Elsie
Ihad no idea why Cotton and the others were so interested in Ben, but it clearly wasn’t good.
I could literally feel the rage radiating off of them, and I couldn’t understand why.
I wasn’t interested in him, but he seemed like a decent enough guy.
He certainly didn’t seem like the type to get on the Satan’s Fury radar.
I was tempted to ask why they were so interested in him, but I knew better.
They were already on edge, and I had no interest in rousing them any further.
“What did you tell him?”
“I said rumors were just rumors, and this was one that didn’t deem repeating. After that, I got up and left.”
“Have you seen or talked to him since?”
“Actually, I saw him today.” My eyes skirted over to Wyatt as I added, “I was about to go into class when he came over to me and apologized for the things he’d said.”
“And that was it?”
“Pretty much.” I shrugged. “He reminded me about a Spanish test we were having today and offered to meet up with me at the coffee shop to study.”
“Did you go?”
“Yes, but I didn’t stay.” I glanced over at Wyatt, checking to see if he looked upset, but he was looking at his phone and didn’t even seem to be listening to me. “I just went there to tell him that I had some things I had to take care of and would just study on my own.”
“Did he seem bothered that you weren’t staying?”
“I don’t think he was all that happy about it, but I didn’t really give him a chance to say anything. When Cass called to tell me about the lockdown, I walked out.”
I glanced back over at Wyatt, checking once again to see if he seemed bothered, but like before, he wasn’t paying the least bit of attention to my conversation with Cotton and Stitch.
Instead, he was over in the corner working on his laptop.
I couldn’t help but feel a little hurt by the fact that he didn’t even care about Ben.
Cotton, on the other hand, seemed pissed about it.
His brows furrowed as he asked, “And that was it?”
“He followed me out to the car.”
“Did he say anything?”
“No. I pulled away before he got a chance.”
“Good.” Cotton thought for a moment, then asked, “Is there anything else you...”
“Hey, Prez,” Wyatt interrupted. “You need to see this.”
“What is it?”
Cotton and Stitch stepped over to Wyatt’s desk, and the second they looked at the screen, I knew something was terribly wrong. Cotton sounded positively livid as he snarled, “Fuck... Is this shit from him?”
“Yes, sir.” Wyatt grabbed his phone and held it up. “Got this message when you were talking to Elsie.”
As soon as he said my name, Stitch whipped around and ordered, “We’re done here. You can go back to your room now.”
I nodded nervously, then darted out of the room in a panic.
I’d seen Cotton angry many times before, but this time was different.
This time he wasn’t just upset over the fact that things hadn’t gone the way he expected or someone had mistreated his girls or ol’ lady.
This time he was angry in a way I’d never seen before.
If I hadn’t known better, I would’ve said he was scared, and I’d never seen him scared before.
And that terrified me.
My heart was pounding as I made my way down the hall and back to my room.
It was obvious that something bad was going down.
Something that included Ben—which made no sense at all.
He was just a college student and a psych major at that.
It was hard to believe that he was the one who had Cotton and the others so wound up.
However, our last encounter was a bit strained, and it had me wondering why he seemed so intent on us spending time together.
The crazy look on his face as he stood in front of my car continued to weigh heavy on my mind as I crawled into bed.
I was tired and in dire need of a good night’s sleep, but there was no way that was going to happen.
I couldn’t even close my eyes without seeing that look on Cotton’s face, so I got up and headed down the hall to Lacy’s room.
I knocked, and seconds later, the door creaked open just enough for me to see her flushed face. “Hey, Else. What’s up?”
“I couldn’t sleep, so... I’m sorry,” I stammered. “It’s late, and I wasn’t thinking. I shouldn’t have bothered you.”
“It’s fine. Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, yeah. Umm... It’s just been a long day, and I had a hard time falling asleep.”
“Well, where’s Bones?” she whispered. “He’s the one who should be helping you get to sleep.”
“He’s working, but it’s all good.” I feigned a smile as I said, “I’ll catch up with you tomorrow.”
I silently cursed myself as I turned and started back down the hall.
I should’ve known with all the guys and their families here that Lacy and the girls would have their hands full—literally and figuratively.
Regardless, I was still wound tight, and there was no way I was going to be able to fall asleep, so I headed to the kitchen to grab a drink and a bite to eat.
I was just about to pass the family room when I heard Susana’s voice.
I couldn’t make out what she was saying, but it was followed by a round of giggles.
I peeked around the corner and saw she and Darby having a glass of wine with Casey, Mia, and Chelsea.
I had no doubt that they were using the night to catch up with one another.
I could’ve joined them.
We were all friends, and I would’ve enjoyed hearing about what was going on in their lives, but with everything going on, I wasn’t in the mood for catching up. I just wanted to grab my snack and get back to bed, so I continued down the hall towards the kitchen.
When I walked in, I was surprised to find Wren sitting alone at the kitchen table.
She was wearing her robe and slippers, and she looked lost in her thoughts as she stared off into space.
I hated to disturb her, so I tried my best to be quiet as I made my way over to the fridge.
I grabbed a soda and some yogurt, then quickly closed the door.
I was about to slip back out when Wren looked up and said, “Oh, hey, Elsie. I didn’t hear you walk in. ”
“Hey, Wren,” I answered softly. “You doing okay?”
“Yes and no.” She shrugged. “You’d think that after all these years, I’d be used to lockdowns and what have you, but they still make me so nervous.”
“They make me nervous, too. It’s one of the reasons I haven’t been able to sleep.”
“I’m glad to know it’s not just me.” She patted her hand on the table. “Come over and sit with me a bit. Tell me how things are going with you.”
I walked over and sat down next to her, and I immediately felt self-conscious.
Even without makeup, Wren was absolutely stunning.
She had flawless skin and dark hair and eyes that made her look like she’d just stepped out of some beauty magazine, while I, on the other hand, looked like I’d just rolled out of bed.
I tried in vain to brush the many loose strands of hair from my face as I told her, “Things are going okay, I guess.”
“And school?” She gave me a warm smile as she asked, “Are things still going well?”
“They are. I’m ready to be done, but it’s going great.”
“What are your plans after graduation?”
“Well, I’ve gotta find a job, maybe something in the city, and then, I’ll finally start looking for a place of my own. I’m sure the brothers think I’ve overstayed my welcome.”
“You know better than that. They like having you around, especially Wyatt.”
“Well, I’ve really liked being here and having them around, but I can’t stay here forever. We both know that.”
“And what about you and Wyatt?” Her question caught me off guard.
I knew the guys gave him a hard time about me, but I thought it ended there.
I had no idea that his mother knew how I felt about him.
She must’ve noticed my surprise, because she quickly added, “Oh, honey. I’m sorry.
I didn’t mean to be intrusive. I just know he thinks a lot of you, and I was hoping that you felt the same about him. ”
“I do. I always have.” I knew she and Wyatt were very close, and there was a good chance that he’d already told her, but that didn’t stop me from saying, “We went out this past weekend, and I think it’s safe to say that things went pretty well.”
“Really?” Her smile grew wider. “That’s great. I had no idea.”
“I wouldn’t think too much of it. It’s just a couple of dates.”
“It’s more than that. You two have always had a special connection.”
“You think?”
“Oh, yes. He’s never looked at anyone the way he looks at you, and rightly so. You’re a wonderful young woman, Elsie.”
“That’s really sweet of you to say.”
“It’s true... You’ve been through so much.” Anguish filled her eyes as she said, “More than any child should ever have to go through, but you didn’t let it break you. You fought, and you’ve kept fighting. That’s more than most would do.”
“I had some help along the way.”
“Yes, and you’ve helped in return.” She placed her hand on mine as she said, “You give Wyatt a calm that he’s never had before.”
“How?”
“Just by being you.” She gave my hand a squeeze. “I see a bright future for you two, and that couldn’t please me more.”
“It would please me, too, but on nights like these, when I have no idea what’s going on, I worry that the future may never come.”
“Oh, it will. Stitch and the brothers will make sure of that.” She gave me a wink and a smile. “They always do.”
“Yeah, I know, but it’s hard not to worry.”
“Hey.” We both turn to find Stitch standing in the doorway, wearing nothing but his wifebeater and boxers. “There a reason why I just woke up in bed alone?”
“I couldn’t sleep.”
“So you just up and left without saying something?”
“I didn’t want to wake you.”
“Wake me, baby,” he replied, sounding surprisingly sweet. “Always wake me.”
“Okay.” Wren stood, then reached over and gave my shoulder a quick squeeze. “Thanks for the chat. It meant a lot.”
“It meant a lot to me, too.”
I watched as Wren walked over to Stitch and gave him a kiss on the lips.
He took her by the hand and led her out of the kitchen and down the hall.
Even though they were as different as night and day, they worked.
They took care of each other in a way that no one else could.
As I sat there eating my yogurt, I wondered if there would ever come a time when Wyatt and I would be like them.
And the more I thought about it, the more I realized we already were, and that made me smile.
“That must be some really good yogurt,” Savage snickered as he walked into the kitchen in his tighty-whities. “What are you doing up so late?”
“Couldn’t sleep.”
“That seems to be going around.” He opened the fridge and pulled out the pitcher of tea. “Something on your mind?”
“Just the usual.”
“Hmm.” He adjusted himself as he said, “I’d offer you a distraction, but Bones would have my ass.”
“Yeah, we wouldn’t want that.” I chuckled as I got up and tossed my yogurt in the trash. “I think it’s time for me to call it a night.”
“I’m right behind ya.” As we started down the hall, he decided to give it one final go. “If you ever decide to ditch Bones, you know where to find me.”
“I do, and I won’t.”
Without saying anything more, I went into my room and closed the door. I crawled back into bed, and as soon as curled up on my pillow, I found myself wondering if Wyatt was still awake. I reached over and grabbed my phone from the bedside table, then sent him a text message.
Me:
Hey.
Just checking to see if you were awake.
I waited a few minutes, then sent him another.
Me:
I guess you’re out. I hope you sleep well.
Goodnight.
Feeling a bit disappointed, I tossed my phone back onto the table, then laid back on my pillow.
I closed my eyes and tried to imagine that we weren’t under a lockdown and the guys hadn’t asked me all those strange questions about Ben.
I told myself that it was a night like any other night, and when the sun rose the following morning, everything would be back to normal.
Only the following day things weren’t back to normal.
Not even close.