Chapter 19 Zack
ZACK
It’s been a week since my best friend called me a fucking coward.
I don’t know what the fuck came over him, what came over me, but our whole interaction has been playing in my head on repeat.
Mix that with the fact I still haven’t had the balls to go and see Lily again, not while she was awake at least, and well, it’s safe to say my mind is completely fucked.
All I want to do is lock myself away in my office and use work to distract myself, but then my sister had to go and have her baby a week early.
So now I’m striding down the hallway of the private hospital wing, looking for her room.
“Zack, you came,” Elle smiles, lifting her stare from the beautiful bundle of joy in her arms, and I refrain from rolling my eyes.
“Of course I came, I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” I tell her honestly, moving to her bedside and joining them in fawning over the little baby.
Elle looks tired, but filled with pride, while Marcus looks like he hasn’t stopped crying.
Asher’s sharp eyes are traveling across all of them, like he expects a threat to appear out of thin air and he is ready to neutralize it.
To the outside they probably have a weird family dynamic, but to us it’s completely normal.
Asher will treat the new baby as if it’s his own, just like Marcus does with Cassie.
In all honesty, after everything that has happened, everything we have lost, these kids will be the most overprotected in the world.
“Isn’t she so pretty Uncle Z, I’m a big sister now,” Cassie tells me, looking completely overjoyed, and I have to swallow thickly, as I realize just how quick she has grown in the last almost six years.
“She’s perfect, just like you and your mom,” I choke out gruffly, as Elle sits up and moves to pass me the baby.
“Hey sweet girl, meet your Uncle Zack,” she whispers softly, and I lean down so she can transfer her into my arms.
Her eyes are closed as I cuddle her into my chest, and apart from her dark hair, she looks exactly the same as Cassie did when she was born. “She really is beautiful, sweetheart,” I breathe, mesmerized by her tiny little face, just like I was with Cass, and Elle grins widely.
“Of course she is, I don’t make ugly babies,” Elle replies, and I roll my eyes again, as I move to sit in the chair beside the bed.
Marcus starts snapping pictures, having no doubt taken at least a thousand already, but I’m too focused on the little girl in my arms to care. She’s beyond perfect, and I have no doubt she is going to be spoiled just as much as Cassie.
Lincoln is the next to arrive, moving to Elle first, then both Ash and Cass, before he even takes notice of the baby, but once he knows they are all okay, I happily pass her over.
It’s weird to see him hold such a tiny baby when I know just how ruthless his hands can be, but it’s the look on my brother’s face that stands out the most. Asher is looking at him like he’s not sure how he got past his defenses, but will do anything to ensure he remains there.
“This is Superman, he protects us,” Cassie tells her sister, practically hanging off Lincoln’s other side while they both stare down at the baby, and he doesn’t hesitate in pulling her onto his knee and tucking them both in close.
This time it’s Asher who snaps some pictures, and when the two of them share a look, I know they are both thinking the same thing I am.
We wish Logan was here.
I’m not surprised in the slightest when Jace arrives next, he has Cash in tow, and I swear Asher takes a subtle step closer to both Cass and the baby when he sees them.
Not that either of the little fire maniacs seem to notice though, no, the both of them are too besotted with the new arrival to focus on Ash, as Lincoln passes her to his brother.
Jace looks just as funny holding the tiny bundle in his reckless, fully-tatted arms, but when he and Cash both look at her with nothing but adoration, I see just how much of an amazing dad he’s already becoming.
“She’s fucking perfect, Queenie,” he grunts, staring at her in disbelief, like he can’t quite believe she’s real. “What’s her name?” he finally asks, looking up at his best friend, and Elle’s smile is both soft and filled with sadness.
“Kennedy, her name is Kennedy.”
He inhales sharply, his eyes glossing over quickly as he nods, swallowing thickly, before he returns his stare to the baby.
I know the two of them will always remember that dark day, where we never imagined we could ever find this level of happiness again, but they also know they have to make the life they still have count.
When my parents finally make their appearance, my mom is of course already crying over her new grandchild, and Marcus, Cassie, Asher, and Lincoln all go on the hunt for some lunch to give the rest of us some space.
And much to Asher’s dismay, Lincoln offers to take Cash with them too.
Ash stares at his boyfriend like he has betrayed him, but it just takes Linc whispering only the devil knows what in his ear to have him relenting.
My mom goes straight to Elle, pulling her in for a tight hug. “I’m so proud of you, honey,” she tells her softly, her eyes filled with tears.
“So am I, my little firecracker,” my dad adds, just as Jace hands over the baby to my mom, and the two of them beam with pride.
My parents fuss over her, as I tell Elle I have already set up a trust for her, which only makes my sister roll her eyes.
Then we all talk back and forth a little, all arranging some extra care for Cassie during the next week, so Elle and Marcus can get settled with the baby, and when the door opens again, I expect to see the guys bringing back lunch.
So when I meet the wary eyes of my sister, being guided into the room with my best friend, my jaw practically hits the floor.
“Lils?” Elle says in surprise, clearly having not expected her, which I can’t say I blame her, none of us were. Max has a flat smile on his face behind her, as he nods a greeting to all of us, continuing pushing her into the room.
My dad is the first to move, crossing the room in two-seconds flat, pulling Lily in for a hug that I’m sure he needs more than her. “Darling, it’s so good to see you, you look great,” he tells her firmly, and when my eyes trail over her, I have to agree.
There are no dark circles under her eyes, her skin is clear with only minimal makeup, her hair styled, and she clearly took her time picking out her outfit.
Just like she did the other night. She looks beautiful, just like always, except now the thought leaves a sour taste in my mouth, and when her eyes meet mine, I cough and quickly avert my stare.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you I was coming,” she finally says, when my dad releases her, but Elle is already shaking her head.
“Don’t be ridiculous, come and meet your new niece,” she demands, waving her over to the bed.
Lily flicks her gaze to Elle, and then to everyone’s surprise, she is the one crossing the room right to her bedside, leaning down to pull her in for a hug. “Congratulations, Elle, I’m sorry I haven’t been here,” she whispers gently, and Elle’s stare fills with tears, as she returns the hug warmly.
“You’re here now, that’s all that matters.”
Elle gestures toward an armchair by the wall and Lily takes a seat, letting our mom pass over Kennedy, and the second she is in my sister’s arms, a tear rolls down her cheek.
“Hey baby girl, I’m your Aunt Lily,” she murmurs, and it’s only then I see Max has moved to her side, watching the two of them closely, and clearly I’m not the only one who has noticed.
“What’s the matter, viper? Can’t leave the house without your bodyguard?” Jace taunts, and my glare snaps in his direction, ready to bite his head off for being a dick, but Lily beats me to it.
“Yeah, I brought him just in case you managed to start an orgy in the hospital,” she claps back, making Max snort a laugh, but instead of being pissed, Jace only smiles widely.
“Hmm, I’ve got a feeling you’d like that,” he tosses back, staring pointedly at my best friend, and I frown as I study the two of them.
Max is standing over her, now glaring at Jace, but Lily only rolls her eyes in a playful manner that I haven’t seen in over a year.
“As long as you’re not involved I would,” she grumbles, before returning her focus to the baby.
“When you’re older I’ll teach you that your Uncle Jace is an S L U T,” she coos, making the man in question laugh, but I’m sure she’s aware of every eye in the room on her.
My mom and dad are sharing a hopeful look, more than happy to see her not just here, but looking so good.
Elle is already emotional, so I’m sure this is not helping, and despite his chirps I can tell Jace is also proud of her that she’s here.
I’m also proud too, but there is still this tension between us thanks to what happened, and she is now pointedly avoiding looking in my direction.
Max takes a seat on the edge of the chair, trying to get closer to the baby I’m sure, but then all of a sudden, Lily turns her head up toward him and they share a smile. Except that’s not where my attention falls, no, it’s on the small reddened mark on the back of my sister’s throat.
Is that a fucking hickey?
What the fuck?
Whatever other conversations occur go completely over my head, because all I can focus on is that little dark bruise.
Lily holds Kennedy for a while before giving Max a turn, the two of them sharing little smiles with one another, before eventually passing the baby back to Elle.
My parents then both fuss over Lily, while pretending they aren’t, and Max barely takes two steps away from her, even while chatting with Jace who is tapping away on his phone.
When Marcus returns with Cassie and Cash, it isn’t lost on me that Linc and Ash are both notably absent, and when I flick my stare back to Jace, he only shrugs.
I guess Max and I aren’t the only ones who have been looking out for her, but then when I flick my gaze back to Max and find him watching her again intensely, suspicion burns through me.
The two of them stay for around an hour, but then she starts to look a little anxious and Max clears his throat and rises to his feet. “Well, we should get going,” he announces to no one in particular, pulling Lily up with him, and she smiles gratefully.
“It was so good to see you, honey,” my mom tells her, giving her another hug, and from there she is passed from her, to my dad, to Jace, to Marcus, then back to Elle, all of them genuinely happy to see her.
“I’ll come to the house in a few days,” she tells them all, ruffling Cassie’s hair, who has barely left her side since she returned, and the little girl beams up at her.
“Are you going to come away with me and baby?” Cass asks, searching her aunt’s stare, and I know she has missed her more than she has let on. “We can play and go swim like we used to with Uncle Lo,” she adds, not realizing the pain her words will no doubt cause, and my sister’s stare turns glossy.
My parents share a pained look, but Lily inhales slowly, forcing a smile to her face, and I prepare myself for the refusal that will hurt all of us. “Of course I’m coming,” Lily breathes, surprising us all, as she smiles down at the little girl. “I’ve got a lot of time to make up for.”
At her words Cassie’s face lights up even more, as she rushes to throw her arms around her. “Yay, I’ve missed you so much, Lilypad.”
Logan’s nickname for her slams through us all, but somehow my sister remains steady, as she returns Cassie’s embrace. “I missed you too, sweet girl.”
After that she says goodbye to everyone, forcing herself to look at me and smile, and I pray no one has noticed the weird tension between us today, but all I can focus on is how my best friend follows her every move.
It’s like they are magnets, she shifts, and he does too, and as the two of them leave the room, I can’t help but watch.
I can hear my parents and Elle, instantly start saying how surprised they are that she came, and how well she looked, but I’m already walking from the door.
“Excuse me for a moment,” I say to none of them in particular, not giving any of them a chance to respond before I disappear after Lily and Max.
The two of them are already down the hall by the bank of elevators, and instead of going to them, I find myself just watching.
They aren’t doing anything, aren’t even touching or looking at one another, but it’s the way there isn’t even an inch of space between them.
I don’t know why that’s what I focus on, I’ve seen them together a thousand times, but right now something feels different.
Especially when the elevator finally arrives and Max brings his arm around her and guides her inside.
Again, there is nothing strange about his touch, it isn’t overtly sexual in any way, but it’s the way she leans into him, like she needs him more than I ever realized.
I should be happy, grateful that someone has her back, but as they step through those doors, his other hand comes up and skims the bruise on her throat.
I can’t hear what he says as he does it, but whatever it is, brings a sinful smile to her face, as a blush stains her cheeks.
A blush I have recently become associated with and that’s all it takes for me to know they have fucked.
Fuck.