Chapter Twenty-Two
Devin’s POV
I stretched my tense limbs out before I snuggled deeper into the warmth that was surrounding me after someone tried to wake me up.
I could feel heat radiating all around me and it was too comfortable to give up just yet.
I hadn’t had this kind of warmth…ever. I felt a hand try to shake me awake again, but I just grumbled, not wanting to fully wake up.
No. Go away. Sleep. Comfy.
Just as I was falling back into dreamland where Hottie McHotterson from the party last night was waiting for me, the warmth I was snuggled deeply into, moved.
Not like a little shuffle, or small movement to get comfy again.
No. This warmth that was wrapped around me, rolled us onto our sides and pulled me closer, cuddling me tighter.
I froze. Wide awake now.
What, or more accurately, who is cuddling me?
! Who was cuddling me? Why was there someone cuddling me?
! I could feel my heart beating wildly in my chest as I racked my brain to try to remember the night before.
How did this happen? I remembered being on the patio and…
Eddie. Eddie covered me with a coat, and then I was looking at the stars and… Hottie McHotterson?
“Johnny Cash?” I whispered so softly I was sure no one heard me, but my hands still flew to my mouth like I’d just exposed state secrets out loud, when the warmth rumbled with a deep baritone chuckle and a honey-sweet voice responded to me.
“Yeah, gorgeous?”
I shot up, away from the warmth so fast I made myself dizzy!
My hands were holding my head as I fell back onto the incredible sexy, yummy, deliciousness on a stick, or legs.
Tree trunks really if what my hand was resting on was any sort of indication of what might be lying in wait under these clothes.
Shit. I was right back where I started. Laying not to the man in black with tree trunk thighs and a voice that made parts of me tingle with a want I hadn’t felt since before Becky. The memories of last night were coming back to me. The library. The fire. The conversation.
“Come back, Red. We were cuddling so nicely,” his voice thick with sleepiness, his arms fumbling as pulled my arms around him, effectively pulling back into his perfectly toned and muscular chest that smelt just as fucking manly and delicious as it did last night.
I swear I thought the cedarwood and pine scent he was wearing was a feature of Clint’s fancy-ass fireplace.
Nope. It was Johnny fuckin’ Cash.
Jesus or whatever higher power is up there, help me. I had to be fucking losing it! There was no way I was actually considering snuggling back into this incredibly sexy, drool-worth man!
The second bucket of ice came when I heard Eddie’s voice, sounding light and happy, like he’d had the best night of his life.
And he might have.
But I could not, under any circumstances, let him find me like this. I’d never hear the end of the teasing.
“Hey, babe. Did you find her? Babe? Is she still sleeping?” I held my breath as Eddie paused, waiting for a response that never came, and sounding way too close for comfort. “Oh come on, handsome. I know you’re not ready to tell people about us.”
Who is he talking about?
Johnny Cash must have felt me tense as I strained to hear what was being said over my brother’s footsteps that sounded so close I’d be able to see him if I lifted my head. He blew my concentration because, before I could hear the other person say anything, he was kissing me.
His lips. On mine.
His lips were on mine!
He melted everything in my mind with the way his velvety smooth, plump lips moved against mine, the way his tongue slipped into my mouth and caressed my tongue.
My mind was blank. Totally empty.
He slid his rough hands against my face, turning until he had better access to my mouth.
In an instant, he moved in again, stealing the kiss.
His tongue caressed mine, exploring my mouth like he was taking note of everything and what I responded to.
One hand tangled in my hair, the other on my lower back, pulled me closer to him.
I felt all tingly and hot everywhere his hands had been.
My hands wrapped around his neck, my hands snaking up the back of his neck and into his hair.
My leg instinctively went around his hips.
He smiled into the kiss, pulling back just a little when we were interrupted.
By Eddie.
Again.
“What the fu-?! Babe!” Eddie’s voice was a whisper, but whiny, like he was pleading with someone else.
I kept my eyes closed, my mouth still searching for his for more of that kiss, even just a peck.
God his lips were so wonderful. “Please tell me that’s not who I think it is with my sister?
!” Eddie whispered-hissed, and this time I pulled back, my hands stopped moving and I let my head hang between us.
“It is. I’m sorry, baby. I tried to keep him away from her.
” Clint? Why was Clint calling my brother, ‘baby’?
My head popped up at the sound of their voices and I looked at them.
Clint looked slightly embarrassed to have been ‘caught’, meanwhile, Eddie looked madder than a rattle snake during a Texas summer.
Why was he mad? Wait.
“Wait! Are you two—"
“I’ll have words with you later, Cash. For now?
Stay the fuck away from her.” Eddie cut me off and spat his words at the handsome man I was just kissing like my life depended on it.
He reached in, expertly extracting me from Johnny Cash’s arms. I wasn’t sure what was going on with me this morning, or even last night, but he’d set something alive inside.
I felt like there was hope, like there were still gentlemen out there.
It felt like it had been so…so long since I had any positive emotions, anything remotely happy.
Since I felt alive. Alive in ways I’d forgotten about.
Even with Eddie being upset, I still wanted to know more about this man.
I finally felt alive again.
*****
Eddie’s POV
“Six months,” I said to Fia once we were in the lobby of the apartment building, after obsessively checking on her because this was the brightest I’d seen her since the shit with Caleb came to light.
I didn’t want her to go back to that place, but I also didn’t know that I trusted what I knew and had heard about the man she was just sucking face with!
“Just, do me a favor and give yourself six months. You’ve had a lot of crazy shit going on the last few months, and you’re figuring out yourself, being a single woman again.
And, honestly, between shit with work stressing you out, and shit with Caleb and that psycho Becky that only recently concluded, you haven’t been yourself.
You haven’t had time to find you or just to be.
Nor have you been doing your best in therapy.
” I gave her that scolding look that every mother gave when she wanted you to know she meant business.
“You shut yourself off, like a computer, you just shut down with the emotions when all that bullshit he did…happened. I just want you to be alright, to come back to us, and talk about it. Process it. You can’t move on until you do that.
And you shouldn’t be with someone until you can process and work through the shit.
” I didn’t want my words to be too harsh, but I wanted her to take time for herself.
She needed it. She needed that time to just be able to be herself and breathe.
Hailing a taxi, I kept a tight hold on her hand as we climbed in the first one that stopped.
I gave him her address and we took off to her flat that was hopefully going to be sold next week.
I could tell she was on the verge of shutting me out again.
Taking a deep breath, I ran my hands through my hair, trying to calm myself down.
I was frustrated because this wasn’t the sister I’d had for, like ever, since we became insta-besties.
I was getting worried he broke something fundamentally essential to who she was, deep within her.
I had noticed her sleeping more some days, or less on others.
She’d also go to work and work all kinds of extra, absolutely crazy, hours.
I also knew she’d been down at the gym in her apartment at all hours courtesy of Frank and Fred.
“I don’t know for sure, because we haven’t been staying there with you.
Not since it’s supposed to be sold next week, tonight is your last night there, and then you’re moving into my building.
But, Fia. There has got to be more to this whole mess.
What haven’t you been telling me?” I saw her eyes flicker toward the window and she began fidgeting with her fingers.
Picking at her nails and nailbeds, popping her knuckles.
I could tell she wanted to be anywhere else but here.
Something was going on. I had to be on the right path, and thankfully, there was no way she could run from this conversation in the cab ride back to her apartment.
Em and I had been helping her search for months for a place.
She was only going there today to pack up the last of her things and to let the movers in.
Tonight was her last night. Most everything was packed, stacked, and ready to move.
We were fortunate enough that there was a unit for rent in my building.
Unfortunately, that cad she was cuddled up with lived on the same floor as me.
The same floor as the available apartment.
Guy was a total player. I saw him coming out of his apartment the other morning. Some woman who had been coming by frequently was there again. She always smiled really big at him, laughing at everything he said. I didn’t trust whatever that shit was. That was not who I wanted around my sister.
“It’s just…” she looked out the window again, “Can we talk about this when we get home?” She looked at me, her big eyes were those sad, puppy dog eyes she mastered years ago!
“Playing dirty, are we? Well, that’s too bad. It doesn’t work on me anymore. You used the power of that look up when we were still kids!” I said looking away, because it was working on me. Not that I’d ever divulge that information to her. She would use that to her advantage every time!
“Please, Eddie,” she started to whine, but I crossed my arms, closing my eyes like I was all wise and knowing. Really just attempting not to cave and give in to her. This was quite the effective superpower.
“No, Fia. We’re talking about this now. I need to understand what’s going on with you. I need my sister back. I miss her,” I sniffled. I heard her thumbs flying from the seat right next to me then a ping on my phone. She tapped my shoulder and pointed to the phone.
Fia: I don’t want the cabbie to overhear this. It’s personal.
Eddie: I get that. But this is important and you have been shutting yourself off as soon as we’re back in the apartment.
Eddie: Tell me now. Through text. What’s wrong? What’s going on?
Fia: They’re calling me as a witness.
A witness? For what? Why would she be—oh god.
Eddie: For what?
I turned to look at her as soon as I sent it. Please don’t be it, please don’t be it, I chanted over and over in my head. Her face dropped, and I heard a sniffle. Please. Please let me be wrong!
Fia: The case against Becky. I don’t even know what they could possibly want from me! What was I supposed to do? Or have witnessed?!
That motherfucker! He’s hurt her enough! Now he’s dragging her through this?!
Eddie: Why? Can we turn it down?
Fia: If I turn it down again, there’s a chance I’ll be held in contempt of court.
I was fucking vibrating with anger. I sent Amber and Clint a group text.
Eddie: Did anyone know that Fia got a summons to testify? In the case against Becky?
Amber: No! What the hell?! I’ll get on it.
Clint: Are you both alright? Do you need anything, baby?
He was so sweet, just terribly shy about letting anyone outside of approximately five people know it.
Thank god for this man. He was amazing in all ways thus far.
Him and all of his friends. They accepted us so openly, my sisters and me.
They were all so relaxed and chill. I knew this was probably all because of Clint, because he was the one helping bring the hammer down on Fia’s ex, but…
I was trying to stay hopeful this could be more. I liked him.
Amber: We’ll get it taken care of. Don’t worry. They don’t need to be harassing her.
“Okay. That’s taken care of. I told Amber,” I sighed, feeling relieved, like one more fire had been put out. I felt even better knowing this one would help her mental health.
“Why? I can handle it on my own!” She snapped at me. She never snapped at me. What the fuck?
“No. You can’t. What else is going on? You’ve barely been functioning. What is going on?”
She completely shut down at that. She put her phone away, crossed her arms and turned towards the window, ignoring me. There had to be something else going on. There was no way she would talk to me right now though.
“I’m your brother. Tell me, please.”