Page 19 of Undeniably

“Tell us what?” Sage asks.

“I went to a party with Morgan. I was safe. I had fun. Stop treating me like a child.”

Reed growls, “Stop acting like one and I won’t treat you like one. You know the rules.”

“Rules? Seriously? If it were up to you, I’d be locked in a tower somewhere with no external interaction.”

“Fucking right. This world is a scary place, T. Men are predators looking for their next lay. I don’t want you out there drinking and being taken advantage of.”

“You never worry about Keaton.”

“Keaton can take care of himself.”

“I can take care of myself too. You refuse to see me as anything more than a little girl. Newsflash, jackass, I’m a fucking woman. I have breasts and an ass. I’ve kissed boys, and I like to have a drink or two with friends. I’m not ten anymore.”

Reed growls again until Sage reaches over, touching his arm.

“Ignore him, hun.” She gives him a pointed look. “We aren’t trying to treat you like a child, but we want to keep you safe. You don’t know what’s out there. I hope you never have to find out. I’m disappointed that you broke your word. In this world, all you have is your word. If you can’t be true to it, then no one will ever trust you.”

I glance at Keaton, thinking about his breach in trust. He meets my eyes, reflecting the betrayal.

“I know. I’m sorry. We were having a girls’ night, and you never let me go to one of Rachel’s parties. I wanted—”

Sage is the one who growls this time, causing me to tense. “Rachel Simmons? You went to a Rachel Simmons party? You know what happens there. Why would you think going there was a good idea?”

She shrugs. “I wanted to see what the hype is all about.”

Shaking her head, Sage points to the stairs. “We can talk about this tomorrow. Bed.”

I stand to leave, but Sage shakes her head, fury in her eyes. “Sit down.”

I bite my lip, waiting. I don’t know why I stay. I don’t need to. I can leave. They aren’t my family.

Stop lying to yourself. You’re staying because you want to be family. You miss them.

“Leave us,” she demands.

Keaton freezes. Then he reaches over, squeezing my hand under the table before doing as she asks. My heart skips a beat at his touch. Why would he do that?

Once alone, she looks straight at me. “Do you know what happens at these parties?”

“No. I’ve never been to a party.”

She nods. “Orgies, drugs, lots of drinking. Not a place Tinsley or you should be.”

“Noted. I would never put her in danger. I didn’t drink, and I kept my eye on her. If things went south, I would have gotten her out of there.”

She stares into my eyes, looking for something. She must find it because she gives me a slight smile. “I love this family with my entire heart and soul. If you disappear like you did last time and hurt Keaton or Tinsley, I will hunt you down and kill you myself. I listen to murder podcasts. I can make you disappear for good, and no one would find your body. Understood?”

“I don’t plan to leave again. Keaton hates me anyway, so you don’t have to worry about him. I’ll be honest, I didn’t think about Tinsley when I left before, but I was a child then. I won’t disappear without a trace again. For her.”

She gives me a full-on smile this time. “I get the need to run. I’ve been there and done that. I’ll tell you what I learned, though. Running never solves your issues. It just delays the inevitable. It’s much more worth it to stick around and muscle through the hard times. You’ll surprise yourself with how much you can withstand and how strong you come out the other side.”

I tilt my head. “I see it now.”

“See what?” Her face is questioning.

“Why she thinks of you like her mom.”

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