Page 41 of Beyond Repair: Part One

"Did all of you go to BYU?" Asking the question that burns a hole in my heart is hard, but I have to make myself ask the heartbreaking questions if we're going to move forward.

Brigham Young University was where the four of us promised we would go to college together.I broke my promise...

"No," Kai admits and takes a big gulp of his coffee. "I lived with Henry, Ridge, and Trevor, but I never went to college. I have a traveling blog that does really damn well."

Henry beams at Kai with far more energy than Kai could ever gather before six in the morning. "He's living his dream," Henry gushes.

That familiar ache in my chest whenever I see their love for one another is back. I feel so dang guilty that it hurts to have lost them to each other.

"Henry got an art degree and graduated a year before us," Trevor announces with pride in his voice. "He restores old books. And he creates amazing special edition covers for authors."

"Wow! Really?!" The excitement buzzing through my veins is like a drug. "Oh! I wonder if I've seen any of your work. What authors do you work with?!"

The silence doesn't deter me. Feeling invigorated for the first time since, who knows, I leap from the couch and bolt for the stairs. "I'm gonna grab my e-reader!"

With my e-reader in my hand, I run down the stairs only to be swept off my feet as soon as I reach the bottom. "Hey!" I squeal and I swear my heart yelps.

"Naughty Nina," Trevor growls in my ear. He releases me a moment after my panties dampen. "Don't ever run down the stairs like that again. You could have gotten seriously hurt."

Trevor standing in front of me with a scowl etched into his hard features makes me gulp. His straight and styled dirty blond hair and perfectly trimmed beard give him an aura of authority that I am helpless to ignore.

"I'm sorry," I say. "I was just so excited."

His blue eyes soften. "I know, baby. I don't want you to get hurt ever again, so I need you to be careful."

"Okay." Shoot, I feel bad for scaring him. I debate my next move for half a second before I grab his hand. "I'll be more careful."

His hand shifts and something cold brushes my skin. Curious, I look down and the world stops moving.

"T-Trevor...my ring," I gasp and yank his pinky up to my face. "You're wearing my ring."

"Yeah, Nina. I've worn it since your sixteenth birthday and haven't taken it off since," he confirms.

"I left it in your truck when we went to the beach the day before," I murmur, remembering the last time I wore my silver band.

Memories flash through my head of our beautiful day in the sun. I can still feel the way his big hands held my waist and the brush of Ridge's fingers along my thigh. Kai had kissed my shoulder, and Henry heated my bare skin with his heavy gaze. Their attention made me spacey, and for the first time in many, many years, I left my ring behind in Trevor’s truck.

"I wore it on my thumb." Absentmindedly, I notice he wears it on his smallest finger; a clear representation of our size differences. "I can't believe you've kept it all this time."

Looking up, I startle and suck in a breath at the intense look in his eyes. "We've all kept you close, baby girl."

"A-all of you?" I stutter, just now noticing the other guys standing around me and Trevor.

"I have your first initial tatted on my right hip bone where you hit me with a baseball in high school." Ridge lifts his shirt and tugs his shorts down a little, showing off the dainty N inked into his skin.

My mouth goes dry and my soul feels like it opens wide to accept him into my life for good.

"I have a rock collection like you used to have," Henry admits next. "And Kai has air fresheners, candles, diffusers, and scent rollers that all smell like roses."

Roses...My scent of choice.

"I—" My voice catches as I look at each of the men opening their hearts to me. "I don't know what to say."

"Then you really aren't gonna know how to respond to this next part," Ridge teases and looks at Henry.Was this planned? I just wanted to talk about books.

"Nina, we love you. And before you brush that off, we'rein lovewith you. All four of us. We are hoping you still feel the same way we do after getting to know us again this past month." Henry makes it sound so...normal.

"I don't?—"

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