Page 18 of Stuck with my Pack
Every embrace, every glance, every goddamn moment we’ve ever shared—it’s all replaying on a loop I can’t stop. And then there’s Tyler and Brodie. My pack. Or what’s left of it. The distance between us feels like an open wound that won’t heal. I can’t stand it anymore.
With a growl, I throw off the covers, grab a hoodie, and head downstairs. The faint glow of light spilling from the kitchen catches my eye. I hear the soft clink of a spoon against ceramic and know I’m not alone.
When I step into the room, I see Lily sitting at the table, a steaming mug of tea in her hands. She looks up at me, her sharp green eyes narrowing in that way that says she already knows more than I want her to.
“Couldn’t sleep?” she asks, taking a slow sip, her lips quirking in knowing amusement.
“Something like that,” I mutter, reaching for my own mug.
She snorts, setting her mug down with a grimace.
“Pregnancy sucks, just so you know. Between the backaches, the kicking, and this constant need to pee, sleep is basically a myth.”
I pull out a chair across from her and sit down, folding my arms on the table. “Sorry, sis.” The comment doesn’t begin to sum up how I feel for my sister. Pregnant and alone. What a shit show.
And still, all I can think about is my own shit. And for the hundredth time in the past few days, I feel like a complete fucking asshole.
She shrugs, “Well, we all have to eat a shit sandwich sometimes.”
I know she’s in pain despite her cavalier attitude. I reach out, putting my hand over hers, and give it a squeeze. She stares at me a moment, and I wonder when she got so smart.
“So mighty brother of mine,” she says, raising an eyebrow, “what’s going on? And don’t even try to say ‘nothing’. I can smell the tension on you from here.”
I sigh, running a hand through my hair. “Well Sophie, for one. And Tyler. And Brodie. All of it. Seeing her today—seeing them together—it’s like the universe decided to throw every unresolved thing in my life at me at once.”
Her expression softens, but there’s still that knowing glint in her eyes.
“And?”
“And I don’t know what I’m supposed to do,” I admit, the words coming out sharper than I mean them to.
“Tyler’s still here, but it feels like there’s this wall between us. Brodie’s back out of nowhere, and Sophie…she’s throwing everything into chaos just by being here. I don’t know where I fit anymore.”
Lily leans forward, resting her chin on her hand as she studies me. “You’re not going to figure it out by hiding in your room.”
I let out a low groan, dropping my head into my hands.
“What should I do, Lily? I don’t want to keep waiting for shit to straighten itself out.”
She shrugs, her voice calm but firm. “You’re their Prime, Ethan, even though Brodie could be, it’s you. You don’t wait for them to come to you. You make it happen. Call them.”
Her words hit me square in the chest, and for a second, I just stare at her. I know she’s right. She always is. But admitting it out loud feels like a whole other battle.
“I don’t even know where to start,” I say, my voice low.
“You start by picking up your damn phone,” she replies, her tone light but with an edge of steel. “It’s not about perfect timing or saying the right thing. It’s about showing up.”
I exhale slowly, pulling my phone out of my pocket. My thumb hovers over Brodie’s name. He might not even pick up. Hell, I wouldn’t blame him.
“Now or never,” Lily says softly, her smile warm and encouraging.
That truth settles in my chest like a weight, heavy but resolute. It’s about damn time I admitted it.
I stareat Brodie’s name for a moment before I tap the phone screen, crafting a text.
Ethan:We still need to talk about…things.
I hit send before I can second-guess myself, then pull up Tyler’s contact and send the same message.
