Chapter 37
KADENCE
“Sooooo, what happened?” Everly asked, overly excited. “I haven't seen you in a while, so I want to know everything, and I promise I won’t be a bitch this time.”
My cheeks flushed. “Uhm. Well, Blaize finally stopped being dense, but it took her triggering me to get there. I made her grovel a little bit, but my heart craves her. We’re on steady ground now.”
“So did she finally admit she’s in love with you?”
I brushed my hair out of my face. “Uhm, yeah. She did. Me being me, it’s hard to believe someone can love me. My ex-boyfriend wasn’t the greatest. Dominic…let’s just say I never want to see him again.”
“Well, you have Blaize now, even if I am a little jealous. If you really wanted to hurt her, I could’ve spent one night with you.” She winked.
I laughed awkwardly. Everly never showed interest in me even when we danced together.
She was gorgeous, but she wasn't my type. She was pompous with narcissistic energy. Beauty didn’t change anything when your soul was ugly.
She was nice to me and Annika for the most part, so I was grateful for a friend.
“Sorry. I’m going to Annika’s and see how she is. I’ll see you soon.”
Part of me wished Annika would have been the buffer between us, because Everly wouldn’t have said anything like that to me if she was there.
Even when I was fawning after Blaize. It feels forced now, like she didn’t really mean it.
I was overanalyzing everything, but I didn’t know.
Something felt off now that I was with Blaize.
The walk to Annika’s house was quick, but when I opened the door, I heard arguing and crying.
My eyes instantly snapped to Annika who was sobbing and Noah who was holding Theo back from Drew, who was bleeding.
I looked at Annika and then at the boys, before sprinting to her.
She threw her hands over my neck and sobbed into my chest.
“You’re going to get yourself killed!” Theo yelled through clenched teeth.
“I have to do this!”
“No, you don’t,” Noah argued. “You have one job in this family, and it is to stay fucking alive. Our girl can’t fucking sleep when you’re playing God for someone else. I get it, and I’m sorry, but we fucking need you.”
Drew looked down, wincing at the pain from his bloodied bandage. “I’m sorry.” Noah let go of Theo, and he took Drew’s face into his hands before kissing him hard. I’d never seen this part of them. I’d seen them with Annika, but I’d never seen the love and devotion they had for each other.
“We can’t lose you, baby. You are one third of my heart.”
Annika hiccupped, looking at her men. When Drew tried to step closer, she diverted her face back to me, which was odd. His face dropped, but he backed away, accepting her denial of consent to be touched by him.
“Let’s go take a shower, mariposa,” Theo said as he rubbed Annika’s shoulder. She nodded, lifting her arms so he could carry her. Noah followed behind them, leaving me and Drew alone.
“Let me help patch you up. and you can tell me what the hell you did that got you hurt and made my best friend cry.”
Thirty minutes later, Drew was patched up and spilling his guts about everything he’s been doing.
I had to confess that Hunter told me what happened to them during their childhood and her assault before he would say anything.
Once he knew he was safe, he broke. I had never experienced seeing a man break like that before, not even when he stumbled in here that one time.
This time, it was different. Intense and gut wrenching.
The church knew what he was doing, and by the sounds of it, they knew who he was. So if they knew who he was, would they know who Hunter was and come for her?
I’d never been that great at comforting people. I didn’t know how the hell I thought I could be a nurse and work in a field that dealt with death and life-altering diagnosis. It would have been a horrible combination, but the little bit of medical knowledge that I had helped in the long run.
Annika and the other two came out of the shower, and she made a beeline for her third hunk.
I moved out of the way so she could wrap her arms around his huge frame.
If I didn’t bear witness to it, I’d never believe that she was fucking all three of them with how small she was, but God and everyone saw them just like I did.
“Don’t ever come back here bleeding again.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs curled around his waist. “I never want to lose you, Drew. I want you to stop. Please. Hunter would want you to stop, too. She can’t lose her brother, and I can’t lose one of the men I love.”
“I know, I’m sorry, my aphrodite.”
I felt like I was imposing on a moment between them, and knowing them, they were minutes away from ripping fabric and having makeup sex on the couch. “Do I need to leave?”
“No. I’m sorry. I wasn’t expecting anyone to be here.” Shadows danced in Annika’s eyes as she smiled weakly at me. “I’m glad you showed up, though.”
“Blaize stayed over at the clubhouse doing Reaper business, and she had to go to Bellevue in the morning. I didn’t want to be home alone. So movie night and then shopping tomorrow?”
“Sounds like my cup of tea.”