Chapter 5 Reid #2
My friends might not have known anything about the supe world, but they knew the rest. How I’d been treated.
That I’d been ostracised for being different.
I’d let them believe it was because of my sexuality or ADHD.
The reason wasn’t relevant. No child should be made to feel other for something out of their control.
“No. Not my family.”
Cole and Mac exchanged a dark look before the latter spoke. “Someone who hurt you?”
“Yes.” I peeled the label back a bit. “Not physically, and he didn’t mean to. But he did.”
Bryce’s hand came to rest on my knee. “I hate him already.”
That had me glancing up. The fire in his eyes had a smile lifting my lips. “You’d say that even if I was in the wrong.”
“So?” Bryce lifted his chin, for a moment looking like the entitled earl his father wished he was. “He hurt you, so he can go rot for all I care.”
Mac and Cole murmured in agreement. The weight I’d been carrying since seeing Evan lightened a little more.
This wasn’t like the first time Evan had strolled into my life. I wasn’t alone now. I had friends. People who cared for me. Who’d be in my corner even if I was in the wrong.
His entrance into my world wouldn’t shatter it like last time. It wasn’t going to turn my life on its head. Nothing was going to change.
In a few weeks, Evan would be nothing more than a distant memory. A fly in the ointment of my otherwise happy life. Our paths may cross—with Finn in Chester’s life now, it was inevitable—but it wouldn’t mean anything.
With that in mind, I gave my friends a sanitised version of what happened all those years ago. I made it sound like Evan was a family friend who’d come to stay. Everything else, I kept the same—even our ages. As a shifter, Evan looked a solid decade older than me.
When I was done, the silence had me fidgeting in my seat. Were they judging me for being too harsh on Evan? Did they think I should give him a chance to explain himself?
“Well?” I exploded, unable to take it anymore. “Don’t you have anything to say?”
Bryce stood up abruptly, lifting his chin at Cole. “Budge up.”
When he’d made some space, Bryce sat next to me. Without saying a word, he hauled me into his lap. Not a small feat, considering I was bigger than him.
Wrapping his arms around me, he hugged me fiercely. “I’m sorry, Reid.”
I patted his back, slightly bewildered. “About what? Sure, it was hard to see him again, but—”
My words were cut off as both Cole and Mac added their arms to our embrace. Limbs were everywhere now, like an octopus who’d gotten into a spot of bother.
“Not about that,” Cole said gruffly.
“I mean, we are sorry that seeing Evan upset you,” Mac corrected him. “But mostly we’re sorry about how you were treated as a kid.”
Ah. If I could have shifted uncomfortably in the tight hold they had on me, I would have. As it was, I had to settle for a little shoulder wiggle. “You already knew about that, though. It’s come up before.”
“Doesn’t matter,” Bryce said, his voice suspiciously thick. “You could tell us a thousand times and we’d still react this way.”
“It’s not right,” Cole said. “And it’s really not right that Evan didn’t help you.”
There was a twist of emotion in my gut. It took me a second to place it.
Guilt.
“He didn’t realise,” I said feebly, unable to stop myself. “He thought I was joking.”
“He should’ve known better.” Bryce sniffed. “He should’ve helped you.”
“Evan made a mistake. But, Reid, what were you expecting him to do? If he’d taken you from your clan, it would’ve led to open warfare. Your father would’ve been within his rights to demand Evan’s immortality as recompense.”
Finn’s words from earlier rang in my ears. Would I have wanted that? War? For Evan to pay with his life?
Why was it that when my friends were validating me, I was suddenly questioning everything?
“If I ever see him, I’ll punch him right on the nose,” Bryce declared.
Laughter rippled through me, the tension dissipating. “You might need a step stool to reach.”
“Do you think he’d crouch so I could do it?”
My laughter died, Evan’s pained face flickering in my mind. Yes, I suspected he would crouch for Bryce to hit him.
I didn’t like that.
I shook my head in frustration, shoving at my friends’ arms until they released me. How could I be so pissed at Evan but so weirdly protective at the same time?
Because you’re not a dick. You can see he’s hurting and feels bad and you don’t like to see anyone suffer.
That was true. Didn’t mean I could forgive and forget though.
“Enough of this.” I dredged up a smile and squared my shoulders. “I’m ready to drink until all the feelings go away. Who’s with me?”
Bryce crowed as he shoved me off his lap. “Me! Let me go raid your wardrobe.”
I chuckled as he sprinted from the room. “Fucker has more money than the rest of us combined and still pinches our stuff.”
When there was no response, I turned to see Cole and Mac studying me. “What?”
Mac cleared his throat, folding his arms over his big chest. “It’s just…maybe you should deal with these feelings rather than try to bury them.”
Typical Mac. He had a degree in psychology and often tried to therapise me or whatnot. “Or, you could have my back and let me deal with this in my own way?”
Mac frowned, opening his mouth to argue further, but Cole stepped forwards. “Leave it, Mac. If this is what Reid wants, then this is what we do.”
Mac’s lips thinned, but he nodded tightly. “Fine, but I’m saying ‘I told you so,’ when this comes back to bite you in the arse.”
I laughed softly as I hugged him. “Wouldn’t expect anything else. Now come on, I need to get drunk and laid.”
Cole huffed. “We’re not letting anyone near you if you’re not able to consent.”
I rolled my eyes, but it was all a cover. Really, I was touched and thrilled that I had friends who looked out for me. “Fine. Fucked then drunk.”
I paused, looking at Cole. “Are you okay with this? We can chill here instead.”
He gave me a crooked grin. “Nah, I’m good now. Just needed to decompress.”
“I have your Loops,” Mac told him, referencing the earplugs Cole sometimes wore when overstimulated. “And just use the signal if you need to leave.”
“I’ll be fine.” Cole brushed a kiss over Mac’s temple. “You worry too much.”
From the crease between Mac’s brows, he wasn’t happy about Cole going out. Of all of us, Cole was the one he fussed over the most. To his credit, Cole didn’t seem to mind. All of us were close, but the two of them shared a special bond. Not a romantic one—well, not as far as I could tell.
Aside from how they hooked up, of course. But there were reasons for that too. Not healthy ones, but hey, who was I to judge? I was about to drink and fuck my feelings away.
No judging from me. Nope.
Just then, Bryce burst into the room. He was wearing a pair of shorts I’d grown out of a while back. On him, they fit like snug hot pants. He’d paired them with one of my tank tops, and it was so loose that it flashed both his nipples.
“Well?” He arched a delicate eyebrow. “What the fuck are we waiting for? Reid’s told us what he needs, so let’s get on with it.”
Spinning on his heel, he strode for the door, pausing to pick up my keys from the hook.
Yeah. My friends were awesome.