Chapter 21
SHELBY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
My alarm goes off, but I can’t find my phone.
I try to sit up to reach it, but an arm stretches around my chest and stomach, stopping my motion. So, instead, my arm flails about before my hand lands on it, slapping at it until it turns off.
“Thank God. I was about ready to shoot it.” Mav groans.
“Well, it would have been easier to find if someone would have moved,” I say.
“I was comfortable. Ugh, why did we drink so much last night?” Cam lies between my legs, his head resting on my stomach, where he tries to bury his face.
As I chuckle, his head bounces up and down. “I don’t know, birthday boy. It was your idea.”
Mav is on my right. Luke is behind Mav on the bed, and Dom is on the couch. We’re dressed, so we didn’t fool around. I rub my tired eyes.
“What time do we have to be at the airport?” I ask, yawning.
“It’s a private plane, so it leaves when we tell it to.” Sarcasm drips from Dom’s tired voice.
Dom lifts his arm off his face when he’s greeted by silence.
Swallowing, he meets my eyes, then glances at his phone. “We told them we would be there in an hour.”
Pounding echoes through the room.
“Wake up, assholes, we need to go!” Nick yells from the other side of the door.
“It’s our plane!” Mav shouts back, making me wince since his head is buried in my neck.
“I’m coming in. I don’t want to yell through the door,” Nick says.
“Come in,” I reply.
He opens the door and rubs his temple. I’ve never seen Nick drunk until last night. He likes to be in control. But damn, he’s a hoot when he’s drunk and relaxed.
“You own the plane, but we told them we would be there in an hour. It would be rude to be late. They have to file flight plans.” Logical Nick is back.
“Fine, we’ll get ready to leave.” Luke stretches his arms.
“Not until I have caffeine.” I push Cam. “Off. I need to pee.”
“Do I have to?” Cam whines.
I narrow my eyes at him and purse my lips before smiling sweetly. “Not if you don’t mind me peeing on you.”
He unwraps his arms from around my waist before he rolls toward Mav.
“No golden showers. Got it.” I leap off the bed, rushing to the bathroom, a round of male laughter following me.
I shower and dress in my travel clothes.
When I leave the bathroom, everyone is gone, so I finish packing.
All told, it takes us more than an hour to make it to the airport.
The plane we board is different from the one I came here on. It’s larger, with two pilots and a stewardess. She asks us if we want anything to drink, and we groan and say no thank you.
Once we reach altitude, Mav unbuckles me. “Follow me.”
We walk down a small hallway.
“I thought you might be more comfortable here. Your eyes are bloodshot, and if we want you to be more than a zombie, you should rest.”
Feeling undead, I wobble to the bed, arms out in front of me, then face-plant onto the soft sheets.
Mav laughs as he kicks off his shoes and climbs in bed. “Come on, baby.”
I’m tired, and sleeping in a bed rather than a chair is the better option, even if the seats are as comfortable as this luxurious plane boasts.
I kick off my shoes and climb up next to Mav, curling up against him and resting my head on his hard chest.
Too soon, we’re woken up by the pilot’s voice over the plane’s intercom. The plane will land in an hour, and we need to return to our seats. I must have been tired to have been able to sleep for almost twelve hours.
Once the plane touches down, we wait for the stewardess to open the doors before we grab our things. The bikes were picked up last night and shipped home. We walk out of the plane and over to our parked cars.
Before everyone splits up to go to their separate vehicles, I turn to Sam and Paige. “I’m so glad you joined us this week. Some of what happened was pretty heavy, but I appreciate you being with us.”
I walk over and grab Paige up in a tight hug. “For the longest time, I never let myself be open enough to have true friends besides my racing crew. I never would have been comfortable telling them about Roger… or Evan.”
Paige’s arms squeeze me tight.
“Outside of my best bitch, Cin, it was me against the world thing. So, meeting you at school, helping you stand up to Carrie and her Barbie squad, and all the support you gave me after the Black and White Ball, you’ve got best-bitch status now, too.”
I step out of Paige’s arms and turn to Sam. “Sam, this means if you ever hurt her, you’ll have to deal with me.”
I try to keep my face serious, but a smile breaks free. “Okay, fine. Obviously, we’re friends, too.”
Sam chuckles.
I give Sam a quick hug. “Thank you for being here, Sam. You have helped me more than you know.”
“Thanks for inviting us.” Paige hugs me again. “I loved my time in Hawaii. If you need anything, I’m a phone call away.”
Sam reaches down to take Paige’s hand, then pulls me into another hug between them. “You have enough people protecting you, but I’m here for anything you might need. Don’t hesitate to call us, Shelby.”
Sam steps back, breaking the three-way hug before turning to the guys. “I mean it, guys. Call us if you need us. We’re here to help.”
The guys nod their understanding. Sam and Paige walk over to his car, and they take off.
Nick and Cin stand by Nick’s car. I turn to the guys. After the months we spent apart, a week with them isn’t enough. I don’t want to leave them, even to go to our own houses in the same town.
Luke walks over to me and kisses me on the lips. “I’ll be in my car waiting, angel.” He grabs my left hand with his, glancing down at my ring finger. “Take your time. And take it easy on Dom?”
I nod, and he bends to grab my bag before heading to his car.
As I walk up to Mav, he wraps his arms around me, pulling me close with a frown. “I just got you back, and now, we’re separating again.”
“I know. I was thinking the same thing. But I’m not far away. And it’s not like I’ll be able to see you all the time. You’ll be busy at school.” I rest my head on his chest. “Stay safe. I love you.”
“I love you, too.” He kisses me until my lungs beg for air, and I’m lightheaded.
When we separate, he adjusts himself and steps back. “Damn, now, I have to deal with this hard-on by myself.”
He walks over to his and Dom’s car.
Cam chuckles as he stops in front of me, glancing at Mav. He pulls me close. Although I spent the last few months with him, I’m as sad to see him go as I am the others. “Thank you for rescuing me, Cam. I was drowning alone in my guilt over what happened to you and the guys.”
“I’ll always be there for you, beautiful. Plus, unlike those other knuckleheads, I spent a few months with you in paradise.” He touches the side of my face. “You’re a strong woman, Shelby. You can handle anything that asshole tries to throw at you,” he says, nothing but conviction in his voice, before he leans down, taking my lips with his.
When he pulls back, he winks, also adjusting himself before heading toward Mav.
I chuckle, then turn to face Dom. He stands about five feet from us, but it’s more like an ocean. This time, I don’t move first. I wait him out. He glares at the pavement like it offended him. Another minute passes, and I can’t anymore.
“Do—”
Dom holds up his hand. “Promise me you will take care of yourself.”
My heart breaks. This is it. It’s over. It’s too much for him. I’m too much for him. I lower my face to hide the tears.
I’m so caught in my head I miss his pounding footsteps as he storms toward me.
Dom wraps me in his arms, shocking me at his touch and causing me to gasp. My face snaps up.
“Don’t cry, Firefly.” He kisses away the tears rolling down my cheeks. “I’m sorry I was such an ass the other day. I’m so worried I’ll lose you again.”
He rests his forehead against mine, breathing deep. “When I came out of the hypnosis, those memories flooded back… then you weren’t there. I’d lost you. At the time, I didn’t realize how close to losing you I really was.”
His arms around me tighten, and his heart pounds against where my palm rests.
“Dom…” I say.
He squeezes his eyes shut and shakes his head. “No, Shelby, please let me finish.”
Dom opens his eyes, gazing into mine. “You said it wasn’t my fault, how I acted and the things I said while I was under the hypnosis. But if I doubted you and me, doubted us, then Roger wouldn’t have been able to hypnotize me. I would’ve been there for you. He wouldn’t have been able to take you.”
I cover Dom’s mouth with my hand, stopping him from going any further. “Dom!” I say sharply. “It’s your turn to listen to me. And I mean really listen to me. Don’t just hear me say these words.”
I stare him down, waiting him out.
When he nods, I don’t remove my hand. “I’ll say this until I’m blue in the face. I don’t blame you for having doubts. What hurt was you didn’t talk to me about it. You told me at the beginning of this that communication was key to making this work. But Mav, Luke, and you kept those doubts from me. You made me lay myself bare about my concerns about our relationship, but you didn’t afford me the same courtesy.”
I rein in my anger. “Roger exploited that. And while, at the time, the things you did and said hurt, I never blamed you once I realized you weren’t acting of your own volition. I wanted my grizzly back.”
I sniffle, and Dom’s eyes widen in panic. He never did like it when I cried.
“And, as for what would have happened if he wasn’t able to hypnotize you, remember what happened to Cam. He almost died.” My breath hitches. “He almost died because he loved me without a shadow of a doubt.”
Dom rips my hand from his mouth, catching me as my legs buckle and lowering us to the ground. He glances over my head and shakes his own.
“Shelby, my firefly.” He kisses the top of my head. “Don’t cry, please,” he begs, holding me close. “You’re right. I never thought about that. I never considered Roger could have tried to do to me what he did to Cam.”
He rocks me as I cry. “In Hawaii, Nick was right. Things are different now. You have us back, and we aren’t leaving ever again.”
Dom reaches down and grabs my hand with Luke’s ring on it. “Luke saw to that. He may have been the one to ask you, but we want the same. You’re ours, Shelby. You’ll never lose us again. Just, please don’t make us lose you.”
He exhales. “I won’t ask you to promise me not to go after him. That was wrong of me, because God knows I would if I saw the opportunity. I will ask, though, that you try not to do it alone.”
I lift my head from his chest. Sincerity shines from his eyes. Dom places his palms on my cheeks and uses his thumbs to wipe my tears.
“Okay,” I say. “I’ll do everything I can to avoid going after him alone.”
Dom nods before standing, pulling me to my feet.
We stay wrapped in each other’s arms for a bit longer before he pulls back. “Go climb into Luke’s car, and get home safe, Firefly.”
I squeeze him again before stepping back out of his arms. “I will. Thanks for the use of the plane and house, even if you didn’t agree to it at the time.”
Dom chuckles, running his thumb down my cheek and along my bottom lip. “Anything for you. I love you, Firefly.”
“And I love you, Grizzly.” I rise on my tip toes and give him one last kiss before we both turn and walk toward our cars.
After the others leave, I climb into Luke’s Mustang, and he drives me home.
Luke pulls into Peter’s driveway right behind Nick.
He puts the car in park, and we wait. I stare out the windshield at the house before us, discomfort washing over me.
This place isn’t home. It never was.
“Are you glad to be back?” Luke asks as if he can sense my thoughts’ direction.
“I’d be lying if I said yes. I liked us living in a house together,” I say.
“We did, too,” Luke agrees.
“This place was the first place where I felt wanted. In Hawaii, I figured out the building doesn’t matter. It’s who you’re with. You guys are home for me.”
Luke leans over and kisses me.
Settling back in my seat, I glance back at the house. Nick and Cin have already gone inside. I’m not sure what to expect when I walk in.
Will my mother be happy I’m back? Or will she be pissed I took off?
“Let’s get this done.” I slide out of the car, grab some of my items, and head in. Luke enters behind me, his hand on my lower back.
“Well, look who decided to finally come home,” my mom says from the kitchen.
“Hey, Mom.” I check the time. “What are you doing up this late?”
Nick and Cin stand off to the side of the kitchen, supporting me.
“Hey, Mom? That’s all you have to say?” she barks, and her face pinches. “I haven’t talked to you in over two weeks.”
“The guys came out this last week, so I was busy.” As I let my bag drop from my shoulder, Luke takes it, kissing my cheek.
My mom huffs. “And I didn’t rate a call the week before?”
“Mom, I went through something traumatic and needed some time to figure it out.” I stand my ground, frustrated at her lack of understanding. “I’ve told you this before, and every time I called you.”
She might have been pissed at me for leaving, but I didn’t think she’d be this upset. It’s like she’s not even trying to understand or listen to me.
“Well, I guess you’re over it since you came back.” She sits down her mug with a snap against the counter. “I guess five men who you haven’t known that long helped you better than someone who’s known you your whole life.”
She glares at Luke, who stands behind me. “I’m going back to bed.”
She stomps to her room.
I don’t think we’ll ever understand each other, and that hurts.
“You must be like your dad, because you’re nothing like your mom,” Luke says, trying to break the tension my mom left behind.
I sink back against him and sigh again. Lately, that’s all I do around my mom.
“I thought things changed between us before I got taken. But when I came back from the hospital, it was like we took two giant steps back.” I shake my head. “I don’t know.”
Luke shoulders my bag before he takes my hand, and we walk to my room.
Wrapping his arms around me, he hugs me. “I better head home. See you after school tomorrow, angel?”
I tilt my head back and place my chin on his chest. “Yeah, sounds good.”
He kisses me goodbye before heading back out to his car.
I stand in the middle of my room, staring at everything, and I’m still like that when Cin joins me.
“I figured I might find you like this.” She walks up to me, wrapping her arms around me, like she’s been doing this since she arrived in Hawaii.
I appreciate it and squeeze her back.
She releases me and looks at my luggage. “Let’s unpack your shit before I have to go.”