EVERETT"Thank you for backing me up in the meeting with Mrs Williams." Exhaling another long sigh, I peer out from the passenger's side car window. "I can't believe I hadn't stood up to her in such a long time, but having you there definitely gave me the strength to do that." Pivoting my head to face Mr Thorne, I offer him a small smile. "I can't thank you enough. It was nice to have someone on my side and speaking for Cody and my family."Mr Thorne steals a glance at me, taking in my facial features."I'm glad you thought it was a friendly gesture." He puts his eyes back on the road. "Somewhere in my head, I thought I might be offending you." Then he swallows hard, and the bump on his throat visibly bobs up and down. "I'm sorry about calling myself your boyfriend in there. Really sorry about that."He coughs breathlessly to hide his embarrassment."You weren't doing that at all." I chuckle awkwardly. "I mean, you weren't offending me." Running a hand through my hair, I shake my head

EVERETT"The food tastes awesomely good." I stare at Mr Thorne sideways, wondering if he's enjoying his sandwich as he takes a big bite out of it. The fries in his takeaway box sit untouched, so I pick some up and bring it to my lips. I slowly munch on the food before putting a palm over my lips while talking. "The fries are good too."Mr Thorne takes another bite out of his food, staring at me sideways when my hand reaches into his meal to get another set of fries."If you wanted fries, you should have ordered your own. It was my treat anyway, so you didn't have to feel shy about it.""Aren't you snarky about sharing food?"He shakes his head slowly."I'm a little snarky about sharing my fries, considering how less often I touch them." He thins his lips. "That's it. There's nothing more to it than that."Running my fingers through my hair, I scoff."I wasn't shy about ordering fries. Not really." I lick my lips. "It's just that I thought their fries would be soggy, but these turned o

WAYLON"Oh. I'm sorry, Ms Fischer. I know I'm imposing on you." My eyes rest over the top of her head, and I can see her long hair caressing her shoulders. Her delicate hands hug my waist from the side as she walks beside me. She's helping me walk to the door. Who knew I would drink this much? "Can you call the cab company again? I can wait outside till they can get here.""I'll wait with you." She offers me a little smile. "It's late, and it's raining. It might not be safe to be alone outside, especially when it's difficult for you to stand upright and walk to the door."Shaking my head, I dismiss her statement."You don't need to worry about that. I'll be fine.""Here you go." Ms Fischer playfully pats my back when we finally step outside the restaurant's front door. Then she pulls out an umbrella from her bag and puts it over our heads, covering my head more than hers. I slide my arm across her waist and pull her closer to me. Then I release her from my touch. The sudden action ta

EVERETT The second the cab pulls up in front of the apartment building, the driver loudly announces we are there. His voice wakes me abruptly from my short-lived shut-eye, and I jolt back a little, but I don't get hurt. Blinking my eyes, I take in the manly hands that hold me in place. Sighing, I realise that Waylon's arms have been around me all this while. His protective arms held me as I had been sleeping on the way home. The moment I zero in on Waylon's facial features, I notice Waylon yawning slightly, as he has been nodding off beside me since his head was resting atop mine, and now he's moving his head side to side to stretch his neck muscles. Making an odd noise in the back of my throat, I slowly lick my lips. Staring at my hands in my lap, I watch him undo the cuffs around his wrists while his arm is still around my shoulder. He slowly straightens himself as he breaks our embrace. Clumsily, he retrieves his hand from resting around my shoulder, glances at my face and offers m

EVERETTWhen Waylon calms down a little, I take his face in my palms and mentally prepare to ask him what's going on in his mind as I watch his shoulders slump and shake. With an unsure hand, I pull him into my chest. Hugging him tightly against my chest, I run my fingers through his hair."I need you as much as you need me, Mr Thorne."He sucks in a deep breath and makes an odd noise at the back of his throat. But he doesn't say anything."I want you in my life, Waylon." Softly, I whisper next to his earlobe. "You're very much needed. Never forget that."Still looking down at his hands, he sniffles loudly."Why are you crying, Mr Thorne?" I slowly chew on the inside of my lower lip. "Is something bothering you?" Exhaling, I try to offer him a comforting small smile. "Maybe I can lend you an ear and hear you out if you want to tell me what's bothering you. At least I can hear all about your problems."He shakes his head softly."It's nothing.""It's not not nothing." Growing unusually