Page 29 of Beyond Repair: Part One

I could strangle my cousin. "What do you mean, what's the plan?"

Upside down on the couch with his legs in the air, Ridge narrows his eyes at me. "When are we going home? We have work to do. We can't stay here forever."

So much rage builds up I can't control the acid dripping from my tone. "As far as I'm fucking concerned, our home is with Nina."How dare he suggest anything else is important?

His glare turns into a confused frown as he sits up, jostling Henry at the same time. "Trev, I'm just saying we have a company to run. People are counting on us."

I open my mouth to snap back like I've been doing with him a lot the past few days, but Henry cuts me off. "Ridge is right."

The asshat who is supposedlyrightwaves a hand at our friend in asee?motion. "I'm not suggesting we just leave Nina and forget about her, man. We need to think about our other priorities."

I don'twantother priorities.

Kai adds, "If we're moving here?—"

"Woah, what?!" Ridge shouts. "We haven't talked about moving!"

With a deadpan stare, Kai asks the million dollar question. "Do you not want to move, Ridge? Because I'm going to be honest, Henry and I would like to be closer to Nina. She's the heart of our group, always has been, and we don't want to be without our girl."

Ridge stays quiet, and I don't say anything either. Obviously I plan on moving here, hell I'd love to move in with Nina and make sure she's cared for, but that's about a million steps away. I suppose I could force the issue.Maybe I can get Meg in on it with me and?—

"What if..." Ridge trails off, staring into his lap like his sweatpants have all the answers. Henry nudges his arm in encouragement. "What if Neen doesn't want us here?"

"She does," I say without hesitation. "And before you ask, I know because her dad hasn't kicked us to the curb."

Kai looks thoughtful. "You think she would tell her parents if we made her uncomfortable?"

Henry nods and agrees with me. "Without a doubt."

"It's just going to take time to get her to open up. And I think her letting us in is going to look different for each of us." Pacing around the hotel suite living room, I think through our couple days of interactions so far.

"When did you become so wise?" Ridge grumbles.

Ignoring him, I continue. "We need to go about this the right way." A lightbulb goes off in my head. "And she's already shown us."

Ridge chooses this moment to sass. "Care to share with the class? Then maybe we should have an actual discussion about uprooting our lives, yeah?"

Henry glares at Ridge this time, but everyone's attention shifts back to me almost immediately. "I've been trying to watch how she is with each of us. Kai," I look to my friend, "Nina feels comfortable talking to you. Henry, you're the only one she doesn't flinch away from when you touch her."

Henry nods and twists his lips.

Kai points at me and snaps his fingers. "Yeah, I noticed that. Shocked the shit out of me. And she lets you boss her around," he says to me.

She does, and fuck if it doesn't make the alpha male in me roar with pleasure.The things I would like to try...

"And what about me?" Ridge interrupts my dirty thoughts. "All I seem to do is bother Nina or make her uncomfortable."

Henry takes this one. "You challenge her," he declares without much thought, and it's true.

Ridge is a pain in the ass, but pain evokes feeling, and that's exactly what he does for our Nina. When he pushes her buttons, she trades her worried avoidance or passive glance for a spitting glare, or literal tears that show he brought up some big emotion in her.

Surprisingly, my cousin doesn't deny it and watches the wall intently. After a few minutes of us all lost in our thoughts, he asks the question I knew was burning a hole in his brain. "So, are we moving here? To be...to be with Nina?"

Ridge looks so uncertain my heart cracks down the center for him. He's battling some self-worth shit that I have no clue how to help him with. I've already laid out where the blame lies, but it's going to take more than me to make him feel better.He needs Nina.

"Henry and I are," Kai replies slowly while both he and his fiancé study mine and Ridge's expressions. "We'd like for you both to come too, and get another place for all of us, but I know it's a lot to ask. We love you guys, but?—"

Henry stiffens. "No. Nobutsshould ever follow anI love youstatement."

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