Page 92 of Together We Burn
“Alex,” Stefany said, silently asking him what he thought he was doing. Taking the hint that those two needed to talk, I stepped forward.
“Nate, why don’t we get Rocky a chew for you to give him before bed?” I asked, and the questioning about his mom finished.
“Can he sleep in my bed again?” he asked, looping his fingers under Rocky’s collar and pulling him alongside us to the kitchen.
“I don’t see why not.” I smiled.
Walking through my apartment, I took in the living room in complete disarray. Where before, it was neat, tidy, and looked barely lived in, it was now covered in children’s discarded clothing, books, and games, and a shit tonne of dog toys.
Handing Nate the open packet of Dentastix, he fumbled, trying to pull one out but instead dropped two and cried out with a laugh as Rocky snatched them and took off out of the kitchen with Nate chasing after him.
I followed, pausing in the doorway, listening to the hushed whispers of Stefany and Alex still hauled up by the elevators.
“You did what?” Alex hissed, and a loud thump echoed off the wall. His fist, maybe?
“Don’t be so fucking stupid, Alex,” she snarled back, and although I couldn’t see her, I could picture her tiny stature glaring up at him with her hands on her hips or her fist in his shirt. She was feisty when she was angry.
“I wouldnevertrade that kid to Emilia. But whether we like it or not, he is our best bet for getting my sister back.” She paused. “Will wants to see us first thing in the morning to discussoptions.”The word was said with sarcasm. “But I need to know that you’re on my side, Alex. No matter what he says, we are doing it my way. Will fucked up the minute he decided it wasn’t in the company’s best interest to bring me in straight from the start, and I will be damned if he fucks this up too. Getting Chris back, and keeping Nate away from that bitch, is the most important thing right now. Fuck Will’s ego and commands. We do this my way now.”
“You’ve got a plan?”
“Of course,” she scoffed, and I could feel her roll her eyes at Alex. “It’s crazy, and I need to iron out a few things before I fill you in. But fight crazy with crazy, right?”
There was silence until she spoke again. “Have you heard from Mac recently?”
“Mac? No, not since the whole fake friend bullshit. Why?” Alex asked, confused by the sudden change in topic.
“Can you call him and ask if he can meet us here tomorrow afternoon?”
“Sure, I guess. But he’s been acting weird recently, so I don’t know if he’ll come.”
“Try. Tell him it's important.”
I stepped out of the doorway. Alex was rubbing the back of his neck, and Stefany was worrying her bottom lip. Both stood silently, facing each other, deep in their own heads. I stepped behind Stefany, wrapping my arms around her stomach and drawing her to my chest.
“Come on, baby,” I murmured in her ear. “Let’s get you out of this dress and into the shower.”
Alex blinked, pulling himself out of his morose mood, and eyed up the tattered outfit. “What the hell happened to you?”
She glanced down, fingering the torn material, shredded and hanging down her exposed long legs.
“It was in the way.” She laughed without humour and scrubbed a hand down her face.
I laced my fingers with hers, tugging her toward our room. She followed without protest and didn’t even make a sound as I unzipped her dress and peeled it from her body, leaving her completely bare. She toed off her heels and padded to the bathroom as I turned on the shower and let it warm up.
“I’m going to put on a pot of coffee, and we can discuss our next moves, okay?” I said, pressing my lips to her forehead and trailing a hand down her spine.
She shivered, then wrapped her arms around my back, holding me to her.
“Can you stay?” she asked in a voice barely above a whisper. “You drown out the voices; it makes it easier to think.”
I hated how vulnerable she felt in my arms, how for the first time since I’d met her, she felt small, fragile, almost a little afraid.
My heart squeezed, tight and heavy, the all-consuming, all-encompassing feeling nearly suffocating me as I held her close.
“Okay,” I whispered against her soft skin. She dropped her arms, letting me strip from my suit, then I gently guided her into the shower cubical. The water rained down her body, the dark strands of her hair sticking to her face and neck until she reached up and began pulling out the pins that had kept her messy curls up.
I took the bobby pins from her hand, placed them in the shower niche, and grabbed the shampoo bottle. Pouring a generous amount onto my hand, I began massaging it into her scalp. I might not be able to help her sister, but I could give her five minutes of calm before the inevitable storm we were about to face. Because we all knew this could end up being a disaster.
