Tethered Hearts | ✓ | Books 1 & 2

Episode 34| Change of Heart

Bryce's P.O.V.

"Don't lie to me, Ernie." I put my arm on the closing elevator door, not hasty to step in right away. Going for my phone in my back pocket, I cupped it in my hands, ready to start dialing. "I want to know if you're certain about this information."

"We're positive." Conner countered and motioned for me to hurry into the elevator. "Get in. The only thing we don't know is if she's there still or if she has left."

"You didn't try to get backup to arrive at the location and scope the place, right?" I inquired. It was a trick question.

"No, that's your job. We came here so you could go with us." Conner had responded correctly. The only one that should be able to flash the green light was me. If I, for whatever reason couldn't, then of course he could. But I was happy to see he didn't overstep his boundaries.

I walked into the elevator. When the doors reopened, a stunned Kelsey gazed at the four of us with sunglasses on her head and a textbook in her hand. "Where are you guys off to?"

Conner strayed behind, comforting her with whatever lie he needed to sell her to believe. The three of us, the ones who weren't being tail-gated by Kelsey, waited for Conner at the lobby's main exit. I held open the door, waiting for their love-fest to end. Since I didn't know how this mission to reclaim the drugs was going to play out, I let them say goodbye for a moment longer than usual.

This could be their last goodbye.

"You aren't answering my question, Conner. What's going on?" she blew out a shallow-breath, retracting from their kiss.

Conner pecked the top of her head. "We'll be back before five PM. I'll be fine."

"Promise?"

The corner of his mouth tilted upward and he kissed her for a second time. "I promise."

Witnessing them act this way didn't make me want to yell at them for being openly mushy. Typically, I would've teased them at a moment like this. I couldn't get an insult out of me.

I missed her.

It been twenty-four hours since Sophia left. I was too stubborn to call and I had a feeling that she was nearly just as stubborn to be the first to ring me up.

A pound of lead sat on my chest, seeing them be together, knowing that I was close enough to that kind happiness with Sophia - until I ruined it.

"If you two love birds are done sucking-faces, we have things we'd like to get to. Preferably in this lifetime." Anthony said, pushing the door wider open. "If that's not too much to ask for."

Conner flipped him the bird. He then gave Kelsey one last parting farewell before jogging up to the exit with the rest of us.

Conner promptly slapped Anthony's head moments after leaving.

"What the hell?!" Anthony rubbed his scalp. "What was that for?"

"Don't talk to me like that. Especially not in front of my girl."

"Your girl." Anthony cooed, laughing uncontrollably. "You've gone soft; you shouldn't have a girlfriend. It's turned you into a wuss."

I scoffed, wanting to use the insult he had used on me earlier this week, I said: "Oh, who knew the C in Conner stood for C—"

"Hey." Conner shouted. "Not today. I'm in a good mood."

"This is you in a good mood? I'm astonished." Anthony said, rubbing is eyes comically.