Page 75 of The Burdens We Share
“We’re sitting right here,” Dallas interrupts and I notice for the first time how close Dallas and Harvey are to us and also how both sets of their eyes and Sly’s eyes are trained on Selene with absolutely zero amusement in them.
Selene rolls her eyes, “I’m aware. I just don’t care to censor my opinion.” She focuses back on me. “Anyways,” she tries to continue when Aria reappears.
“What are we talking about?” She asks.
I quirk a brow, “Selene was just telling everyone how she never wanted to be our manager.”
Aria frowns, “Ouch.”
Selene’s temper strikes, “Enough! Let me explain.” She takes a deep breath before continuing, “I wanted to own the firm and do all of those things and then I realized something so unbearable after I graduated.”
“What was that?” Aria asks, intrigued.
Selene focuses her gaze on Aria, “I realized that I would never see Brody again if I opened up that firm. She’s a drummer for fuck’s sake and I’m a lawyer. We couldn’t live more opposite lives. We’ve been friends since we were eleven years old and I knew we would only drift apart because of our different lives and careers. Being a lawyer is a consuming job and so is being a rockstar as silly as that sounds. I wasn’t okay with the thought of drifting from the first real friend I had so I decided to put my dreams on hold and represent her when she breezed the idea by me. Then you two came along and it felt like the last two pieces that were missing, and had me feeling like maybe I wasn’t making the best choice, clicked into place.”
My heart floods with warmth. This is probably the onlynice thing Selene has said in her life. “Do you regret it?” I ask, curious?
She smiles at me softly, “No. Managing you three has definitely prematurely aged me and given me grays along with high blood pressure, but I wouldn’t trade you three for the world. I love you like you’re my sisters because in a lot of ways you are. You’re also like my unruly and extremely annoying children which I guess is why they say you can’t choose your family…but anyways, I love all of you so much and I just wanted you to know that.”
Aria nods and pulls Selene into a hug. I toss myself into the mix, squeezing them both so tight because this moment is so incredibly rare. “Quick, Iv. Squeeze her before she tells us to get away from her and that she hates us again.”
I smile into Selene’s shoulder and do just that. I hug them both so tightly as fresh tears threaten to fall because this hug isn’t complete without Brody, but it’s the last one I’m going to get from my best friends. My family.
Chapter 23
Ivory
I take one lastlong look at Dallas’ bedroom and sigh. This is the last time I’ll see these walls, this bed. Dread forms a heavy pit in my stomach. I don’t want to leave any of this. I’ll miss the sheets that smell of his designer cologne, the shows I would force him to watch on this TV, but I know I’ll miss him more than anything. But the loss of all of this is a small price to pay in exchange for Brody’s life.
I feel my eyes beginning to water and shake my head, silently scolding myself. No. I have to stay focused. I don’t have time to cry. It’s eight-fifteen and I need to get moving if I want to get to set by nine.
I changed into a pair of pink silk pajama shorts and a matching tank top. I formed the perfect plan in my mind and this is part of it. I rush out of Dallas’ room after tucking a slip of paper in his pillowcase, forcing myself to avoid looking around so as to spare myself more dread and hurry down the stairs where everyone is still stationed working on finding Brody. I feel guilty because I know where she is and they’re all frantically searching. I remind myself that they’ll see her soon, just not me.
As soon as I appear in the kitchen, Dallas’ heavy gaze finds mine and I instantly feel a new wave of sadness washing over me, pain lodged in my throat like a golf ball. He looks so exhausted, so overworked. My feet start walking to him before my brain can think and before I know it, I’m standing directly in front of him, only inches apart. We’re on eye level as he sits on a barstool. Harvey is seated beside him and is locked in a hushedconversation with Selene. Sly and Aria are seated at the kitchen table, watching what I can only assume is more security footage. Aria glances up at me and gives me a brief look at what seems to be apprehension before she schools her features and focuses back on the screen. Weird.
I focus back on Dallas. My Dallas. The man I love, but have to say goodbye to. “Hey,” I whisper.
He frowns, seeing something on my face. “What’s wrong?”
I shake my head and give him a jaded smile, “Nothing new. Just missing Brody.”
Dallas leans in and kisses my forehead, “I promised you I’ll find her,” his voice is a whisper against my skin. Goosebumps form on my skin and I suddenly feel the overwhelming need to touch him, be held by him.
I wrap my arms around his neck and he shifts in his seat to face me completely. Our eyes meet and I bring my lips to his, kissing him slowly. He kisses me back of course, and I have to remind myself that we have an audience as I slowly break our connection. “I’m going to bed,” I lie, the words tasting bitter on my tongue.
His brows furrow, “Bed?” Of course it would be preposterous that I would go to bed at a time like this. Hence why I changed into the pajamas.
I nod, “I need a couple of hours and then I’ll watch the security footage while Aria and Sly get some rest.” I don’t even have to offer rest to Harvey, Dallas, or Selene. I know the three of them wouldn’t rest at all in a time like this, especially not Harvey.
Dallas considers this for a moment before he nods, “You’re right. Get some rest, baby.”
I realize this is the last moment we’re going to share. Tears threaten to form behind my eyes and I have to sink my teeth into my bottom lip to stop them as I nod at him. “Goodnight,” Imutter quietly.
I take a step back, pivoting on my heel to head back towards the stairs when a hand wraps around my wrist, stopping me. I know it’s him by the way he touches me. I know the feel of his skin like it’s my own.
I don’t turn around. “Ivory,” I wince at the use of my full name. I’ll never hear my nickname come from his lips again.
He sighs, “I promise you I am going to do everything in my power to make sure you never have to feel this way again.”
