I pressed my hand to my chest, willing some of those nerves away. It wasn’t working. They just slammed back against my chest. I felt them mocking me. Who got taunted by her own nerves? Me.

Grant pulled the car to the curb. Since it was so early, there weren’t as many travelers here. The pressure to dump and dash wasn’t as high as it usually was. Grant put the car in park and leaned back in his seat.

He watched me. “You okay?”

The nerves were now pointing and laughing. I jerked my head in a stiff nod. “Yep. Totally great. Superb.” I popped the B.

A faint grin showed, then he yawned. “It’s early. Why’d he get you a ticket this early?”

I laughed. “Right. Like I’m going to complain.”

“Touché.”

“Besides.” I reached for my coffee. I needed to inhale it before going through security. “He said something about this way he can pick me up and not have to send a driver.”

“Fair enough.”

We were both joking. Reese had bought me a freaking ticket. It could have eight layovers, and I wouldn’t care. The gesture was kind and giving and just Reese—or the way he was with me.

“I still can’t believe you’re dating Reese Forster.”

“We’re just—”

Grant rolled his eyes. “Say what you want. I know what I heard last night, and that, my friend, was a couple talk, fight, and makeup. You and him. You guys aren’t just friends.” He leaned forward. “He’s flying you to freaking Seattle. That says a lot. Friends don’t do that, or at least not after seeing you twenty-four hours ago. You know it.”

Yeah. He had a point.

I was still going to fight it. “Friends.”

He scoffed. “Yeah. You and me. We’re friends. You and him, not friends, not like that.”

“You and I kissed.”

He snorted. “Which you told me meant nothing—thanks for the ego boost.”

“Now you have Sophia.”

“Yeah.” I could hear his fondness. “I do. Now I have Sophia.” His eyes focused on me again. “And you have us too.”

I nodded. I knew he was serious. And he was still looking at me.

“We’re going to be gone by the time you come back,” he said. “Do me a favor?”

“Yeah?”

“Don’t disappear for five years, or six years, or however long it was. Please. You really are a dear friend.”

My throat swelled with an onslaught of emotions. “I know. I won’t,” I rasped out.

“Promise?”

Oh, man. More throat burning. I looked away, tugging at the ends of my sleeves. “I told Reese about Damian, about those years. I told him some of the bad stuff. There was good too, but yeah—if I was going to hide and lock down, it would’ve happened last night.”

“That’s what we walked in on?”

I nodded.

“He broke through?”