Chapter 20
LARK
When we walk back into the dining room, Hal’s the first one to notice us.
He bounds over from where he was standing, talking to Colt and Rook. When he reaches me, he gives me a bear hug that squeezes the breath from my lungs. “Wild girl,” he breathes. “I didn’t think you were coming back.”
I hesitantly wrap my arms around him, still not used to how touchy the guys are.
My heart squeezes uncomfortably at the worry in his voice, so I try to lighten the mood. “Well, Remy told me that you had a surprise for me. I couldn’t miss that, now could I?”
“I do. I made it just for you.” He pulls back to flash me a crooked grin before his face turns serious.
“And I’m sorry about dragging you to dinner.
I should’ve been up-front with you that it was with family, and I should’ve anticipated something like this happening with Az being AWOL.
I understand if you’re rethinking agreeing to be friends. ”
“I still wanna be friends, Hal. How other people act doesn’t change my opinion of you. I thought you’d be the one not wanting to hang out with me anymore.”
My voice comes out more vulnerable that I mean for it to, but the guys are quickly worming their way into my heart. I always look forward to talking or hanging out with them, and it’d hurt if they never wanted to see me again.
“There’s nothing in this or any other world that could make me stop wanting to spend time with you, wild girl.” Seeming to shake himself out of his serious mood, Hal gives me one more squeeze before letting his arms fall away. “I’m a man of my word, so lemme go get your surprise.”
He walks to another door at the opposite end of the dining room that leads to the kitchen. As he passes Win, he gestures for her to follow him. After giving me an uncertain smile, she does.
Colt steps into my space before I can return Win’s smile. “Hey, sweetheart.”
I crane my neck back to meet his gaze, wondering how the hell all the guys are so damn tall. “Hi.”
He places a hand on my lower back and presses me against him. “How are you doin’?”
I shrug. “I’m good.”
Because what else is there to say?
His dads can hear everything I tell him. There’s no way I’m admitting how rattled and uncertain I feel from their interrogation.
He chuckles, but the sound is devoid of any humor.
Colt leans in until I can feel his warm breath feathering over my lips before growling, “I must not have been clear earlier. Don’t lie to me, Lark.
My patience for liars is already almost nonexistent.
You don’t want to see what happens when my patience runs out, so stick to the truth from now on. Understood?”
“Understood,” I squeak, unsure whether I’m terrified or intrigued by his threat.
“Good girl,” he whispers against my mouth before pulling back. “Now let’s try this again. How are you?”
My brain short-circuits at his praise, and I fumble for something to say. “I’ve been worse.”
He huffs a laugh. “I’ll take it. But when I ask you how you are, it’s because I genuinely want to know. No matter how messy or complicated or confusing your feelings are, I want to know.”
Before I have a chance to respond, Colt presses his lips to my forehead and steps back. Rook appears in front of me, one hand tucked into the pocket of his black slacks. His white button-down is rolled up to his elbows, showcasing his corded forearms decorated with swirling ink.
Rubbing the back of his head, Rook gives me a wry half smile that makes his gray eyes a shade lighter. “So, I’m guessing this didn’t help your opinion of families?”
I snort. “I mean, they acted exactly like mine does, so no.”
“I promise they aren’t always like this. Believe it or not, Colt, Remy, and Hal’s families are weirdly functional most of the time.”
“I do believe it. I have a habit of bringing out the worst in people.” I’m sure their dads are perfectly nice to their family and friends, just not to some random interloper they hate before even getting to know.
Rook scoffs. “I highly doubt that. Anyone with half a brain can see the goodness that particularly radiates out of you. People just like being shitty to good souls.”
My lips part in surprise at how confident he sounds in his assessment. Part of me wants to argue with him and insist he see the bad person I really am. But the other part of me can’t stand the thought of Rook or any of the guys seeing me for who I really am.
Hal and Win burst back into the room holding an absurd amount of ice cream pints and a bunch of spoons before I can figure out a response. Hal’s dads step in to help them get it all to the table.
Rook places a hand on my lower back and guides me over to the table. I have to fight the urge to arch into his touch, loving the way it feels when any of the guys casually touch me.
I make sure to keep my distance from Colt and Remy’s dads as we approach the table. It’s not hard to do when they seem equally reluctant to come within ten feet of me.
Each white pint has a name written in blue Sharpie on it. Everyone starts grabbing their assigned ice cream while I keep searching for mine.
When I can’t find it, I glance up toward Hal, wondering what’s going on. But I don’t find him. Looking around, I finally realize he’s standing behind me, a pint with Lark written in green marker in one hand.
He gives me an uncertain smile. “So, hopefully the surprise lives up to your expectations. You mentioned the type of cake batter ice cream you had as a kid with cake chunks mixed in. It sounded like a really cool idea, so I’ve been testing formulations at the shop for a few weeks.
I think I’ve finally got it right, but you’ll have to tell me what you think. ”
My eyes widen in surprise. “You made me my own ice cream flavor?”
He shrugs “Yeah. I know there’s nothing I can do to bring your sister back, but I thought having a piece of something you guys used to do together might be nice.”
I have to swallow past the lump in my throat a few times before I can respond. “That was really thoughtful. Thank you, Hal.”
“Anytime, wild girl. Now sit down and dig in. I’m dying to see what you think about it.
If you like it, I’ll put it on the menu.
I think it’ll be a hit.” Hal places the ice cream on the table and pulls out my chair for me.
When I sit down, he pushes it in before walking around the table to his spot.
Remy sits down next to me and slings his arm over the back of my chair. He plays with my hair with one hand while he attacks what looks like cotton-candy-flavored ice cream with the other.
Everyone else has already started in on their desserts, so I pop off the top and dip my spoon into the creamy concoction. Making sure to get one of the chunks of yellow cake, I take a bite and have to fight the urge to moan at how delectable it is.
When I flick my gaze up to Hal’s, I see that he’s already watching me. “It’s really good, Hal. It tastes a bit different than the ice cream from when I was a kid, but it’s just as delicious.”
His spring-green eyes light up with delight. “Really?”
“Absolutely. You did a great job.”
He grins at me, then starts eating his own ice cream. Conversation sticks to lighter topics, thankfully, as we finish our dessert. Colt and Remy’s dads talk among themselves for the most part and don’t really try to engage in conversation with the rest of the table.
When everyone finishes up, Rook and Remy take all the containers and spoons back to the kitchen.
Colt stands up and offers me his hand. I take it and let him pull me to my feet. He keeps our hands intertwined as he leads me around the table to where Hal’s standing, chatting with Alice and his dads.
Hal doesn’t pause in his conversation, but he does place a hand on my hip when I get close enough. It’s weirdly grounding, standing between the two of them with both of their hands on me.
Colt leans down to ask, “So, you want us to take you home? Or you could stay, and we could watch a movie or something? It’s up to you.”
I bite my lip as I try to figure out how to answer. I know I should probably just call it a night, but everything in me wants to spend as much time around the guys as possible.
I already know I’m not going to do the smart thing, so I shrug, trying to play it cool. “I’m good with watching a movie if that’s what everyone wants to do.”
Colt sighs before he grips my chin in his free hand and tilts my face up, forcing me to look into his light blue eyes. “I didn’t ask what everyone else wanted to do, sweetheart. I asked what you want to do.”
I feel caught in his icy gaze and struggle to think clearly enough to respond. Eventually, I’m able to wade through the Colt-induced fog to process what he said. Now, it’s my turn to sigh.
It feels weirdly vulnerable admitting that I’d give almost anything to spend a little more time with the four of them. It feels like I’m giving them a roadmap, telling them exactly how to hurt me if I confess how much I like hanging out with them.
But I’m trying to be brave. And being brave means letting people in, even if that makes it easier for them to hurt me.
Sucking in a fortifying breath, I whisper, “I want to hang out with you guys more. I really don’t care what we do, but a movie sounds nice.”
While my voice doesn’t come out as strong as I want, it’s a start, at least.
Colt rewards me with a smile that crinkles the corners of his eyes, making them look a shade less glacial. “Okay, then, we’ll watch a movie. You mind if Wes and Win join us?”
“Nope.” I don’t know either of them super well, but they’ve been nothing but nice to me. I’m always down to hang out with kind people.
“Wesson. Winchester,” Colt calls to get their attention. Their heads whip around to look at him, and he huffs a laugh. “The five of us are gonna watch a movie. If you two wanna join us, can you get the game room ready with blankets, pillows, and such?”
“Sure thing, big bro. I’ll also grab some popcorn and snacks while I’m at it.” Win hesitates for a moment before running over and wrapping me up in a quick hug. “I’m glad my dads didn’t scare you off. You’re a pretty cool chick, Lark.”
She doesn’t give me a chance to respond before she darts off. Placing a hand on my back, Hal guides me out of the dining room and into the foyer.
A massive, curved staircase dominates the space and leads up to the second floor. Polished marble with subtle veining, a shimmering gold chandelier, and dark walnut accents make the space feel luxurious but not gaudy.
We come to a stop at the foot of the stairs, likely waiting for Rook and Remy. Glancing around, I notice Colt and Remy’s dads are in a study of some sort with one door closed and the other open. I can’t quite hear what they’re saying, but I can make out the hushed sounds of conversation.
I want to groan when I realize I need to ask them something before I’ll never have to interact with them again. I’m sure they’re totally going to love my request, but, hopefully, they’ll listen before tossing me out.
Taking a fortifying breath, I turn to tell Hal and Colt. “I’ll be right back. I need to ask them something.”
I’m walking off before they have a chance to object or talk me out of it. My resolve is shaky at best. So, I gather up what meager courage I have and make the ten-foot trek to the study, which feels more like a death march than a casual stroll.
When I reach the open door, I hover uncertainly just outside it. Whatever bravery I had has worn off, and I have the urge to bolt. As I’m taking a step back to do just that, the four of them notice me.
I guess there’s no going back now.
“Hi,” I squeak, offering them a small wave.
I groan internally at my gift for making everything awkward as fuck.
Jacob’s mouth twitches up in obvious amusement at my discomfort. “You gonna stand out there all night or come inside and tell us the reason you’re here? We won’t bite, kid.”
Pulling on my big-girl panties, I square my shoulders and lift my chin before walking inside.
I owe it to Coop to try anything and everything to help him. No matter how much the four men watching me like I’m prey terrify me.
Coop and Charlie have been my rocks for the past seven months, and I don’t know if I’d be here today without them. As each day passes, I can see Coop fading more and more, so I know I need to find someone or something to help him.
When I’m inside the study, I fidget for a moment as I try to figure out how to start. When Alexander sighs in annoyance, I practically blurt, “So I know you all lost your mate.” At least, I’m assuming the woman they had four kids with was their mate.
At my question, the four of them tense up, and one of them lets out an eerie growl that makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. With wide eyes, I rush to continue, “I just wanted to see if you’d be willing to talk to someone in the same situation.”
As they process my words, the tension in the air gradually fades. It’s replaced with understanding and a touch of pity. Alexander is the one to break the charged quiet. “Who?”
“My friend Coop. My sister was his fated mate.” I have to swallow a few times to get the rest out, the lump in my throat making it difficult to speak. “I don’t know if talking to people who get it might help, but I wanted to give him the option.”
They quietly discuss it between themselves for a few moments before they all turn to look at me. Elliot sighs and rakes a hand through his dark hair. “I’m sorry. For his loss and yours. We’ll talk to him. Here’s a card with my cell. Tell your friend to give us a call if he ever wants to talk.”
Cautiously creeping forward, I take the matte black card gingerly. After I tuck it into my pocket, I scamper back a few steps, not wanting to be too close to the four men who very obviously don’t like me.
Jacob takes a sip of the amber liquid in his crystal lowball glass. “Who do you have to talk to, kid?”
I stiffen and back up toward the door. “I don’t need to talk to anyone. I’m fine.”
Elliot lets out a low, raspy chuckle. “I hate to break it to you, but it’s clear to anyone who has lost someone that you’re not fine.
All the things you’re trying to push down are going to come back up someday.
Probably when it’s least convenient. Take it from someone who’s been there. Deal with it before it deals with you.”
Gritting my teeth, I turn around with a mumbled thank you and hightail it out of there. The last thing I need is getting psychoanalyzed by them. And even if they’re right, I’m sure as hell not going to talk to them about it.
When I’m clear of the study doors, I blow out a breath of relief that’s short-lived. One of the heavy oak front doors bangs open, crashing into the wall with an audible bang. Azrael stumbles through, clearly drunk, and I know my night is about to get a hell of a lot worse.