Page 18 of Revived
It’s not that I think he was hard on the twins just to be a jackass. He was still hard on them, though. He expected perfection and no trouble. Of course that’s not what they gave him, but that’s what he expected all the same. Really, who could blame them? They were grieving, and having to adjust to being bossed around by their older brothers all while being teenagers and navigating high school. That time was really tough. High school sucked; for them and for me. I’d lost my Mama the summer before high school started, and then just a year later they lost their parents. Two very different types of hurt, but the same behavior bubbled up from it.
“Okay, you guys can stop staring at us now. Go back to the game. I’m sure Flynn is beating someone up by now.” I wave my hand at them in dismissal with a teasing grin.
“No way! I want to know what I just walked in on.” Kieran protests in his most gravelly voice.
I wasn’t lying when I was teasing Sully earlier; his brothers are hot. They all look extremely similar. Same strong jaw line, same eye and lip shape, same general build. Hell, same close on the sides and back but longer on top haircut. The only difference is the varying lengths on top. There was a time where Mac had longer shaggy hair, but he lost the hair when he gained his sobriety. One of the big differences is the shade of brown that colors the older four’s locks, as well as the blonde that the twins sport. The other is that their eye color also varies in shades of the most beautiful greens from the twins' seafoam to Declan’s emerald gaze.
They vary in height by a couple of inches here and there, but are all overly tall. Rowan, Declan, and Kieran look more like bulky security guards than the younger three, but even that difference looks insignificant when they’re all together.
“You walked in on kissing and stuff.” I flick my hand towards him like entertaining his childish antics is exhausting, but really I’m hiding my grin behind my want to be stoic expression.
Declan’s eyebrows raise in surprise, “So will we be regularlykissing and stufffrom now on?”
“Can’t say we will be, Dec. I’ve met your husband and he’s a jealous fool first and foremost. I don’t need that drama when I can just keep kissing and stuff your little brother.” Sully reaches out and grips my hip just tight enough to convey his message.
Stop encouraging them.
Kieran and Mac laugh so hard that they both have to wipe tears from their eyes while Rowan bites back his smile and gives me an approving nod. Declan grumbles about how that’s not what he meant, but I ignore them all and walk over to the large glass that overlooks the arena. I’m instantly lost in the game, forgetting everyone surrounding me.
I’ve been watching Flynn’s games since we were in elementary school. They came to my competitions, so I came to their hockey games and track meets. Sully ran track as well as cross country from elementary school through college, but at the end of the day as an adult the only running he really wanted to do was into danger to save people having the worst days of their lives. At least that’s what he told me years ago.
I’m lost in Flynn’s game when I feel Sully at my back. He gently wraps his arms around my waist, his chest pressed to my back. Instinctually I lean back into his grasp and let him hold me up. This silent comfort that we have together is what my Papa always told me to look for in a partner. Someone who’s the strong structure in the middle of a raging storm.
His chin meets my shoulder and his lips graze my neck as he whispers in a low husky voice, “You look beautiful tonight, Elena.” I can feel his smile as he discreetly nips the skin on my neck.
“Thank you. You look very handsome tonight, Sullivan. But you know, I’ve gotta admit I like the jeans and TVFD shirts better.” I quietly tease.
He hates being paraded around in a suit. He always has. Flynn finds comfort in the wardrobe they’ve worn on and off for most of their lives. He loves dressing up for game days for that reason alone. Not Sully though, he finds comfort in his broken in jeans or tactical pants,t-shirts, and either tennis shoes or his station boots. He’s a simple man born into a life he doesn’t quite fit into. It’s one of the reasons he left.
“Yeah, I’ve got to be honest. I like the spandex shorts and my old track hoodie on you the best. I love dressed up Elena; she’s sexy, but dressed down Elle is downright breathtaking.”
“Sully. Come here we need to talk about your nephew and his petulance for giving his Ma and I a heart attack already.” Kieran calls from across the suite.
Sully groans into my neck which sends a mixture of goosebumps and fire down my spine until it settles into my core. Dammit I never stood a chance against this man.
“Go, I’m fine here.” I laugh as I pry his hands from around me.
He pouts before pressing a sweet kiss to the back of my head and then my back is cool and he’s gone. Once again reminding me how quickly he can be gone if we give way to this temptation. I’m lost in my head when Rowan comes up beside me. He doesn’t say anything for a long while, just stands beside me and watches his brother put in work during the second period.
Finally he sighs before addressing me. “You know I owe everything to you, right?” His eyes never leave the rink, never stray from watching his brother take a shot at a not-so-good goalie and score. He clenches his fist and smirks but aside from that acts completely unphased as his brothers cheer around us.
Taking a page out of his book, I don’t turn either. “Why would you owe me anything?”
“Want the obvious or less obvious answer?”
“Both.”
I can see his upturned lips from the corner of my eyes while he settles his hands into his pockets and rocks back slightly on his heels.
“Well, let’s start with the obvious first. We both know that bullet three years ago was meant for him. If you and subsequently Annie, wouldn’t have jumped in front of it he would be dead. Zero doubt about it. Now, before you start cussing me out; if I could go back to that day I’d do about a thousand things differently. You guys would have never been in that position in the first place, but you were and your decision, though most would argue was impulsive and foolish, was brave. It undoubtedly saved him, and for that I’ll never be able to repay you.”
I try my hardest to blink away the tears burning at the back of my eyes from even hearing him talk about that day. “And the less obvious?”
“For just you being you, and being around them as much as you were. See as much as I worried about them, probably as much as your Papa worries about you, I never had to truly worry that they were in real danger because of their actions.”
“Now that was an ignorant thing to do. You want to talk about my impulsive and foolish decisions… I learned from the best.”
He chuckles, “Okay, fair. But tell me Elle, do you think any of the guys would ever put you in danger? Like a real situation where you would question your safety for even a millisecond?”
