Chapter 27
twenty-seven
“Outta my way, boys!”
The sound of Sasha’s voice drags me from the dark abyss of sleep, bouncing off the walls, getting louder as she makes her way down the hall.
Groggily, I sit up just as my door bursts open and Sasha, Noia, and Lizzy plow into my room.
“Sorry,” Lizzy sounds sheepish, but her expression tells me she’s anything but. “I told them what happened.”
“Logan said you were okay, and that you needed more rest, but we had to see for ourselves,” Sasha says, tone full of concern.
“How did you even get in here?” I ask, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes.
“Brex,” Lizzy says, perching on the edge of my bed. “He seemed worried about you. Logan tried to keep us from bugging you, but Brex talked him out of it.”
“Yeah, after you threatened to cut off his balls and toss them into the woods,” Noia snickers.
Lizzy’s face splits into an evil grin. “Anything for my girls.”
“Everyone’s worried about me,” I mumble. My head throbs as I run a hand over my tangled hair in an attempt to smooth it.
“I can’t believe you almost got crushed by a tree,” Noia exclaims, settling onto the chair at my desk. “That must have been terrifying.”
“It all happened so fast,” I admit as memories of the sound of cracking wood and how Brex’s body felt shielding mine come flooding back.
“One second we were slugging through the mud, and the next I was on the ground with a giant pine tree inches from my face. Brex yanked me out of the way just in time.”
“He saved you?” Sasha asks, eyes wide with interest.
My cheeks warm. “Yeah.”
“That’s so hot,” Noia grins.
“What’s that look on your face?” Lizzy asks, studying me with a pair of sharp green eyes so much like her brothers, it’s kind of wigging me out.
“What look?” I scoff, trying to play it off. But my words only manage to sound incredulous as heat crawls traitorously up my neck and into my cheeks.
“One that says something else happened out there,” Sasha replies, plopping down on the bed next to Lizzy. “Spill.”
My throat tightens. How do I explain what happened between Brex and me without making it sound like I’m betraying Logan? Or like I’m some kind of hussy who’s messed around with both men?
“Nothing happened,” I lie, voice pitching into another stratosphere.
“Yeah, right.” This comes from Noia. “I might believe you...” She tilts her head, studying me closely. “...if your face and neck didn’t match the color of my favorite lipstick.”
I groan, dropping my face into my hands. “Fine. We kissed, okay? It was the adrenaline. It didn’t mean anything.”
The silence that follows is deafening. When I look up, all three of them are staring at me with varying degrees of shock.
“Brex kissed you?” Lizzy parrots.
“Yes,” I admit, my voice barely above a whisper. “It just... happened. We were lying there in the aftermath, and he was on top of me—”
“On top of you?” Sasha’s eyebrows shoot up.
“He saved me!” I quickly clarify. “He was shielding me with his body.”
“Mm-hmm,” Noia hums. I can almost hear the writer part of her brain starting to whir as her eyes light up with glee.
“You like him, don’t you?” Lizzy asks with a small smile. Her expression changes, a knowing look passing over her face when I shrug. “It’s okay to have feelings for more than one person, Rey.”
“It’s not that simple.” I shift uncomfortably as Sasha and Noia exchange a glance.
“Does Logan know he kissed you?” Sasha’s tone is gentle but curious.
My stomach drops. “I don’t think so. And I’d appreciate it if you didn’t say anything.”
Lizzy leans in, her expression serious. “You know we would never. And I’ll tell you the same thing I told him: You need to hash out what happened between you two.”
“I can’t.” I pull my knees up to my chest, wrapping my arms around them. “He made it perfectly clear there’s nothing but a professional boundary between us.”
“What a crock,” Noia interjects. “Anyone with eyes can see the way he looks at you.”
A sharp pain lances through my skull, and I wince, pressing my fingers against my temples.
“Hey, you okay?” Lizzy’s voice softens with concern.
“My head,” I mutter. “It’s really starting to hurt.”
She jumps up immediately. “I’ll go grab you some painkillers.”
Grateful for the reprieve from their interrogation, even if it’s because of the throbbing at the back of my head, I take a deep breath in.
As Lizzy disappears, Sasha and Noia exchange another look.
“So... Brex,” Noia says, drawing out his name suggestively. “Is he as hot of a kisser as he looks?”
Rolling my eyes, I can’t help the small smile that tugs at my lips. “I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“Why not?” Sasha rubs my back. “We’re your friends. We listen and we don’t judge.”
Before I can respond, Lizzy’s hustling back into the room, Logan hot on her heels.
Oh, shit. He looks like he’s about ready to burst a blood vessel.
“That’s enough girl time for today,” he growls. “Ang—” He clears his throat. “Reyna needs her rest.”
My friends and I collectively blink in surprise at his authoritative tone. “I’m fine. We were just—”
“My orders,” he cuts me off, chips of emerald flashing. “You need to rest.”
Lizzy hands me two small white pills and a glass of water, shooting her brother a pointed look. “She’s just sitting and talking to us. I’d hardly call that strenuous activity.”
Keeping his gaze focused solely on me, Logan’s jaw ticks. “I said that’s enough for today.”
Eyes bouncing between me and Logan, Sasha and Noia stand.
“Get some rest, okay?” Sasha gives my arm a gentle squeeze. “We’ll check on you again tomorrow.”
Noia follows suit, offering me a sympathetic smile. “Feel better girly.”
As they file out, Lizzy widens her stance, planting herself firmly between me and her brother.
“Logan,” she says, voice dangerously sweet, “maybe you should consider that Reyna’s a grown woman who can make her own decisions about when she needs to rest.”
Eyes narrowing, his gaze finally flicks away, focusing on her. “I’m her captain, Iz. She was hurt on the job. Her health is my responsibility.”
“And I’m her friend,” she counters. “Who she was having a perfectly pleasant conversation with before you stormed in here like a freaking Neanderthal.
“Don’t you think you’re being a little overbearing?” she challenges, crossing her arms.
The tension between them is palpable, making my head throb even more. Popping the painkillers into my mouth, I wash them down with a gulp of water.
“I’m being cautious,” he corrects, voice tight. “There’s a difference.”
Lizzy rolls her eyes. “Right. And the fact that you’re practically vibrating with overprotective need has nothing to do with it.”
“I’m not overprotective,” he huffs, eyes flicking back to me, betraying him.
“Whatever you say, brother.” Lizzy turns to me with a knowing smile. “Rest up, Rey. I’ll see you soon.”
Once she’s gone, Logan stands rigidly in the doorway. He looks like he wants to bolt, but can’t quite bring himself to do it.
“Thanks for checking on me,” I say, breaking the silence. “But I really am fine.”
He licks his lips, studying me. “You don’t look fine.”
“Wow, okay. Flatter much?” I mumble.
“I didn’t mean—” He cuts himself off, exhaling sharply. “You know that’s not what I meant.”
And that’s the problem. I know he cares, despite his Herculean effort to pretend otherwise.
Well, shit. Now my chest is aching.
“I’m gonna go—”
The fire alarm blares. Adrenaline surges, head throbbing as instinct takes over and I swing my legs off the bed, wincing as pain shoots through my skull.
“Stay put!” Logan barks, already heading out. “That’s an order!”
“But—”
“No buts. You’re in no shape to help. Stay. Here,” he commands, eyes flashing with authority before he dashes out the door, slamming it behind him.
My heart races as his boots thunder down the hall. The roar of engines coming to life vibrates through the walls. Within seconds, I hear the massive bay doors rolling up and the wail of sirens fading into the distance.
Frustration burns through my veins. I hate being sidelined. Hate being treated like I’m fragile. I’ve spent my entire life fighting against that exact thing.
The pain in my head starts pulsing with every beat of my heart. So, I lie back down, snuggle into the blankets, and stare up at the ceiling.
What if they need me? What if multiple people are hurt and they need an extra pair of hands?
Suddenly, I’m more tired than I was before my nap.
A sneaking suspicion washes over me as my eyes start to blur and my mind grows sluggish. That. Little. Witch. Seems the pills Lizzy handed over weren’t your average painkillers.
Mentally rolling my eyes, I fall into the dark abyss of sleep.