Page 53 of Damaged Prince
Kai and Eli have tried their best to cheer me up, but I just can’t get my mind off Owen.
When he and Logan got back home, Logan called me and filled me in on their trip. I could tell Logan was happy to be back home with Benny, who was on the phone call with him.
Honestly, I missed him too. And will be demanding baby cuddles when I get back.
I asked Logan how Owen was doing. He told me he was quiet on the plane ride home and when he got back, and was sober, Owen was pissed. Not at me, but himself. He got into an argument with Logan that ended with Owen’s fist in a wall. Thankfully, nothing was broken, but he needed his hand to heal before the winter break was over if he was going to play hockey. Another thing that pissed Owen off and kept him in a shitty mood.
For the longest time, I held off texting Owen. I shouldn’t have been the one to reach out first. He was the one that was the asshole and ruined the trip. Not me.
Still, it killed me not knowing if he was okay. Despite what he seems to think, I really do care about him.
His words haunt me, repeating over and over in my mind.
I broke down for the third time the next day, asking the guys if I was selfish, if I wasn’t good enough, if I needed to do more.
And even though Eli and Kai promised me that I wasn’t the issue, I didn’t believe them.
For the first time in my life, I lacked confidence. I’ve never felt so bad about myself, even when I walked in on my ex cheating on me with my best friend. Yes, I was pissed, and the punch I gave her was satisfying, but I held my head high and walked away because I knew my worth.
What I wasn’t expecting was my life to change so drastically by moving here. I wasn’t planning on having a one-night stand with three guys who just happened to be brothers, who then turned out to be my stepbrothers. And I sure as fuck didn’t plan on falling head over heels for all of them.
Navigating my feelings for so many people isn’t easy. Something like this is going to take time. It’s new territory. I thought I was doing my best, but I guess it’s not good enough for Owen.
Just as I was about to give in and text him, he called me. I didn’t know what to do and freaked out, sending him right to voicemail.
He left one, and by the end of it, I still felt like shit.
He told me he was sorry, that he hated himself for how he talked to me. That he didn’t mean to say what he said, or do what he did. That he was drunk and high, the pressures of school and hockey getting to him, and that he wouldn’t do it again.
I believed him, I heard the pain and the sincerity in his voice.
Still, it did nothing to help me feel better.
Now, it’s the day before we’re supposed to leave, and I’m doing my damn best to not let this trip turn into a total bust. Kai was excited to have this time to spend with me and Eli, to get to know us better, so we can build on to what we had.
And I was being a wet blanket.
“Does he look a little lopsided to you?” Kai asks, taking a step back from his snowman.
We’ve been outside for the past half hour, the snow no longer falling. The warm sun and clear skies making its presence known.
Eli suggested doing one of the things I’ve wanted to do before we left, and that was to make a snowman. I didn’t have the heart to say no, even though I didn’t feel like it.
I’m glad I didn’t. Even though I wasn’t in the best mood, I did feel a little bit better. And honestly, it’s been fun.
Cocking my head to the side, I examine the massive snowman. Really, this thing is almost the size of Kai. I have no idea how he was able to lift those heavy snowballs to put the snowman together, but I enjoyed watching him do it. The sexy grunts he made while his arms flexed under the weight was pure eye candy.
“His body isn’t, but his mouth is uneven.” Stepping forward, I move around a few of the rocks in my best attempt to fix it. The last rock wouldn’t go in, falling out every time I tried to stick it in. With a push, I shove it a little bit harder.
A little too hard. Because the head of the snowman topples backward, crashing to the ground and breaks apart.
“Oh my god,” I gasp, eyes widening in horror as my hands fly up to my mouth. “I’m so, so sorry!”
“Not Frosty!” Kai drops to his knees dramatically. “What did he even do to you? He didn’t deserve a beheading!”
The fear of upsetting them ebbs away, replaced with amusement. My lips twitch with a smile. “We can fix it?” It was more of a question than a reply. Honestly, I couldn’t be much help. That head was bigger than the bottom ball of my very sad and drooping snowman behind me.
“Laney. You can not simply reattach a head to a body,” he huffs, his hands grabbing at the pile of snow. “This isn’t Frankenstein, you know.”
