43
JOHNNY — NOW
It’s difficult to pretend everything is fine when things could quite literally explode at any moment.
From the second this entire elaborate plan was put in motion, I’ve been looking over my shoulder nonstop.
I was a fool for thinking I could outrun him.
Franklin Sharp, the man with eyes everywhere.
How did I think a nobody like me could evade him?
“Here.” Pax shoves a red cup toward me, and the golden liquid sloshes around.
I take it from him gratefully and down the contents in one motion. I wipe my lips and mutter, “Thanks.”
Pax gawks at me with his beady eyes. He’s been weird around me since the moment we met, but it’s hard to blame him, considering he’s known Claire for years and I’m a newcomer to the group.
She and I have been nothing but secrets and evasion, so it only makes sense to be skeptical of the random dude recovering from “appendicitis” surgery. I doubt the gunshot wound would have gone over very well, not to mention, it would have drawn too much unwanted attention to the truth of our double life.
How were we supposed to know that Pax’s brother had the same surgery only a year ago? The recovery is fresh in his memory, alerting him to all the inconsistencies between the two.
Holland comes over and wraps her arm around Pax’s shoulder. “How’s my ginger friend doing?” Her words slur with the excess alcohol flooding through her. She blinks up at him and sways her body in a weak attempt to stand still.
He sighs and holds onto her in an attempt to keep her from falling down. “Hol. You’re officially cut off.” Pax carts her over to the couch and helps her sit. “You need water.”
I turn my attention to the gorgeous girl across the room, the one with bright blue eyes and an ass to die for. I run my hand through my short hair, a habit I’m going to have to break. Another piece of the past I should put behind me.
I wink at Claire and she blushes in response, sending my heart galloping out of my chest.
Rosie rises from her seat and grabs the remote to the television, clicking the button to turn the volume up. “Thirty seconds!”
The small crowd gathers around. A few faces I’m familiar with, but the rest are friends of Claire’s friends I’ve met but forgotten their names.
Slowly, like it’s only me and Claire left in the universe, I make my way over to her, our gazes glued to each other the entire way.
“Ten…nine…” The old man on the screen counts down.
My hand finds her cheek, resting gently along her flawless face. I breathe her in and savor just how lucky I am to have her here with me now. “I love you, Claire Cooper.”
“Two…one…”
Claire smiles and pulls me toward her, pressing her soft lips against mine as people in the room erupt into cheers for the New Year.
Our mouths dance together in a heated frenzy that has me wishing we really were the only ones around. Over the past few months, the chemistry between us has managed to keep growing despite being at an all-time high. I didn’t realize it was possible to bethisdamn attracted to someone. But I guess when you completely fall for someone, the way Claire and I have, it makes sense.
You would think the shit that we’ve been through would have torn us apart by now, but it’s somehow made us stronger. There isn’t a person I trust more in the world than the girl standing in front of me. And if I had to wager, I’d say she feels the same about me. That’s why we work so well—we can count on one another. That’s something neither one of us has really known before. Safety, security, the predictability of having someone in your corner looking out for you and actually giving a fuck.
It’s refreshing to finally have someone truly care.
Claire breaks away and leans her forehead against mine. She keeps her voice low. “I love you, Johnny Jones.”
“Happy New Year!” Rosie calls out while gripping me and Claire both by the shoulder. She’s had her fair share of booze tonight, but it’s safe to say she can handle her liquor much better than Holland can.
“Happy New Year,” I tell her.
Rosie was always the wildcard with our situation. The bond that she and Claire have runs deep, and there was no way she wouldn’t be included in our future together. But managing what bits of information we gave her was like maneuvering through a minefield. Somehow, she did the impossible and surprised the hell out of me when she totally went along with the hidden identity thing. She didn’t miss a beat in switching from calling me Johnny to Theo and, to this day, hasn’t questioned us or slipped up on any of the details.