“Damn, Ma, if I knew it would’ve consisted of a gun to my fucking head or screwing my sister, I could’ve done without.”
She points toward the front door. “Get thehellout!”
“I’m hoping this means you’ll stop texting me to come over here again?”
“Out!”
Perfect.
I shouldn’t be here.
I’m just fucking up left and right tonight, and along with literally slaughtering my family’s reputation, I thought, in my hazy cocaine bender, that I’d continue with the trend and landed here.
But through all that, I feel the most comfortable I’ve been. My dealer is good and makes sure I’m supplied with the goodshit to keep me functioning like a somewhat normal human being because if I were sober, I’d never be in this fucking house, let alone city.
However, I can’t help but stare at Bay laid up in her bed, curled into a ball as if to hide from the world and the things that have changed since Torin found out that she murdered his brother.
The jury’s still out on that one.
I’m not sure if she did or didn’t, in all truth, all I cared about was her not marrying anyone who wasn’t me when I should’ve cared about what Torin was going through.
But while he’s been shutting down and spiraling—I’m not sure if you’d even call it grieving—I’ve been keeping myself occupied with my own depression and loss. I try to remain strong and away, but there’s this pull. It’s only stronger when she lands in my space and my wanting to fuck her to get the attraction out increases.
When she showed up at the house and beat the living shit out of Vivian, which was hot as all fucking hell. Now Cairo is on a binge about protecting her.
Protect.
For what, and why…yeah, dude, it’s really not our problem anymore. She’s Ozzy’s wife, and at the end of the day, the only family I have. The only human being who had my back when I needed her safe and us protected.
I can’t forget it, and I won’t. So, in my head, I chalked it up as supporting him and not her.
However, it still doesn’t stop me from being here like a dumbass.
I crawl in bed next to her and slowly slip underneath the covers so I don’t wake her. My arm wraps around her middle, and I pull her into the front of my body with ease.
She shifts, snuggling deeper into her pillow, and I settle into an immediate state of relaxation, closing my eyes and breathing her in like she’s still mine.
And maybe right now, in my state, she is.
No one has to know; I can keep my own secrets and just hold her like nothing’s changed. Like she didn’t rip out my heart and slice it up into a million pieces just to discard them and not give a fuck.
She doesn’t seem to. She just doesn’t want me with anyone else.
I’m about to drift into the bleakest slumber I have had in weeks when a sharp elbow stabs me in the chest, immediately putting me on alert that she’s fucking awake.
Bay attempts to pull herself out of my grasp, but I’m already rolling on top of her, capturing one flaying hand and placing it over her head while a closed fist catches the side of my ear.
I inhale through my teeth, quickly able to seek out the last weapon of hers and place it with the other one.
“It’s me, baby,” I coo, settled between those sweet thighs and loving how her chest heaves unsteady and strained breaths. “No need to exert yourself.”
“What in the fuck?—”
“Shhhh… go back to sleep.”
“Get out of my bed, Reeve,” she whisper-yells with zero heat or animosity to her tone. “You scared the living shit out of me.”
“I didn’t mean to,” I answer honestly. “Who did you think I was?”