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“And before you say that I haven’t been the easiest to talk to, that was when you were trying to get me to talk about not sleeping. I have never avoided talking about our relationship. In fact, I have asked you to talk to me about it.” I looked at Creed. I’d asked him at Ethan’s party.
I wasn’t going to ruin the one fucking good thing I had.” “Have,” Creed corrected. “Had,” I repeated. “You made me feel like I don’t have a voice in this relationship. What’s good about that?”
THEN COME AND FUCKING GET ME.
“You can still be upset with me while I hold you,” he said.
“Your voice matters,” he said. “I’m sorry we didn’t talk to you.” “Do you not feel comfortable being intimate with me because I’m a mess?” I asked. “I don’t think you’re a mess and I have never thought that.
“I love that you tried to put my well-being first. I really do. I can’t even describe how wonderful it is to have that, but that doesn’t mean you get to decide what you think is best for me and expect me to be alright with it without talking to me first.”
I was in love with him.
“You look like you’ve been thoroughly fucked, Shi. Your lips are swollen, your cheeks are pink, and your hair is wild, like it got well acquainted with the mattress.”
“What if I was?” His hands fisted on the wall. “I’m jealous.” “Yeah, well, I’m still mad at you.” “That’s why I’m jealous,” he snapped. “You can fix that.”
“I would. I’d get on my knees now and beg you to forgive me, but I can’t get over that you ran. You ran instead of talking to us, which was something you were mad at us for not doing.”
“First of all, I was mad at all of you, and second, if it had been Mr. X, he would have killed you to get to me. I had to separate myself from you.”
“I find it hypocritical that you're mad at us for making decisions about you when you turn around and do the same exact thing.”
“I’m sorry,” he said, pulling away. “I fucked up and I promise not to make decisions that involve you without talking to you first, so long as you promise to do the same.”
“If that fucker ever shows up, we run together or we fight together, but more importantly, we protect each other together. Promise me, Shi.” “I promise.”
“I know this is going to sound bad, but I was alright with hurting myself. I wasn’t alright hurting any of you.”
I screamed and Keelan threw me on the couch and covered me with his body. The alarm in the house started blaring.
“If it’s alright with you, I’d like you to stay with me tonight.” “I haven’t slept with my girlfriend in over a week,” Creed grumbled. “She’s never spent the night with me,” Keelan grumbled right back. Colt snorted.
“Colt and I had sex. What Creed was referring to on Colt’s back are the scratches I put there when we did.”
“I’ve thought about those breasts a lot,” he admitted, his eyes watching the rise and fall of my chest. “Ever since I saw them for the first time when I caught my brother’s face between your legs. For weeks, I’ve cum to that image of you with your head thrown back, pink cheeks, and your pert nipples begging someone to suck on them.”
“Damn, that’s a beautiful sight.” My face felt like it was on fire. “Keelan,” I sort of chastised him. How could I be equally embarrassed and turned on? He chuckled. “You have a beautiful body. I’m just admiring every inch of it.” “Even with my scars?” I blurted and shut my eyes, mortified that my insecurities had made an appearance. “Every part of you is beautiful, Shi.” He pressed his lips to the center of my back. “Even your scars.” I will not cry during sex. I will not cry during sex.
“Wow,” I huffed out between breaths. He gave me this cocksure smirk. “I know.” I grabbed my pillow and hit him with it as I tried not to laugh.
He didn’t chase me. Did that mean I already had my answer? I thought it did. I backed away and left.
Bad actions have consequences. As a cop, you should understand that.
“I could arrest you right now. I would tell everyone you attacked me when all I tried to do was apologize. My daughter's charges will be thrown out by Monday,” he said in a low voice. “I'm so glad you just said that,” I forced out through the strain of holding the door. “Why’s that?” “Because I just got that on camera,” I said. He froze.
He stood straight. “You don’t know what you’ve just done, little girl,” he seethed down at me. “You show anyone that camera footage, I will hang you from the nearest tree and make it look like a suicide.” “Get out of my house,” I bit out. My lip hurt with every word.
“Whatever you say, Pennywise,”
“I may be young, but I wouldn’t give someone my time if they hadn’t earned it. Especially with everything I’ve been through,” I said, walking past him.
“Would your sudden change of heart about therapy have to do with the boys next door?” he asked. “They encouraged me to go back,” I admitted.
By having my scars out for them to see, I think it reassures them they aren’t alone.”
“Never take the obvious road. It’s why X caught you every time you tried to escape through the front door. You need to teach your mind to slow down when you’re in danger and think.”
“It doesn’t matter right now because we have a class to teach.” “Fuck the class. You’re more important.” “If I skipped out on things every time something upset me, I’d never get to do anything.” I shook my head. “No. I enjoy teaching the class with you and I don’t want to miss it.”
“You must really have your panties in a twist about something.”
“You said to me once that you only apologize to people you care about. You never came to me. You didn’t try to make things right with me. Or was avoiding me your way of telling me you didn’t want to?” He looked away and I felt my heart crack. “Did the other morning mean anything to you?” I asked. “Yes,” he said. “It did.” “Then why? Is it because I refused to sit back and let you dictate what’s best for me?” “No.” “Damn it, Knox!” I exploded, moving closer to him, leaving only the desk between us. “Use your fucking words and tell me why you don’t want me!” Anger etched his features. “I want
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“Then what’s holding you back?” He pointed to the door behind me. “Them.” “What about them?” “If your relationship with them doesn’t work or if it causes a rift between them, they’re going to need someone who wasn’t involved to bring them back together,” he finally admitted.
I wasn’t worth the risk to him and what was really messed up was that I couldn’t be mad at him for it. He was ensuring his family wasn’t going to fall apart. “Thank you for telling ...
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“We need to get ahead of this sheriff and we need to do it quickly, because it won't be long before he comes after you again.”
“You going to tell her why you pulled her over?” “Speeding,” the cop lied. I had just pulled out of my neighborhood. I hadn’t had time to get my car up to the speed limit before they’d pulled me over. “What’d you clock her at?” Logan asked. “License and registration,” the cop barked again. I wiggled my fingers at Logan. He had told me to cooperate, but here he was not doing that. Logan gave me the registration, but handed it over with his badge as well. I handed them, along with my ID, to the cop. “You two with the sheriff’s department?” Logan asked. “That’s correct,” the cop at my window
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“I’m just so tired of missing out on things because of him. When I do, he wins. I don’t want him to win anymore.”
“I wouldn’t say rock bottom. We wouldn’t have let you get that far,” he said. “I didn’t want to live anymore, Creed,” I admitted. His hand tightened around mine. Guilt hit me. Maybe I shouldn’t have told him that. “I’m sorry if I upset you.”
“Don’t ever be sorry for telling me what you’re going through. I’m so fucking happy you’re finally opening up. It just breaks my heart that you ever felt that way.”
“The long road isn’t so bad,” he said. “I’ll walk it with you.”
“You say things that make me fall in love with you more and more.” His brows rose and the biggest smile stretched across his mouth. “You love me?” Blushing, I looked out the window at the empty park. “Maybe.”
“I love you, Shi,” he said and kissed me.
He asked how they could own a gym so young, to which Knox explained that their father owned a construction company. They had sold it and used the money to buy the gym. That was new information to me. I also learned that Colt and Creed each owned a quarter of Desert Stone as well.
That means I need to know who you let into your life,” he snapped. “The last thing we need is for history to repeat itself.”
“You think Mr. X was my fault?” Colt grabbed my hand. “Babe,” he said, trying to get my attention, but I didn’t look away from Logan. Shock took over Logan’s angry expression. “You think I let him into my life so he could stalk me for years and murder my family?” I said, standing from my chair.
“That I only attract psychopaths? That I’m incapable of meeting someone who won't want to hurt me?”
I had to remove myself before things escalated, because I knew how easy it would be for me to spiral.
“What you just said to her, whether you meant it or not, was not okay,” Keelan said in a deep and angry voice.
“She battles every day to not blame herself for what happened and you turned around and did it,” Creed seethed.
