Chapter 31
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
SIMON
Staring at the geraniums and lavender tucked neatly into the flower beds, I shifted my attention to the grand oak door.
Driving here, I was a bundle of nerves. Not only would I see Oren, but the thought of seeing Thorne even remotely upset tugged at my chest. Well, if he was even here. It hadn’t occurred to me until we pulled into the empty driveway that he might be staying with Matt.
Expressing that concern to Liam, he insisted we still check, and I swallowed that anxiety as I helped him up the few stairs. With no way to escape, and with his cheeky grin encouraging me, I rapped my knuckles against the thick wood.
A mere second passed before the unmistakable barking of Prince bled through the silence, the fluffball corgi notorious for his outlandish personality. While he continued announcing someone was here, it was the voice that shouted over him that stalled my breath.
“Prince, shut up!” The lock clicked, and the door swung open as the blonde had his head twisted to the living room. “Shush! Mercy is sleeping, and you’re being rude—”
His cerulean gaze met mine, and his words trailed to a halt. Glancing over at Liam, the corners of his mouth tugged downward slightly before transforming to that infectious smile.
“What… What are you both doing here?”
As Prince bounded through the threshold, weaving himself between my legs, I rubbed the back of my neck. “Well… Liam had some questions about… about everything, and he wanted to talk to Thorne, but it doesn’t look like he’s here, so—”
Oren took a step back, and his stare floated away from mine. When he spoke, his tone almost seemed… upset? “Oh. He’s here if you want to talk to him. He’s still asleep, though, but knowing him, he should wake up soon.”
He’s here?
“Great,” Liam replied for me as he dipped his chin, perched on his crutches. “Can we come in?”
“Sure.”
I followed Liam. Oren closed the door after me, shutting the draft outside as he stepped into the living room. “Make yourselves comfortable. Would you like anything to drink? I have some cake leftover, too, if you want a slice.”
“Soda?” Liam asked, slowly easing himself onto the couch.
“Yeah. Coke or Sprite. Whatcha poison?”
The corners of Liam’s mouth curled upward. “Coke, please.”
“Noted. Simon?”
Slipping beside Liam, my palm glided over his thigh, squeezing once. “I-I’m good.”
His gaze narrowed for a second, but he dipped his chin. “Okay. Be back.”
Not waiting for a reply, he turned around to the kitchen, the sound of the fridge opening filling the otherwise quiet space. Continuing to move my hand, my leg bounced, and my other hand readjusted my cap to catch a few fallen strands of hair.
Liam reached over, placing his hand over the top of mine before brushing his thumb across the back of my knuckles. He didn’t offer a word, but he didn’t have to because I knew what his touch carried—reassurance.
Oren rounded the corner of the couch, handing Liam the can of Coke before turning to me. Holding out a Sprite, he tipped it to me. “For you. I know… know you didn’t want one, but you always have it when you come over.”
Wrapping my hand around it, I set it against my thigh. “T-Thank you.”
“Anytime,” he mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. “Well, I’ll go see if he’s awake and let you guys talk—”
The resounding jingle of a collar interrupted him, nails clicking against the ground from down the hall. Rounding the corner, Mercy raked her eyes over us before sprinting over, nuzzling her face between Liam and me.
Liam laughed softly, scratching the top of her head. “Hey, Mercy girl.”
Matching Liam, I smiled as I provided her equally as much attention. Tongue lapping at my hand, a chuckle left me. “Hey, girlie. Missed you too.”
Her butt wiggled, tail slapping against the couch with our acknowledgments. Turning to glance down the hall, she loosened a handful of excited barks as if urging Thorne to hurry.
“Baby, Mercy is dying over here! Oh, also, you have some company.”
Baby? Are… Are they okay?
Sluggish footsteps echoed, and Thorne stepped out into the living room. Clad only in a pair of grey sweatpants and black slippers, the gauze on his stomach became my focus. Glancing between Liam and me, he rubbed his eyes with his thumb and forefinger.
“What time is it?”
“11:00.” Oren bit his lip, shifting on the balls of his feet. “I may have let you sleep in.”
Eyes squinting from the natural light slipping in from the windows, Thorne lifted a brow. “For five hours?”
“Well, I got up around seven, and you were snoring peacefully. Plus, Mercy was tangled up next to you. I didn’t want to wake you when you haven’t been sleeping well.”
Grumbling, Thorne moved forward, the gap between him and Oren disappearing. And just when I thought he might yell, considering how upset he’d been after that mission, he merely craned his head down, brushing against the side of Oren’s face with a sleepy kiss.
Glancing at Liam, my smile mirrored his, and I relaxed into the cushions a little bit more. If… If they were okay, would Oren forgive me?
Oren released a softened giggle, swatting him away. “Stop. We have guests. Guests who want to talk to you about some stuff.”
“Since when have you cared about guests and PDA?” Thorne’s gravelly voice roared to life before his lips briefly met Oren’s mouth.
Pulling back, his hand trailed down, squeezing Oren’s ass once before he stepped away.
“Liam. Simon. What brings you to our humble abode? Or ‘fairy house,’ as Oren calls it.”
Slightly dazed, my best friend stood there like an idiot, beaming with his entire body, before his attention floated to me. Expression faltering slightly, he gestured to his art room. “I’ll… I’ll let you all talk. If you need anything, I’ll just be there.”
“Wait, what?” Brows furrowing, I opened my Sprite, taking a sip.
Mirroring me, he crossed his arms over his chest. “You… You said you were here to talk to Thorne.”
The shifting of mugs in the kitchen earned Liam’s attention, and he chuckled as he watched Thorne pull a carton from the fridge. “Is that matcha?”
“Don’t start with me, Bennett.”
Liam raised his arms in feigned innocence. “There’s nothing wrong with a man drinking matcha. I guess I just didn’t—”
“Didn’t what? Hm?” Thorne leaned back against the countertop. “You want to finish that sentence?”
Pursing his lips, Liam failed to hide his grin. “I think you already know.”
As their conversation faded into the background, I gripped the can tighter. “Oren, I didn’t mean… I didn’t mean you couldn’t be here.”
“No, it’s okay. I hurt you, both of you, and I can give you that privacy to discuss what you need.
And… And for what it counts, I’m not upset at what you did, Sai.
I would’ve done it too, and I’m sorry. For…
For prolonging all of it.” His hands wrung in front of him, and he stiffened.
“It’s my fault, all of it, and… and I wanted you both to know that before you start talking. ”
“Oren…” Rubbing the back of my neck, I huffed slightly.
“That… I know you did it for a reason, but I’d be lying if I said I’m not still hurt by it.
I’m… sorry for how I acted in the van. You didn’t deserve it.
” Placing my hand on my knee, I squeezed it.
“It… It’ll take time for me to fully get over it, but I understand.
Out of all of us, Thorne and Liam deserve the apology more than I. ”
Oren nodded, his gaze landing on my darling as a couple of tears fell down his cheeks. “I-I’m really sorry, Liam.”
Shaking his head, Liam’s brown eyes lifted. “I’ve already forgiven you, Oren. If it were me, and someone like Stefan had given me a similar ultimatum…” He swallowed as that bout of nausea made a reappearance. “…I-I would’ve done the same thing.”
Wrapping his arms around himself, Oren nodded profusely, biting his lip to stifle his sob. “O-Okay.”
Brushing the wetness on my cheeks away, I pointed to the couch. “Come sit down, buddy. Oh, and matcha man, you too.”
Thorne rolled his eyes, lifting a middle finger in my direction as he trudged into the living room, mug in hand. “You’re lucky we aren’t in the ranks anymore. I’d happily send you on a five-mile jog for that.”
“Only five? Light work. Better than the time you sent—”
“Says the one who was bitching about climbing eighteen flights of stairs.”
Plopping next to Thorne, Oren pulled a blanket over his legs. “Eighteen? That’s it?”
I scoffed. “Look. My, uh, leg wasn’t calibrated correctly.”
“What he means to say,” Thorne started, taking a swig of his elected beverage, “is that he’d just finished cycling and was being a baby back bitch about taking the stairs because he was sore.”
“Wow. Baby back bitch? Clever.” Taking a sip of my drink to hide my smile, I gestured to Liam. “Well, before Thorne ruins my image completely, what did you want to talk about?”
“I, uh…” Liam ran his tongue over his lips, that unmistakable unease rolling forward. “I-I think… I think Stefan may be working under someone.”
His words caught Thorne’s attention as he leaned forward. “Elaborate.”
Before he started talking again, I placed my palm against his thigh, giving him that reassurance we’d grown to rely on. This wouldn’t be easy for him, but I would stay right next to him through it all.
“I mean… I don’t have any proof. But Stefan’s recklessness doesn’t make any sense to me.
When he… When I was trapped there…” He focused his attention on my touch before he kept going.
“...he didn’t really have streamlined security measures.
He left his phone in the room, and that’s how I could contact Simon, but there weren’t any reverse protocols to flag that I’d deleted the call.
If I hadn’t blatantly exposed what I did, as well as the fact that you guys were tracking me… He never would’ve known.”