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Justice was next, hugging me with fatherly satisfaction and reminded me that I was the leader of the rebellion whether I wanted to be or not "Train hard, be ready for May first," he instructed slowly "Do you knohere the cave opens to the split river?" When I nodded, he continued, "Meet us there at five o'clock on the first and ill take the river together," he pulled away, grinning atI had ether

"Eden, we love you, darling, and I will look forward toyou soon every moment until that day," Delia proic believed her

"I love you too," I insisted, looking at theave up their children in order to have a better life; they were parents that sacrificed their family in order for their children to live Delia was not running fro to a life in which she could openly love her faht I held my own past to chase me, and my own promise of freedom relentlessly to pursue

"I love you, Eden, see you soon," Justice echoed and then they were gone They slipped out the backyard into the spring twilight and across the yard I watched them disappear into the wooded area that backed up to Ao What would life be like as a couple on the road?

But, when I looked at Jericho, I knew If we didn't defeat the ether for as long as we lived

Then I realized that I was already referring to him and me as "us" and "our"

----

"Well, that ild," Jericho turned to me in the kitchen, aftertrees

"Yeah," I agreed, turning to hi his touch

"Are you Ok?" he asked, taking a tentative step forward

"Yes, I think I a if he could feel how badly I wanted his go se?" He saze

"Honestly," I sighed, "as smoothly as could be expected"

"What is with you?" he asked, an anxious laugh escaping hi like I had an idea of what he was talking about, but I wanted to make him squirm a little

"You ca towards ravitational pull between us My ic didn't immediately search him out like it did with Kiran, butJericho hold me, so when I needed to be held, I couldn't help but selfishly long for hi a step forward and then closing the distance between us I pushed hiainst his chest, listening to his heart beat wildly inside the fragile protectiveness of his body I wrapped my arms around his waist and decided for the next three weeks I would never let hiht never be without hiain

I wanted whatlove that encapsulated complete self-sacrifice and offered only an equal aenda and without a desperate man's motives I wanted to be respected and have my opinions heard I knew that Jericho was a s andoverfor so in my expression that couldn't be defined ords

"Please, don't ever ain, unless it is absolutely necessary!" I begged, enthusiastically

"I think I can agree to that," he answered playfully

He stared intoicsness to find Jericho's

He liftedfirmly into the small of my back and I remembered why I found him sexy the entle way that promised to behave, but also threatened to push some boundaries

It was the first ti sensation of his h escapedhier