Breathe (Colorado Mountain #4)(126)

Cautiously, my heart beating hard even as it hurt, for him and for Misty, I asked, “Did that really happen to Misty?”

“Question and answer time is after you sort those two. Not now. Go, Faye, and don’t make me tell you again.”

One could say he was being supremely bossy in a way I did not like.

Still.

Eats at me every f**kin’ day.

Frak.

Misty.

So instead of sharing with him I didn’t like him being that kind of bossy, I whispered, “Right.”

I let his sweater go, he let me go and I hustled across my apartment, taking my coat off as I went.

I threw it on an armchair then I sat in my desk chair.

On the screen I saw either Benji or Serenity had started a three person chat and there was a line of Faye, you there? over and over again.

I scrolled up, saw Chace had entered the conversation pretending to be me which wasn’t cool but I decided to share my thoughts about this when he hadn’t just lost his mind.

I took a deep breath and I put my hands to the keyboard.

Actually, guys, you were talking to Chace. Now, it’s Faye and I’m here.

Nothing then, What?!?!? This from Serenity.

And What the frak?!?!? This from Benji.

Typing hesitantly, (yes, you could type hesitantly), I shared, Chace and I are kinda together.

More nothing then, What?!?!? This from Serenity.

And What the frak?!?!? This from Benji.

Oh jeez. Here we go.

Well, actually, Chace and I are more than kinda together. We’re REALLY together. And now he knows what we’ve been doing since he was here and turned on the computer. Your chats popped up. He joined as me. You spilled the beans and he’s a little peeved. That was me finishing on an understatement.

You got to be fraking kidding!!! This was Benji.

OMG! What the hell?!?! This was Serenity.

I typed a bunch of stuff, explaining my lie (I hoped). Explaining Chace and I getting together. Telling them about Malachi and all that went down. Finally explaining why Chace was pissed, including the scary, alarming, heartbreaking new info about Misty but skirting over Chace being terrifyingly angry. Though not skirting over it too much in the hopes that they’d understand and finally back down.

So, to end, it seems this might put me in harm’s way. Chace doesn’t like that much so you have to stop or he’ll arrest you or end up on a hunt to kill the man who violated and killed me. Obviously, if this is my possible end, I’m also asking you to help with not making that happen and backing down. I finished.

There was again nothing until Serenity popped up with, It’s kinda not cool he pretended to be you.

I’ll talk to him about that later after I assure him I won’t end up riddled with bullets in a ditch because we’re being stupid. I replied.

That was when Benji came in with, I cannot fraking BELIEVE you two are TOGETHER!

I can’t either, I shared.

Is it good? Benji asked.

How to answer that?

I decided on, On a scale of one to ten with ten being how good I was sure it would be, it’s about seven thousand, six hundred, and twenty-three.

Whoa. Serenity typed. Then, Righteous.

Fraking AWESOME!!!! Benji put in.

So, seeing as I’m with the man I’ve been crushing on for forever and it’s that good, I’d like to keep it that way WITHOUT him being pissed at me. Can you help me with that? I asked.

No probs, Benji answered instantly.

Then nothing.

Serenity? I prompted.

We’re close. She pointed out and I sighed.

Maybe, maybe not and maybe we’re close to me coming to an untimely demise because we stuck our noses into something we shouldn’t. I returned.

Inara, I get you, but there’s still a murderer to be caught. Serenity replied like catching murderers was her job. Which it could be, I didn’t know. I just knew this particular murder wasn’t her job to solve (maybe).

Serenity, girl, stand down. Benji urged.

Serenity, honey, you are where you are, wherever that is, and I’m here. Someone is already DEAD. Someone else might have recently got dead because of this. I do not want to be strike three. This isn’t real to you but I’m living it. What we’re doing, from Chace’s response, tells me I could be in the path of destruction. You might be enjoying this but it isn’t fun for me. The fear I’ve been feeling as you’ve been uncovering things hasn’t been fun for me either. Something I already told you. Last, Chace was seriously pissed and although it wasn’t cool he pretended to be me with you two, honestly, in a weird way, he had the right to be. I get you but please get me. Back down. Promise me. Stop everything. For your sakes, for my sake and also for the sake of Chace and me. I begged.

Nothing from Serenity until, Oh, all right. Whatever. I’ll stand down.

Swear on any possible future, no matter how slight, that Nathan Fillion could kiss you, the universe would take that opportunity away if you keep up with ANY of this. I pressed.

Yeesh, Inara, I said I’d stand down. Serenity evaded.

Swear. I demanded.

Nothing then, Fine. I swear on losing the opportunity to kiss Nathan Fillion that I’ll stand down.

I sighed with relief because that was so big it was huge but I typed. Thank you.

Is he there now? Benji asked.

Yes. I answered.

What’s he doing? Benji asked and I looked to the kitchen to see Chace was doing something at the counter.