ask.

He nods. “Yeah, he was there at the airport.”

“He was?” I ask in surprise. I was so caught up in my own head I hadn’t realized Weston was going through something, too .

“He said he believed me, about before. And he was sorry. He wants me in his life again.”

I frown, considering how that must feel. Being cut out of his brother's life so harshly, it’d be hard to trust him again.

“What do you want?” I ask as he places the photo on the dresser and stares down at it.

“I have a nephew, Timmy. I didn’t even know, and he’s already three years old.”

My eyes widen in surprise. He’s an uncle, and he had no idea.

“I’m sorry he kept that from you. Do you want to meet him?”

Slowly, he nods. “Yeah, I’d like to be there for him. And maybe me and Brian can get back the relationship we had before. I’m not entirely sure if I can fully trust him not to ditch me again, but I think I’d like to try.”

I wrap my arms around his waist, and he pulls me against his side as I hug him tightly. “No matter what happens, you have me now,” I tell him.

“Us. You have us,” Kingsley says from the doorway. He gives me a smile, then motions into the hall. “Ready for the rest of the tour?”

I nod my head and grab Weston’s hand as we move down the hall.

“West, that’s your bathroom,” Reece says, pointing to the door beside his.

“This is my room,” he says, pushing the next door open.

Dark gray walls and black bedding. At first, I think it’s very impersonal, but as I step inside, the back wall snags my attention, and I drop Weston’s hand and move to stand in front of it.

My eyes roam everywhere as I take it all in. It’s covered in framed photos of… me. Most are me and Reece growing up, but quite a few are images of me, ones I remember him taking on his phone.

“This is…” I trail off, unsure how to finish .

“Obsessive,” Weston says, planting his hands on my shoulder as he takes it all in.

I chuckle and look over at Reece’s guilty face. “I was going to say sweet.”

“Wasn’t this… painful?” Weston asks, his eyes still taking it all in. “Staring at images of her every day, thinking she was gone?”

Reece nods from where he leans on the wall just inside the room. “Yeah, but when I didn’t have them up there, it was worse. Like I was afraid I’d forget what she looked like.”

Tears spring to my eyes at the thought of him being out here this whole time, missing me. I thought it was bad on the island, but if the situation was reversed, I’m not sure I would have held it together as good as Reece did. I probably would have broken down and ended up in a mental facility.