Take My Hand

Chapter 71

“What are you doing dressed like that anyways?” I asked as I let go of Wes and reached out to straighten his tie.

“Actually, my night may not require this dress code any longer.” He smirked, unbuttoning his jacket. “It just depends on what your plans are...”

“I’m free actually. Just need to pack, but I can finish that later.” 

“Good.” He replied, walking over to his suitcase. “While I change, go round of the rest of the lads. We only have you for so many more hours, we all need to take advantage of it.”

I nodded as I headed out of the room and into the hall, going and knocking on the other doors until I found everyone.

“Aren’t you supposed to be packing?” Leo asked as he opened the door.

I smiled and shrugged. “Some things are more important then fitting everything into my suitcase.”

“Such as?” He asked, eyes crinkling along with his smile.

“Spending time with the five of us.” Wes responded for me, walking up behind me and placing his hand on the door frame above my shoulder.

“Weren’t you going out?” Lucas piped up from where he was lounging on Leo’s bed. 

“I still am.” Wes replied. “And so are the five of you. So come on, get your shoes on, we still have time for a little bit of fun in this city before Rae leaves.”

The other boys nodded and jumped up, tying their shoe laces and filing out into the hall.

“What do you have planned?” Declan asked as he pulled the door shut, being the last one out.

“Nothing spectacular.” Wes replied. “I just came up with it on the spot. Let’s just head out and be kids for a bit. No bodyguards, no fame, just six best friends in this magnificent city. As long as we are somewhere dark enough, no one needs to know we are anything other than that.”

We all nodded, intrigued by the game Wes was making. All it was was a twist on the truth and that’s what made it so appealing. It was a feeling I had grown accustomed to here in New York with him, but it was new to the others. As he glanced over at me in the mirror of the elevator, that’s when I realized that it was a little more to it then that. It was a second part of him apologizing, him inviting the others in in a way. Adding them to the magic that he and I had created in New York, sharing it as he had said he didn’t want to in the past. 

I smiled at his reflection as the doors slid open, letting him know I was onto what he was doing and saw the true relief on his face.

When we got into the lobby we were quick to cross and get into a taxi. I didn’t know where we were going when Wes gave the address. How he knew the streets of the city so well already shocked me, but I just let myself enjoy the view from the window.

As we drove away from the busier section of the city with our hotel, the buildings became a bit smaller and the streets became quieter. The sky was purple and orange when the cab stopped on the side of the street, emptying us on a crossroad of Central Park. Wes handed the driver our fare and then he turned to smile at us.

“This is what kids do right? Go out, wander a park at dusk, why should we be any different? Just because we’re who we are doesn’t mean we can’t pretend we aren’t for a bit.”

With that he chose a path and walked it, us all falling into step behind him. As we walked I tried to pull myself out of it and look at us from the outside. We were a weird group, there was a strange silence around us that normally didn’t accompany us, or anyone in our situation. Maybe it was because the boys felt like strangers in this world, it wasn’t one that they were used to, being here, being like this. I realized that it was up to me to show them how it went.