Chapter 8
Nile hadn’t been exaggerating. His heart ached for both of these women, but especially for the one he was already feeling an attachment to. Sure, one of them could possibly bow out, but unlikely. The chances that three of them adored a woman and one disagreed were slim. At least in their family.
Before anyone else broke the silence, Nile reached for Layla’s hand. “Walk with me?”
She nodded and gave her sister a hug before stepping into Nile’s space.
Ledger set a hand on Ariel’s back, and the two of them followed behind Gatlin as they resumed walking. Ledger grinned. “You can keep grilling me. I’m up for it.”
Nile watched for a moment as the others continued walking, wanting some space between them so he could speak to Layla alone. He wasn’t unaware of the fact that they would each want time with her. They would need it. But he’d claimed this first leg of the journey.
Lifting her hand, he threaded their fingers together, staring at their connection in the moonlight. His skin was pale next to hers, and damn but her hand was small. “Will it make you nervous if I hold your hand?” he asked.
“No,” she whispered. “It probably would have a day ago, but…a day ago was a lifetime ago.”
He lifted her hand and stroked her knuckles over his cheek. “It was.” He nodded toward the others before he started walking. “I don’t want to get too separated from them.”
Layla was shaking. He wasn’t surprised.
“Do you have a jacket or sweatshirt in your pack? It gets chilly at night.”
She shivered. “Yeah.”
He stopped long enough to help her remove the backpack, set it on the ground, and tug out a sweatshirt. He took it from her and lifted it over her head, helping her put it on before grabbing her pack and settling it on her back again. “Better?”
“Thank you.”
She let him thread their fingers together again. “Tell me about where you grew up.”
She licked those full lips. “It was a simple two-bedroom cabin. We grew most of what we ate, not a hard thing to imagine since my parents were botanists before they left society. They’d been university professors.”
“Wow. Super smart people.”
“Yeah. Honestly, our lives were fairly normal and carefree. Mom and Dad didn’t tell us about the danger we were in until we were old enough to fully grasp the situation. My father ensured we knew how to defend ourselves and taught us how to use a weapon.”
“Your parents sound like amazing people.”
She sniffled and wiped away a few tears with her free hand. “They were. I still can’t believe they’re gone. I can’t believe Ariel and I walked for two weeks. I can’t believe Maya found us and saved us. I’m not sure how much longer we would have lasted trying to move around at night. We were running out of food and hope.”
“Maya’s incredible. She has personally brought hundreds of people into the fold.” He couldn’t resist lifting her hand to stroke his cheek again. Of the four men in his family unit, he was the one most often clean-shaven. Jay usually kept his hair and beard cropped close. Gatlin had the longest beard, though he trimmed it often. Ledger was just inconsistent and lazy about shaving, a two-day shadow being his norm.
“We were so relieved and grateful.” Layla shot him a teasing smile, her eyes dancing. “I think. I didn’t realize being saved would mean immediately getting claimed by four men.”
Nile stopped walking, turned to face her, and cupped her cheek. “I meant what I said to your sister. You will never be pressured. Not in any way. When we arrive, you’re free to stay with Gatlin’s or Ledger’s families if it makes you more comfortable.”
“That’s not what you want though.”
“No. Not because we intend to gang up on you and pressure you though. Only because we’re going to want to spend as much time with you as we can.”
“How does it work?” she licked her lips again. “I mean, how do you, uh…” She shuddered.
He smiled, hoping to calm her as they continued walking. He kept Ledger and Ariel in sight at all times, maintaining only enough distance to have some privacy. “The main housing unit is largely underground. Each family unit lives in their own apartment that consists of a family room, bedrooms, and a bathroom. It’s tight quarters, but we do have some level of privacy by each having our own bedroom.”
“And…”
He squeezed her hand. “I haven’t answered your question yet. I’m getting there.” Damn, this was hard. He’d never had to explain their lifestyle to a total stranger. He almost wished someone else had gone first. Almost, but not quite.
He liked her already. She was intelligent and inquisitive. Not to mention gorgeous.