Chapter Eleven
Lennox
Ipace the length of the living room, phone in hand, unable to shake the knot of worry twisting tighter with every unanswered ring and text. “I still can’t believe she hasn’t replied to any of us,”
I mutter, glancing at Kamden. “Jaxton and Liam should’ve been able to reach her by now.”
Kamden, leaning against the edge of the kitchen counter, looks up from his phone, frowning. “It’s not like her. Even with the limited time we’ve known her, she’s been consistent about staying in touch.”
It felt odd, this feeling of protectiveness toward someone we hadn’t met yet. Besides our daily calls and texts, all we had was what Liam and Jaxton had shared—stories of her laughter, her kindness, the way she clearly cares about our brothers. That connection was enough. More than enough, in fact. I already felt the weight of her absence, like a gnawing ache, and by the worried pinch of Kam’s eyes, he feels it too. We’re bonded to her without the privilege of ever having set foot in the same room.
“Jaxton and Liam are on their way to her house. They’ll call us back once they’re in the car.”
I ramble, mostly to reassure myself. Kamden’s jaw tensed, his concern mirroring my own.
We’d both tried texting and calling her, hoping to get a response, even just a simple acknowledgment. Nothing. My gut twisted at the thought of her hurting or scared, unreachable and alone. And the fact that Liam and Jaxton couldn’t get through either—it’s gnawing at our every instinct. Especially, since there’s hundreds of miles between us right now.
Kamden’s phone buzzes, drawing his attention, but it’s just another work notification. He pushes it aside with a frustrated sigh. “If they can’t reach her, they’ll let us know, right?”
“Of course,”
I reply, but uncertain, not fooling either of us. We need answers. Now.
My phone buzzes on the counter, Jaxton’s face lighting up the screen. I snatch it off the granite, answering immediately, voice tense. “Anything?”
“She’s got to be here—her car’s in the driveway.”
Jaxton’s tone is tight, almost controlled, the underlying worry barely restrained. I could almost picture him and Liam standing on Avery’s porch, hand hovering over the door handle to barge straight in.
“Have you knocked?”
Kam asks loudly, so I place the call on speakerphone.
“Yes—Liam pounded on the door and hollered a second ago. We’re about to let ourselves in,”
Jaxton replies, then yells. “Kitten, if you don’t open this door or send us a text, we’re coming in!”
The faint sound of Liam in the background—frustration evident in his muffled voice—growling. “Her door is unlocked.”
Kamden moves closer, leaning in to hear the conversation better, his brow furrowing as he listens.
“Unlocked?”
I ask, pulse quickening, while anxiety flaring in my gut. “That’s...”
The sentence hangs, not wanting to put anything negative out into the universe.
“Exactly,”
Jaxton understands the concern without the words, keeping his voice low as he pushed the door open. “We’re going in.”
The sounds on the other end are hushed, the subtle creaks of the floor and the shuffling of footsteps as Jaxton and Liam enter Avery’s home. They call out for her, their steps methodical, knowing the layout of her place, and searching each area quickly and thoroughly. Kam and I hover over the phone, listening to the tense calls of her name, both of us straining to catch every noise, every clue.
“Anything?”
Kamden asks, anxiousness weaving through the question.
Finally, Jaxton speaks again. “Living room’s empty… kitchen too,”
he relays in a low voice. Then, he curses softly under his breath. He must’ve reached Avery’s bedroom. “She’s here,”
Jaxton murmurs, more to himself than to us.
“Are you okay?”
Liam’s questions are muffled on the other end. “Why didn’t you answer our calls? What the hell, Bee, what’s going on?”
His voice is trembling.
Avery suddenly shouts. “No! You need to leave! Both of you!”
“What’s going on? Is she all right?”
I press, dread twisting my insides, hearing the emotion in her voice.
“She’s fine but pissed. Somethings wrong.”
Jaxton admits, his voice a mix of frustration and resignation. “I think she figured it out. About us. About everything.”
Kamden let out a slow breath, his shoulders sagging in disappointment. We’d been over this with Jax several times and he needed to let Avery know about his fame before she figured it out on her own. I pinched the bridge of my nose, sighing. “Has she said why yet?”
This wasn’t going to end well.
“No. Liam went in first.”
Jaxton replied, keeping his voice low. “We’re not giving her the chance to shut us out. But yeah, it’s clear she’s not exactly swooning over whatever news she’s heard.”
“Fix it. Both of you,”
I growl, voice hard. “Whatever you did, whatever she found out, make it right. Don’t let her get away because of some misunderstanding.”
“We will.”
The phone clicks on their side, leaving us with our own thoughts, and worries on whether they’re going to fuck this up before we’ve gotten the chance to meet her.
After the phone call ended, silence stretches in its wake. I glance at Kamden, his mouth a firm line as he stares out the window. The dim glow of the patio lights reflects off his features, casting shadows that mirror the weight of our worries. Jaxton screwed up—again—and now Avery is caught in the fallout.
Kamden finally ends the silence, his voice rough with frustration. “This could’ve all been avoided if Jax had just been honest with her from the start. How hard is it to tell someone who you are?”
I lean forward, resting my elbows on my knees, and running my hand through my hair. “It’s not just the fame, Kam. It’s everything that comes with it—the scrutiny, the baggage. I get why he hesitated. But now? Now she’s upset, and she’s probably pieced together more than we wanted her to on her own. That’s on him.”
“Yeah, and if he doesn’t fix it, that’s on us too,”
Kamden mutters, his tone sharp as a blade. “I’m not losing her because Jax can’t get his shit together. She’s incredibly down-to-earth, kind, and has embraced us and what we’re asking of her in a relationship with remarkable ease. She’s someone we’re all equally drawn to, both emotionally and physically. When will we ever find another woman like her? The answer is simple: never. She’s a unicorn—a one-of-a-kind treasure.”
My chest tightens at his words. I hadn’t even fully realized how much I’ve come to care for Avery until now. She is light—steady and warm—and even in the short time we’ve been getting to know her, it’s clear she’s something special. The thought of her walking away from all of us because of a misunderstanding or a half-truth is unbearable.
“They’ll fix it,”
I say, more to convince myself than him. “They have to.”
“And if they don’t?”
Kamden asks, arching a brow.
“Then we do,”
I reply without hesitation. “If we don’t hear from them—or her—by tomorrow, we’re stepping in.”
Kamden nods, his shoulders relaxing slightly, though the tension in his jaw doesn’t ease. “Agreed. But I swear, if they screw this up...”
“They won’t,”
I interrupt, standing and pacing the length of the room. “And if they do, we’ll make it right. Together.”
The promise hangs in the air between us, unspoken but understood. No matter what, we will not let Avery slip away—not like this. Not because of something so fixable.
Kamden stands, clapping a hand on my shoulder. “Tomorrow, then.”
“Tomorrow,”
I echo, determination hardening my voice.
As Kamden heads toward the door, I linger for a moment, staring out into the night. We’ll give them a chance to make things right. But if they don’t? We’ll do it ourselves. Because Avery isn’t just someone we want to know better—she’s someone we can never imagine letting go.