Page 101 of Intertwined Souls

Cade glances at it and then looks at the ground, focusing on his stretches. Knowing how far he has come with communicating, I give him all the time he needs to talk.

After a few minutes he does, but he doesn’t look up at me. “Yeah. When I was really young, I would use sharpies to draw on myself. And then I would draw on anything I could get my hands on. Notebooks, sticky notes, sometimes walls. My father found out and flipped. He told me how I was acting like a girl, and he beat me.

“It was right before I started doing the work for him, but it was something he held against me for a long time. Anyway, when Noah got me and we moved in here, I found this spot and might have stolen some old car parts from a junkyard in town and painted on them out here when I wasn’t running.

“It was nice to do it again, but I just never wanted to turn it into anything much less ever tell anyone. I stopped around the time we met you and haven’t painted since. I just sometimes sketch in a notebook that’s under my bed.”

Biting my lip, I watch him as he keeps his head down and focuses on his leg stretches. Glancing at it and then back at him, I ask, “Can I see it?”

His eyes fly up to mine, wide with surprise. Something I am all too familiar with. I really fucking hate how one single person can berate you enough that it would seem impossible to you that someone could see something differently. Positively.

“I’ve been curious about it, but I never wanted to ask. But I think this might help you. Show me. Please,” I say softly.

Cade murmurs, “There was one time that I considered showing Ryker and Grayson because part of me knows they wouldn’t judge or anything, but I couldn't do it. I don’t even know why I told you. Words are just really easy when I’m with you.”

Grinning at him to remain calm when internally my heart is jumping and doing flips, I stand and gesture towards it. Sighing, Cade gets up and starts clearing the branches off before pulling it out.

It’s an entire car hood and is painted in all black and white. Mostly small things like objects, guns, dying flowers, vines, knives, skulls that have knives sticking in them, bleeding things, and so on.

Everything is painted with insane precision, looking like they are so real you could reach out and pick them up. “Wow. This is insane, Cade. You are really talented.” My eyes go wide in awe.

Shrugging, Cade glances down at the hood and then back at me. “It’s just for fun. I would like to pick it up again, but I don’t really want to spend all my time out here anymore.”

“I understand. I think you should consider telling at least Ryker and Grayson. Or maybe Noah. Then from there, maybe you can do it more often in your room and work your way up to more people knowing. Or we can just keep it to ourselves, but your brothers should know. Let them help you not feel shame for wanting to do something you love,” I tell him as I approach him and wrap my arms around his waist.

“I’ll think about it,” he says softly, giving me the best response he can. He grips the back of my head and bends down, pressing his lips to mine and like always, I lose myself in him and his all-consuming kiss.

After we talked for a while, in between making out, we finally make our way back to the club. I tell Cade that I want to go talk with Gabe before we go to bed.

“He should still be at his house. I’ll get Bear settled and meet you in my room.”

Smiling at him, I head over to Gabe’s back door and walk in. I don’t find anyone until I round the corner to the living room and spot Colton and Gabe sitting on the couch.

“Hey,” I greet, nodding at the two of them.

Colton smiles at me while Gabe says, “Hey, Harley.”

“Are you alright?” I ask him as I walk over and sit a few feet away from him on the couch, curling my legs up under me.

“I think I should be asking you that.” He gives me a small smile.

Chuckling, I say, “If you’re talking about what I found out earlier, I don’t think I’m mad. I just wish you would’ve talked to me about it. I know we might have argued about it—”

“Might?” Colton interrupts, raising a brow.

I roll my eyes and continue, “But I would prefer to argue with you and figure it out together rather than you going behind my back and doing things like this. That will just cause me to lose the trust I am learning to have in you.”

Gabe runs a hand over his face. “Fuck. I just keep failing at this parenting thing. I apologize and will work on it. I promise.”

“You’re not failin’ Rage. You’re learnin’. You both are. Just keep doing what you’re doing and you’ll both figure it out. Together,” Colton says.

I glance between them, biting my lip. “Is everything alright with Nerds?”

Gabe frowns. “He won’t be working for a bit, but don’t worry about it. I promise we are helping him and figuring it all out.”

I nod and understand that it’s not his story to tell. It makes me respect him a little more that he won’t just air everyone’s dirty laundry. After saying goodnight, I head back to the club and up to Cade’s room.

He’s not in here, so I steal one of his t-shirts and take a shower in his bathroom. By the time I’m done, I’m braiding my hair as I walk out of the bathroom to find a shirtless Cade putting snacks on his nightstand.

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