This book is for those who love slow-burn, chaotic, "how can they be that stupid," "about bloody time," wrench-your-heart-but-make-you-feel-so-good romances. Because what's life without a bit of drama, right? Throw in epic chaos, a princess on the r...
"Hey!" Jesse sneered, annoyed. The red-haired woman was suddenly in Matthew's senses from nowhere.
"This isn't another flirt fest here, buddy. Eyes on the mission."
Matthew wrapped his arm around Jesse's neck and pulled her to him, "yes, but when someone like that is interested."
He watched Eko melt into the crowd of soldiers already onboard.
"She's not interested in you, idiot," Jesse protested as Matthew pulled her along the main deck and towards the cockpit.
"She's just been through something tragic. She doesn't need you being well, flirty you!"
"Flirty me is fun me. You always laugh."
"l laugh at you," he released her in shock and abominated that statement when they entered the cockpit.
"Harsh words, miss, harsh, unnecessary words."
Jesse shrugged at the man's playful tone and swung her body onto the control chair as she began prepping the engines for take-off.
"Load Up!" Matthew called down the decks for everyone to take their seat.
Upon his command, Richie and Toni appeared, the rest of the soldiers had boarded the ship, and the doors swiftly closed behind them.
"Didn't find anything." Richie confirmed as though it wasn't news.
Matthew nodded, "nothing we could find either. Eko didn't recognize anyone,"
"So, the eighth site now?" Toni looked between Matthew and Jesse, concerning what they were doing next.
"Should be there in fifteen minutes, once we're good to go." Jesse instructed, and upon that, the boys had seated themselves, buckling up, watching them as she began the disembarkment process.
"So, if we find nothing at the ninth site?" Richie began, eyes shifting over his shoulder and peering back at some of the soldiers down the halls.
"Don't start a fight. We have two more days together." Toni snapped, knowing exactly where Richie's head was going with that question.
"I wasn't, and she just had to start her big mouth with Mac!"
"You can fix things with Mac when we get home." Jesse muttered, shaking her head. This wasn't the time to be having this conversation.
"Speaking of better topics than Richie and his ex," Matthew muttered, rubbing the side of his temple.
The delivery coordination was going to get a rocket up them when he got back; they had been told repeatedly about the situation. He even had gone to the lengths of making sure their personnel accounts had been red-flagged when having these two in proximity, especially considering their history.
"If we get nothing from these sites, then we're gonna split up. We'll divide into groups and cover more ground."
Jesse, Toni, and Richie agreed. "Cid won't like it," the red-haired raven could only offer as the devil's advocate between them.
"That's why it's best we don't tell him, heart attack and all." Matthew offered, "I'll take Eko to some of the Academies where the refugees are-"
"-wait, you'll take her?" Toni smirked, leering at his best friend, "you know. I'm sure one of the guys can handle taking her there. You don't need to be babysitting the survivors."
Oh, he knew how to pull those strings, and it's not like Matthew had many strings that could be pulled. So, when Toni found one, he was sure as hell going to tug on it to get any form of a reaction from the man.
"You know why I want to." Matthew smiled, not at all hiding his intentions, "she's a better company to be around, unlike you two," his eyes narrowed on his best friends, that burst into laughter.
"Don't get involved, Matthew." Jesse whined, face-palming herself at what she could already tell was going to happen, "I'm telling you, you're just going to end up sleeping with her. Breaking her heart, and then you'll move on to your next victim. I can't handle another weeping fan girl around. It does my head in, honestly."
"Whoa! You're pinning this entire thing on me?" Matthew sat forward playfully, he remarked to her.
Her eyes narrowed as she shifted her head, "I've known you long enough to know what's going to happen. So just don't. So, stay, boy. Sit!!"
"You're talking to me like a dog Jesse."
"I'm talking to that annoying thing attached to you that causes nonstop whining from women around us."
In response, Matthew, Toni, and Richie burst into hysterics.
"I swear, you are all a bunch of idiots."
Toni was the one that leaned forward over her chair, half hugging the woman.
"But you love us, don't you, Jesse?"
"You are debatable," she snapped at the man, unimpressed with the lesser devils the three had been.
"And you need to eat," he laughed, falling back into his chair, "your hangry state is showing!"
Matthew and Richie laughed louder at Toni's comment.
"Dead set morons." Jesse shook her head at the three men she admittedly loved more than life itself.
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Look Jesse's had a few words to me, and she's just not accepting this BS that your not voting.
So... my advice would be to vote. She's not going to continue with the story if you don't.
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