Crazy

by Scarlett Haven

  I’m also excited, because, tomorrow I get to see my guys again. This morning, tomorrow seemed like such a long time away, but it’s really not. It’s almost tomorrow. And I can’t wait to see my guys again. I’ve been apart from them too much.

  The plane lands. We have to sit on the plane for a few more minutes, which makes me nervous. The last time we had to wait, it was because of what went down at the airport in Dallas. But soon enough, we are able to get off the plane.

  Cam grabs our bags from the overhead compartment, insisting on carrying our bags again. I’m glad we didn’t have to check them. We will be able to just leave the airport and go straight to our hotel, or wherever we’re going.

  I’m surprised when we go to the covered parking garage instead of trying to get a taxi, though I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised by anything. But I am especially surprised when he unlocks the doors of a white Range Rover. It’s actually pretty similar to the one that I drive back home, except mine is black.

  Cam must have seen the confused look on my face, because he explains. “This is my personal car. My parents bought this for me. I think they felt bad for leaving me alone so much, so they wanted to buy my affections.”

  “We have that in common.”

  Cam opens the passenger side door for me, which is on the left side instead of the right. It’s a little confusing.

  I buckle my seatbelt as Cam drives out of the garage. I have a mini heart attack when he pulls out, because I completely forgot that it isn’t just their steering wheels that are opposite, but they drive on the left side of the road here, too. I put a hand over my heart, trying to calm it down.

  Cam chuckles. “Yeah, it always takes a little while to get used to driving according to the laws of whatever country I’m in. It was so weird to drive on the right side the first time.”

  “What about now?” I ask.

  He shrugs. “I like to think I drive well, no matter where I am.”

  Cam is an excellent driver, that is for sure. He’s never once made me feel uncomfortable. And even if he wasn’t great, he’s still better than I am. I seriously can barely drive in my own country, let alone a country where they drive on the opposite side of the road. I would be so confused by everything. Cam, however, drives with ease, and I realize it’s because he’s driven these streets many times. This is where he learned to drive.

  “Is your blinker the same?” I ask, as Cam makes a right-hand turn.

  He raises an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean... is it up for right, down for left.”

  He nods. “Why would that be different?”

  I shrug. “I don’t know. Everything else is backwards, so why wouldn’t that be, too?”

  Cam laughs. “Zara, I love you. Please never change.”

  I didn’t think it was that funny, but okay. I’m glad I could amuse him while we drive towards our hotel.

  One of the things that stands out the most to me about London as we drive through is the architectural differences between the US and here.

  The United State is huge, and it seems like every region has a different architectural style that they follow, but London is just so different than anything in the US. It’s just so much older and I feel like so much thought was put into every detail. They spent years making their buildings look beautiful on every square inch, and I appreciate that. It’s so gorgeous.

  Cam drives us probably a good thirty minutes from the airport before we finally pull up in front of a hotel. Once we’re parked, we walk inside. Cam still carries my bags for me, which I’ve just come to expect at this point, and we get checked in. When the lady asks for our ID’s, it’s still weird to see the name printed on mine. It’s weird to see my photo with any other name than Zara Summers. Still, Zara isn’t common enough of a name to use it.

  Once we get our keys, we head up to the room. Cam lets me shower first. Once I’m out, I open the curtain to check out the view while he showers. The view of the city nearly takes my breath away.

  London is so gorgeous. I almost wish we had more time here. If we weren’t going to meet up with the guys, I would beg Cam for more time because this is amazing.

  Someday, we will come back here.

  After Cam gets out of the shower, he puts something on TV and orders some room service for us.

  And that is how we spend the rest of our night. Eating food, watching some silly television show, and just enjoying each other’s company.

  Okay, and maybe a little sexy times. After all, how often do we really get to spend time alone?

  Sunday, January 5

  Leaving London.

  I’m not even upset when we have to wake up way too early to catch our flight to Milan. I’m just so excited to be reunited with the guys. It feels like we’ve been apart for so long, because I only got to see them for a day before we split up again.

  I’m exhausted from all the flying and time changes. I honestly feel like I could go back to sleep and sleep for days, but there isn’t time for that right now.

  “I need a coffee,” I tell Cam, as we’re about to leave our room.

  “Then we’ll get a coffee,” he says.

  “How cold is it outside?” I ask, slipping a hoodie on. I don’t have a jacket, so I’m hoping it’s not too cold. I know we don’t have time to actually buy a jacket. Plus, it would probably be pointless anyway. It seems whenever I get new ones, I have to abandon all my clothes.

  “I think it’s supposed to be four degrees today.” He zips up his bag.

  My eyes widen. “Four degrees! I didn’t think it got that cold in London. I don’t even have a jacket.”

  He raises an eyebrow. “It was a lot colder in Switzerland.”

  “I don’t remember any four-degree days.”

  “It got below zero a lot,” he says, then pauses. “Oh, wait. I forgot Americans use Fahrenheit. It’ll be about... forty, I think.”

  Okay. Forty isn’t that bad. It’s much better than four. The hoodie should be fine. I’ll be a little cold, but I can handle it.

  “How have you not gotten used to Celsius?” Cam grabs our bags off the bed, and we walk towards the door to leave our room. “We’ve been in a lot of countries that use it.”

  I shrug. “My phone lets me choose if I want Fahrenheit or Celsius on my weather apps.”

  And I’ve only recently had to give up my phone, which I am still a little bitter about. I know it’s for my safety, or whatever, but if I had a phone, a lot of issues over the last week would have been simply fixed with one phone call. I hate it.

  I follow Cam out of the hotel and to the parking garage. He puts our stuff in the backseat and gets in the driver’s side. I still think it’s weird that the passenger’s side is where the driver’s side usually is. Everything is so backwards here. I wonder if that is how Cam feels when he’s in the US. I guess I should be more sympathetic.

  “Is it super weird to be in the US?” I ask Cam. “I mean, where we measure temperature differently. And distances. And... pretty much everything else.”

  He shrugs. “Growing up, I spent a lot of time in the US, and since most of the team is American, it just made more sense for Stefan and I to learn to adapt.”

  At school, they taught us how to convert everything, but it was one of those things that after I didn’t need it anymore, I forgot it. It’s weird how that happens so quickly. Still, I promise myself that I will learn to adapt for the sake of Cam and Stefan. It should work both ways.

  As we leave the hotel, Cam reaches over and grabs onto my hand as he drives. I’ve grown used to him doing this, and I like it. He always takes the time to do small things that really matter, at least to me. He makes the most out of our relationship always.

  On the way to the airport, he stops at a coffee shop and we grab a coffee and some breakfast. The dude behind the counter is snooty and corrects me for saying ‘tomato’ the wrong way. I just roll my eyes at him.

  “If I ever pronounce tomato like that guy, please slap m
e,” I tell Cam, as we leave the shop.

  He just laughs.

  I’m excited about meeting up with the guys today. I really hope we don’t have to be separated like this ever again. I don’t like it.

  Cam did say we’re close to catching whoever it behind this, so I just have to trust him. Soon, everything will be back to normal, whatever ‘normal’ is at Spy School.

  “When this is over, let’s never be apart again,” I say. “I don’t think I can handle it.”

  “Agreed.” Cam nods.

  This whole being apart thing? It sucks.

  I miss my boyfriends.

  Milan.

  It’s only a two-hour flight from London to Milan, but because of the time difference, it’s eleven in the morning when we land. I expect the guys to be waiting at the airport for me, like you always see in the movies—a couple running into each other’s arms in slow motion. But Cam says we’re meeting everybody at the hotel, which makes a lot more sense than meeting up at the airport, but I’m still disappointed. I wanted to see them.

  Milan is beautiful, but in such a different way than London is. Milan is full of old and modern buildings. It’s like... the best of both worlds. And the mountains just behind the city are breathtaking.

  I had never even thought about coming to Milan before. I guess when I think of Italy, I think of Rome. Or even Venice, with its streets of water. But I’m glad that we’re here. I want to explore this city. I hope that we will be staying for a while, but it seems that we don’t stay anywhere for long.

  I can’t help but notice that Milan is very close to the border of Switzerland—I’d say probably under two hundred miles. Which can’t be a coincidence that we’ve come this close to the home country of Spy School.

  “Are we going back to Spy School?” I ask Camden, as he drives us toward the hotel.

  Cam glances over at me, then back at the road. “To be honest, I don’t know what we we’re doing. It does seem peculiar that we’re so close to Switzerland, but I can’t imagine what Zach has planned for us next. He’s calling the shots right now.”

  “Zach wanted us here?” My heart clenches when I hear his name. I haven’t seen or heard from him since we left California, and I miss him.

  Cam nods.

  “Do you think he’ll be here?” I don’t want to get my hopes up.

  “I don’t know.”

  I let out a breath.

  The unknown is what really gets me. I like to have a plan. I like to know what to expect. That’s why all of this is so hard. We never know when we’re going to have to leave, and we definitely never know where we’re going.

  “It’s going to be okay.” Cam reaches over the center console and grabs onto my hand. “No matter what happens, I will be here for you. And if I can’t be here, then Tristan will be. Or Stephan, or Austin, or Dylan.”

  I smile at that, because I know that they are the ones I can absolutely count on. Even when things are going crazy, I know they will be there. I trust them. Fully and completely.

  A few minutes later, we pull into the hotel. Cam stops the car in front of the hotel, but he doesn’t make a move to get out.

  I glance at him, raising an eyebrow. “You coming?”

  But before he can answer, the passenger side door opens. My seatbelt is undone and I’m being pulled from the car, into familiar arms.

  Austin and Dylan.

  Austin pulls me into his arms first, and Dylan shuts the door behind me. I hear Cam drive off, leaving me at the front of the hotel. I’m sure he’s just driving off to park the car, so I’m not worried.

  “I missed you way too much. We’ve got to stop separating like this.” Austin squeezes me tighter before eventually letting go.

  Dylan pulls me into his arms. “I missed you.”

  “Missed you both, too,” I say, holding onto Dylan, wishing I never had to let any of them go. “Where are Tristan and Stefan?”

  “They’re not here yet. I think their flight was an hour behind yours,” Dylan answers, loosening his grip on me. “I can’t handle being separated from you anymore.”

  “I can’t either.” I look between Austin and Dylan, just so happy to see their faces. “I don’t like when we’re not together. It doesn’t feel right.”

  “When this is over, we will never be apart again. I will make sure of it.” Austin’s lips press into a hard line. But it’s his wording that has got me worried.

  When this is over.

  Does that mean that we’re going to separate again? Cam seemed like he didn’t know for sure, but maybe he knows more than he’s letting on. Maybe he just didn’t want to upset me, or worry me.

  Still, I don’t want to think about that now. Right now, I just want to focus on the fact that I’m here with Austin, Dylan, and Cam. I want to focus on the fact that I’ll get to see Tristan and Stefan soon, too.

  Austin, Dylan, and I head up to our room, Cam joins us a few minutes later. We just sit on one of the beds, hanging out. We talk about our trip and where we stopped along the way.

  It has been an adventure, that is for sure. But I’d rather go on an adventure for fun, not because I’m running for my life.

  One day at a time.

  When Tristan and Stefan get to the hotel, I am so happy to be reunited with them all, but I also keep what Austin said in the back of my mind.

  When this is over, we will never be apart again.

  But it’s not over. Not yet.

  I want it to be over. I don’t want to keep running, but I don’t have any say in what we do. I just have to follow Cam’s instructions, and Zach’s. And if they think I need to keep running, that is what I will do.

  I just want to go back to Spy School. I want to finish my training. And I want things to be normal. I miss Spy School. I miss going to class. I miss training. Well, I still train, but not in the same way I did at school. When we were there, training and school was my number one focus. Out here, my main focus is staying alive. Training is just something we do when we’re not having a travel day.

  The six of us order room service for lunch. After we eat, the guys say we have to leave the room. I just go along with it, not asking questions, because it’s easier to just go along with whatever they say.

  The guys are tense. They’re just as tense as they were before I left with Cam for the airport, and I’m really hoping that we’re not about to separate again. I can’t handle any more separating.

  I’m surprised when we get on the elevator and the guys push the button for the floor above ours. I expected us to go down and to leave. But if we’re going up, that means somebody else is here. Maybe Zach. He’s the only one I think we’d be going to see right now.

  When we get to the floor, Austin, who is holding my hand, pulls me into the hallway. We follow the rest of the guys to a room not that far down the long hallway. When we get to the door, Cam knocks on it, the rest of us scattered behind him.

  The door opens up and I’m surprised that it’s actually not Zach standing on the other side. It’s my uncle, Zach’s brother.

  “Hello, Grant,” Cam nods at him.

  Grant holds the door open wider. “Come in. Zach’s in the shower. He’ll be out soon.”

  Zach is here. My heart soars at the news.

  I miss having Zach around. In a weird way, I feel safer with him around. Not that I feel unsafe when I’m with just the guys, but Zach is really good at what he does. And he’s years ahead of my team as far as training goes. Plus, he’s my dad. I should feel safe around him.

  It’s weird seeing Grant again, though.

  Grant looks a lot like Zach... a lot like me, except he’s big. He’s tall and has biceps bigger than my waist. I feel small next to him and Zach.

  “Zara, it’s great to see you again.” Grant shuts the door as the last of us walk in.

  “I thought you were going to be in New York for a while,” I comment, mostly out of curiosity. I didn’t expect to see him here.

  “I’m working on a long-ter
m assignment there, but my team can do without me for a little while.” He smiles at me. “Family comes first. I want to help with everything that is going on. I know I have different talents that could help you guys out.”

  That’s actually kind of sweet.

  I didn’t think about the extended family I would have when I accepted Zach as my dad. But I like the idea that I have an uncle who also loves me.

  My mom doesn’t have any siblings and my dad... he has an older sister, but I’ve only met her once in my life. She never seemed interested in having a relationship with me. So, I’ve never known what it’s like to have an aunt or an uncle care for me. This is kind of nice.

  “Thank you.” I walk over to Grant, giving him a quick side hug. I don’t know what made me want to hug him, but it feels right. He squeezes me back quickly, then lets go.

  “Why don’t you guys sit down. Zach won’t be much longer,” Grant says.

  Zach never takes long to shower. I almost feel like it’s something he’s trained to do... to shower quickly. And maybe he has. But if he’s in a hurry, he can shower and get dressed in three minutes tops.

  The six of us go and sit down in the living room area of their suite. It’s a little bit of a tight squeeze, but the guys put me in the middle. When they realize how tight of a squeeze it is, Austin pulls me onto his lap, making more room.

  I narrow my eyes at him. “You can always put me on your lap.”

  He grins. “I like you better here.”

  To be honest, so do I.

  Just as we get settled, the door to the bathroom opens and Zach walks out. His hair is wet from the shower, but he’s fully dressed.

  Zach looks stressed. He has dark circles under his eyes and his face is pale. I can tell he’s probably spent our time apart worried about me. He even looks thinner. I wonder if he’s eating enough.

  Being a parent must be hard, but being a parent to a Spy School student would be the absolute worst. I know that if I have kids someday, they’ll probably end up as students at Spy School, because that’s how it works. Most of the agents at Spy School are second, third, or even fourth generation agents. I’m pretty sure that I’m fourth generation.