27. June
CHAPTER 27
JUNE
C ory asked if Ryan wanted to ride with him to the hospital, and he said yes. So it’s only Jake, Lachy, and me in the SUV. It doesn’t take long for Jake to bring up the text he saw on my phone.
“That message was from your ex, wasn’t it, Junebug?”
“What message?” Lachy asks from the backseat.
“You shouldn’t have read it,” I retort, ignoring Lachy’s question.
“It was an accident, but you weren’t going to tell us about it, were you?” Jake fires back.
I cross my arms and look out the window. “No.”
“Can someone bloody tell me what’s going on?” Lachy presses.
When I don’t reply, Jake answers for me. “June’s ex is harassing her.”
“Didn’t you block his number?”
“I did. He must have used someone else’s phone,” I grumble.
“What did the message say?” Lachy leans forward, sticking his head between the front seats.
“Jake saw it. Ask him,” I reply with a bite. I know I’m acting bitchy, but I’m trying to hide that I’m embarrassed he read the text. It wasn’t one of Bill’s finest moments—not that he had many to begin with.
Jake doesn’t answer, and when I look at him, I find his jaw locked, and he’s holding the steering wheel so tight, his knuckles are white.
“Bill called me a bitch because I got him kicked out of the arena,” I finally answer Lachy.
“I see.” Lachy’s voice is cold and tight, not something I’m used to.
I look over my shoulder, and I’m a little shocked by his expression. His face is a stony mask, and his eyes are hard and deadly. That’s why I didn’t want to tell them about Bill. I fear what will happen if they cross paths with my ex.
“I want you both to promise me you won’t go after Bill. He’s my problem.”
“He’s not your problem anymore, June. He’s our problem,” Jake replies. “You’re our girl, and no one mistreats you and gets away with it.”
“That’s right, lass. If your ex has any self-preservation instinct, he’d better not come near you again.”
“He won’t,” I reply with conviction, hoping they buy it.
Bill doesn’t have any common sense, and he won’t stop pestering me. Maybe I should talk to him and find out what he wants. It’s clear blocking his number didn’t work.
“I’m getting him banned from the arena,” Jake continues.
Hell. That will enrage Bill even more, but I bite my tongue. Bill deserves to be banned, and it will also keep him safe from the boys’ wrath. I’m more concerned with protecting my guys than saving Bill’s ass.
“That’s fine.”
I’m not sure what else to say, so I look out the window. The silence stretches, becoming heavier and heavier. I hate that there’s new tension in the air. Jake and Lachy are angry, and there’s nothing I can do about it.
Their mood is still sour when we arrive at the hospital. My stomach is tied into impossible knots. I’m worried about Ryan, and now I’m worried about Jake and Lachy too. I don’t wait for either of them before I make my way to the hospital’s entrance. Ryan and Cody are already inside.
“June, wait!” Jake calls out. He catches up with me and pulls me into a hug. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to read your text, or to act like a caveman.”
I press my cheek against his chest, and my gaze connects with Lachy’s. He looks remorseful too. “I know.” I step back and look into Jake’s eyes. “You’re worried because you care about me.”
He caresses my cheek. “I love you, Junebug. We all do.”
Lachy steps closer. “That’s right, lass. You’d better get used to having three very protective boyfriends.”
Blush creeps up my cheeks. “All right. But you’d better get used to a very protective girlfriend too.”
Lachy’s brows arch, then he smiles. “Deal.”
Jake keeps his hand firmly clasping mine as we walk down the hospital’s corridor. Lachy is next to me, and even though he can’t touch me, I feel his love just the same. My heart is squeezed tight. I’m nervous about Ryan. We find him pacing in front of his mother’s room, alone.
He stops in his tracks when he sees us. His face is washed out, and the anguish in his gaze breaks my heart. I let go of Jake’s hand to give Ryan a hug. Friends hug in public, and he needs it.
“Where’s Cory?” I ask.
“He went in with Mackenzie,” he replies, his face hidden in the crook of my neck.
I ease back and stare into his beautiful blue eyes. “You can do this.”
He nods. “I know I can. I was waiting for you guys.”
“Go on, buddy. We’ll be here,” Jake replies.
“Okay.”
I get on my tip toes and kiss him on the cheek. It’s risky, but no one is around to witness it. “I love you.”
He swallows hard and whispers, “I love you too.”