Page 65 of Reviving Kendall

He lets out a sad laugh, “That they do.”

“And you still love him?” I ask curiously.

“Yeah,” he answers, “how pathetic is that?”

I think on it for a second before I say anything, “It’s not pathetic at all. He should have been honest with you. If anyone is pathetic, it’s him for stringing you along like he did, and then just dropping you.”

“That’s the kicker,” he says getting angry, “he didn’t drop me. I left him because he asked me to be with them both. His girlfriend knew the whole time, and he told me that she was half in love with me already from just what he told her.”

“And you’re not attracted to girls,” I state.

He shakes his head, “No, I am. I’m bi. Take you for example, I think you’re insanely gorgeous and I probably would be acting just as bad as the others did earlier if I wasn’t already taken. I’m just so confused. I love him more than anything, and I tried a few times to get to know her. I’m sure I could love her too. It’s just the thought of loving two people at once, and everything that comes with that, scares the shit out of me. Excuse my language.”

His words are flattering, and the last bit makes me smile considering I used the same words just minutes ago, “The best advice I can give you is you’ll never know if you don’t try. Even if you lose him, you won’t have to go through life wondering what could have happened.”

“Yeah,” he says, “After seeing you guys today, it gives me a little hope that maybe it’s possible, so thank you. Both for that, and your advice, and for loving Lucas. He’s always been the nicer one of us, and he deserves someone like you.”

“Thanks,” I smile.

“Don’t tell me I’ve got even more competition for your heart, Kendall,” Leo says coming up the stairs. “This is just getting ridiculous.”

Lincoln and I look at each other and laugh until we’re crying.

Later, as we’re driving to Teagan’s house to pick up Goose’s truck, Lucas takes my hand in his and kisses the back like he did earlier, “I don’t know what you said to Lincoln today, but thank you. I haven’t seen him smile like that in a long time.”

“It wasn’t me,” I tell him honestly, “I think that he just needed to get some stuff off of his chest.”

“Well, whatever you guys talked about helped, so thank you,” he says.

I nod and get lost in the conversation from earlier. I truly hope it turns out ok for him. I’d never say this aloud but he’s probably my favorite of the brothers, besides Lucas, of course.

When we make it to Teagan’s, I hop over to Goose’s truck, so he can run me home while the other three head over to Mav’s. He was supposed to go too, but decided to stay with me instead.

Just as we pull into Sleepy Pines, Lucas calls to tell me that I left my jacket in the truck and that he’d bring it to me in the morning. I’m about to tell him thanks as Goose opens the door to the trailer and gets smashed in the side of the head with something.

He falls to the floor, and I scream.

Lucas is yelling into the phone, but it gets lost as a thick hand grabs me by the neck and slams me back against the trailer wall hard enough to make the glass in the windows rattle.

The repulsive smell of cigarettes and stale beer hit my nose as a raspy voice says, “Your mom and dad send their best little girl.”

My feet are at least six inches off the floor, and I’m starting to see spots dancing around the edges of my vision. Just as I feel that tunnel narrowing in warning from lack of oxygen, Goose comes out of nowhere and tackles the guy to the floor. They roll around a few times and a gun clangs against the linoleum as Goose knocks it out of his hand. I didn’t even see that he had one. I’m useless on my knees by the door, still trying to catch my breath. It’s almost like I can’t get enough air.

By the time that I finally get the rhythm down again, Goose is straddling the guy’s body as he pounds on his face. I go in search of my phone to call 911. No sooner than my hand closes around it, the front door flies open again, and I scramble backwards away from it.

Teagan and Lucas kneel next to me, asking me if I’m ok while Mav is trying to pull Goose off the now unconscious stranger. I ignore the two in front of me and crawl over to him as he falls back on his ass against the wall. There’s blood running down his temple, and his right hand looks worse for wear.

“Are you ok?” I ask, my voice coming out with a strange rasp to it.

He nods, and I take off my flannel to put pressure against the blood still pouring down his face.

Hugging me to him, he asks, “What about you? I think I may have blacked out for a few minutes. I’m so sorry babe.”

I try to reassure him that he did fucking awesome as I hear the guys talking at the door. Blue lights flash around the living room and highlight the mess that was made during the fight. One of the officer’s step in and flips the light switch. Yeah, it’s trashed.

“What happened here?” he asks looking from us to the guy on the floor and the gun now sitting in the corner of the kitchen. “I’m going to need you to get up and come with us son,” he says to Goose.

“What?” I demand, and point to the unconscious man on the floor. “That asshole is the one that broke into the house.”

---