I keep waiting for them to say "Just joking," but they seem dead serious.

"Tullahoma? You want to take me all the way Tennessee?" I ask and I watch as Ryan and Austin exchange glances.

"Sawyer, you are a special case receiving special treatment that in no other circumstance would be happening. The task force wanted to send you to a safe house in Utah. Ryan got them to agree to this because it's an extremely secure environment." Gus decides to chime in from the end of the bed.

"Why do y'all still gotta hide Sawyer? The drugs are at the Hemming's." Our heads flick back to Ryan and Austin in unison as Austin releases a long sigh before explaining, "We have no proof that Simon knows that. The Captain believes Sawyer could still be a target for Simon. They think he could try and kidnap her again to negotiate a plea deal for him or Kennedy. That, or use her to get information about the location of the drugs. Sawyer was Whitney's best friend for decades before everything went down. They think she's still too high of a risk to let her stay in Hollis."

"But why Tennessee? What's there that's so safe for Sawyer?" My mother asks while sitting next to me on my bed. Ryan and Austin are the only ones standing and we can tell they have total authority. I've never seen my brother in such a power position.

"Ryan's brother is in the Air Force there, he's pretty high up on command so he's able to secure base housing for Sawyer while she's there. Since it's an Air Force base, there is high-level security and no one is allowed on the base without permission. There is no way Simon will be able to get to her," Austin explains and we all nod along to his words.

"So, I would be going to Tennessee to stay with Ryan's brother?" I ask. This is a huge deal for our newly blossoming relationship. He was reluctant to tell me his favorite color and now I am meeting his brother? I can't imagine this was easy to suggest.

I look to Ryan, "Can I talk to you? Alone real quick?" The room falls silent as we all watch his short nod. I pull myself off my bed and the mattress creaking is the only sound in the room. Everyone watches as I follow Ryan out of the room and I hear them all break out into conversation as soon as I am around the corner. He leads me into the guest room and I close the door as soon as we are both inside. He turns around to face me, but there is nothing about his expression that gives away his mood. I can't tell what he is thinking. I twist my hands as I look to him.

"Ryan, are you sure about this? You were reluctant to tell me anything about you and now you want me to go to your home state and stay with your brother? This is kind of big." He stuffs his hands into his jean pockets while looking to the floor. His face may not give anything away but his reluctant body language does. He rocks onto his heels before looking to me.

"They wanted to send you to Utah. We haven't quite figured out what... we... are yet but I know I didn't want you going alone to Utah. Tullahoma is only a six-hour drive or forty-five-minute flight from here, so I could see you whenever I got the chance. Yes, it's a big step for our relationship but I don't know if we could have one if you went to Utah."

I nod to his words and then reply, "I don't want to push you or us too fast. But if you are okay with me staying with your brother, then I am okay with it too." Ryan purses his lips and I can see he's biting something back, "What? What's wrong?" He shakes his head before running his hands down his face.

"I'm not a hundred percent okay with it but when Austin suggested it, it made the most sense." So, Austin suggested it, not Ryan.

"Because it would move us too fast?" I ask and he shakes his head, "No, no I'm fine with that part I just...I don't have the best relationship with my brother so I'm not necessarily okay with you staying with him. But it's just because I don't know if I trust him." I'm suddenly very confused.

"If you don't trust your brother, why are you sending me to him?" I can tell there is something Ryan isn't telling me from the torturous look splashed across his face. He's becoming frustrated and I am assuming he's not ready to tell me whatever has him so bent out of shape.

"I trust that he'll keep you safe. I just don't trust that he won't...nevermind. Forget I said anything." That's going to be difficult. What is it that he doesn't want me to know? He closes the space between us and grabs onto my hands while I pull my chin up to meet his eyes. "If you are comfortable with it, I would like you to stay in Tennessee where my brother and I could look after you." I don't want to continue to push or press him for information so I nod.

"Yeah, okay. I'll go to Tennessee." He kisses my forehead and I know I'll have to get whatever is eating him up out of him eventually. I smile to him as he continues to kiss me from my forehead down to my lips. I pull him into me and I can't believe I had to go almost a whole week without kissing him. The butterflies swarm all over my insides and when he grabs my face with his hands, they nearly explode out of me. I stop kissing him for a second while I ask, "Would it be bad to do it with my mother in the next room?" He starts laughing and says, "I ain't gettin' killed by Austin or Mrs. Sweeney. But if you crawl on through your window tonight, mine will be open."

********

"Now don't do drugs or get yourself kidnapped," Gus jokes as we stand at my front door the next morning. Him and Annabeth decided to drop by to tell me goodbye and I look around me to make sure my mother didn't catch his remark. I could only be in Tennessee a few days, but my friends and mother are acting as if I'll be gone for a few months. My mother sat me down last night and told me all about the dangers of being in a big city and I had forgotten she was unaware of the time Whitney and I had snuck away to New Orleans for a weekend. I nodded to all of her warnings, doubting I would even make it outside of the military base while I was there.

Austin and Ryan come strolling down the hallway talking about work in hushed tones and they stop talking when they see us by the door. Ryan is dressed in the same blue plaid button-down that he wore the time we spent the night in my father's old pick-up truck and I smile at the fond memory. Ryan's emeralds find mine and I blush as I recall our late-night last night. He smirks as my cheeks change color and I have to look away from him.

"Ready to go darlin'?" Ryan asks me as soon as I get my wits in order. He is still smirking and it makes me want to run a finger down his strong jawline. I snap out of my daydream and reply, "Yessir. I'm ready to be whisked away to Tullahoma."

Ryan grins back to me before he and Gus grab my freshly repacked trunks sitting by the door. They haul them out to the car as my mother comes gliding down the stairs. She thrusts a handful of cash into my hand while saying, "Take this Sawyer dear, I don't want your credit cards getting stolen out there by a bunch of heathens." I roll my eyes at her while pulling the stack from her hands.

"Thank you mother, but I hardly think I'll be jumped by a gang on a military base. I think I'll be okay." She frowns at me while holding her hand out.

"Fine, then give the cash back to me." I give her wide grin as I stuff it into my purse and I catch her eye roll. I give her a quick peck on the cheek and leave her twisting her hands at the front door.

She was fine with me being whisked away to the Hemmings, but she's struggling with letting me go to Tennessee. I think it has more to do with me getting closer to Ryan as she hasn't decided how she feels about him yet. I can tell she hasn't by her sideways glances to him and her dropping small hints to Austin and me when Ryan isn't around. She sneaks in questions about his family, his upbringing and his morals. I think she's afraid we'll get even more serious before she can approve or disapprove of the relationship. It's going to be a problem if she decides against it- a war she knows she doesn't want to have with me.

Annabeth is standing by her car with her arms folded across her chest, waiting to see me off and I quickly walk over to her and give her a hug.

"Call me if you need anything. I can't be there to drink wine with you but we can still get drunk on the phone together." I catch Ryan's disapproving stare but I smile to her and quickly spin around to face Gus.

"Take care of yourself my sweets. Don't come back a big city girl now." I shake my head as I laugh at his words knowing how ridiculous they sound.

"I'll be back in a few days you guys. I'm not going to London or New York or something. I'll be six hours away." Gus pulls me in for a big, enveloping hug as I hear Ryan start Austin's car. Annabeth and Gus give me one more wistful look before I slide into the passenger seat and prepare myself for the long ride.