Chapter 15 ~ #3
"There were so many things that reminded me of you. Of Declan. Mum sent me to MMA so I could release my anger into something. I tried therapy and that didn't work."
I aimlessly rub my thumb across the top of his head, lost in thought as he speaks.
"I was better because of MMA but I wasn't okay. Dad kicked me out of the house for a bit because I was a nightmare for him and Mum."
My eyes widen hearing that. The only person with a kinder heart than Helen is Devon. Jace nods, a tightness in his eyes.
"I crashed at the twins' place for a bit and Elodie, their mum, is the one who set me straight." When he stops there, I don't push it.
With the pain and anger swirling through his eyes, I realise he's told me a lot more than he intended to. He takes a deep breath before expelling it.
"Anyway, I started wearing your necklace after that to feel closer to you." Jace rubs the back of his neck, looking uncomfortable.
We sit there in silence for a bit and I have the greatest need to lighten the darkness in the room.
"You do realise I'm going to have to steal one of your shirts now, right?" I tell him seriously.
Jace looks at me for a moment before he bursts out laughing. I grin as he finally controls himself and it looks like he needed a good laugh.
"God, I love you, Ro." He shakes his head at me and I shrug.
He sighs. "Come on. That crash was probably Dom dropping another knife on his foot."
"Is anyone that unlucky?" I ponder as Jace pulls me out of my bed.
“When it comes to Dom’s clumsy ass? Yes,” he says, matter of factly. I laugh softly.
I tell him I’m going to get dressed before coming out to breakfast and he doesn’t leave, simply turns his back to face away from me.
I pull out a shirt from the pile Mase got me and a pair of leggings. I laugh to myself when I read what’s on the shirt again. ‘Caution! Devilishly hot angel approaching.’
I look up from pulling the shirt over my head and see Jace staring at my chest. I shake my head, biting the inside of my cheek to keep from smiling and it breaks him out of it.
“I never promised not to look,” Jace tells me, sincerely. He doesn’t let me argue, just grabs my hand and pulls me out of my room.
We duck into Jace's room to get him a shirt and I pout as he pulls it over his deliciously sculptured body.
His hand doesn’t leave mine when we rejoin with the guys who look like they’re cooking for a hundred people. Although they do eat a lot.
Mase hands me a glass and gives my shirt an approving look. I frown at the tall dainty wine glass he’s handed me.
“Is this champagne?” I ask him.
Mase goes to respond but Alec cuts him off. “I told him not to give you alcohol for breakfast.”
“Mum drinks champagne with breakfast on her birthday,” Mase argues.
Pain flickers in Maverick’s eyes before it’s gone. Almost as though he’s felt his brother’s despair, Mase turns to Mav.
“I’m sorry, brother,” He says, quietly.
The guys pretend not to be listening and the coffee machine starts.
“I’m fine,” Maverick returns gruffly, turning back to the bacon cooking in one of the three frying pans on the stove.
I grab Mase’s hand when he stands there staring at his brother’s back. I give his hand a reassuring squeeze, taking a sip from the champagne flask. Bubbles fizz on my tongue. I look up and smile at Mason. I get a full-blown smile this time.
His hands go to my waist as he lifts me onto the bench between a plate of eggs and a plate of croissants.
I look around. There’s eggs, croissants, bacon, pancakes and…broccoli? That’s random. Then there’s tomato and mushroom that Alec’s cooking. Clearly he's the one who keeps them eating healthy.
“Guys, this is so much food,” I tell them, pointing out the obvious. They all look around at the food then each other. They shrug at the same time before going back to what they were doing.
I just shake my head. Happiness and excitement grows in me though. I haven’t celebrated my birthday in years. Not since Dec. It’s hard to forget it’s my brother's birthday today too. And Jace’s was a few weeks ago, I remember. Jace is a year and four weeks older than Dec and I.
A phone rings loudly through the kitchen. Everyone looks at each other before they start searching the kitchen for someone’s phone going off.
“Got it!” Maverick yells, triumphantly and grabs a phone from…behind the coffee machine? That’s not weird at all.
“Jace, it’s your mum,” Maverick tells him before handing him the phone. Isn’t that Alec’s phone?
Since Jace is in the middle of flipping pancakes, he puts the phone on speaker beside the stove.
“Hey, Mum,” Jace greets.
“Is Alec holding you hostage to make you talk to me?” Helen says, warily. Ummm, what?
Emotion tightens in my throat. God, I haven’t heard Helen’s voice in a long time.
Jace freezes like he’s remembered something. His body’s tense as he regains movement, expertly flipping the cooked pancakes. I almost go to him but I see it’s not just Jace tense but everyone.
Mase and Maverick share one of those telepathic twin’s looks as the others seem lost in themselves.
“No, Mum and you’re on speaker,” Jace says, tightly.
“Hello, everyone,” Helen greets, kindly.
“Hey, Helen,” everyone yells in unison.
I catch Alec’s eyes, silently questioning him and he gives me a tight smile. He comes over and stands beside me.
He whispers in my ear, “Birthday’s were the hardest.” Alec puts a hand on my knee in comfort before going back to cooking.
When Jace’s done flipping, he picks up the phone, taking it off speakerphone.
“I’m fine, Mum,” he tells Helen before he’s silent again.
Birthday’s were the hardest.
Helen’s calling to check up on Jace because birthday’s were the hardest. My birthday was the hardest to deal with. Because I was gone. Dec was gone. And Jace spiralled.
My heart tightens until it’s almost painful. How bad did it get?
“Wait, Mum. I have something to tell you,” Jace says loudly, like he’s trying to speak over Helen. He catches my eye and rolls his.
I laugh softly. Helen talks a lot when she’s nervous rambling.
“I’m going to facetime you, okay? I have something to show you.” Jace smiles softly at me.
He tries a few times to tell Helen he’ll ring her back. I can tell Helen doesn’t stop talking by Jace’s wince when he hangs up on her.
“She’s going to kill me,” he promises me as he fiddles with Alec’s phone.
“I think she’ll forgive you pretty quick,” I tell him with a faint smile.
I can’t help the nervousness that fills me. Helen’s like a second mother to me and I haven’t seen her for three years. It’s not just Jace I never rang, it was also Helen and Devon.
He quickly rings Helen back and she picks up on the first go.
“Jace? What’s going on?” Helen says, worriedly. “You haven’t killed someone, have you?”
Jace mouths ‘oh my god’ to me and throws his hands in the air.
I can’t help it. I burst out laughing. The guys snicker in the background.
“You have no faith in me.” Jace scowls. “No. I haven’t killed anyone, Mum.”
“Who’s that laughing?” Helen interrupts Jace.
He smiles softly at me and crooks his finger, telling me to come to him.
I put my glass down on the bench and jump down off the table, wincing at the harsh impact on my ribs. Dominic starts towards me but I wave off his concern. Butterflies start swarming my stomach.
“Mum. Don’t freak out, okay?” That’s the only warning Jace gives his mum before I wrap an arm around Jace’s waist, leaning into his embrace.
Helen squeals loudly as I come into the camera’s view. Whatever Helen’s holding smashes as it tumbles from her hands.
“Mum?” Jace questions loudly, when Helen disappears from view briefly.
“Helen!” Devon says concerned in the background. “Are you okay? Jace. Oliver. Hamilton. What did you say to your mother?”
Helen ignores everything Devon’s saying and the phone must get closer to her face as the image enlarges.
“Rory?” Helen whispers.
“Maybe I shouldn’t have told them over the phone,” Jace mumbles and I shush him.
Emotion tightens in my throat as I smile wobbly at Helen. “Hey, Helen.”
“Little one?” There’s another bang and Devon’s face appears beside Helen. Complete shock fills both their faces.
“Hey, Bear,” I say, teasingly and Devon bursts out into booming laugher. The sound echoes through me and into my heart.
“Oh, Rory,” Helen says, a hand covering her mouth. Her eyes seem to search every inch of what she can see. Like she can see into my soul.
"Don't cry, Mum," Jace says softly when tears fill Helen's eyes. Devon puts an arm around Helen's shoulders.
"How?" Devon manages to get out. His light chocolate irises are filled with sorrow as he comforts his wife.
I try but I can't help the pent-up pain, anger and frustration that rises up, leaking out through my tear ducts.
Like he knows, Jace looks down. Wordlessly, he pulls me into his chest.
Someone rubs up and down my back, gently. I take unsteady breaths as I start to regain control of my emotions.
There's silence in the room. Neither Devon or Helen say anything but I can near Helen's quiet sniffling.
Once I'm no longer crying, I lift my head off Jace's chest. My eyes connect with Luc’s.
His eyebrows are pulled down as concern etches lines into his forehead. It must have been Luc rubbing my back.
When my gaze goes back to Alec's phone, I realise Helen hasn't taken her eyes off me.
I feel embarrassment creep up on me and I quickly banish it away. I wipe away the still falling tears and lean back into Jace's strong embrace.
"Please tell me you're away from him," Helen's voice breaks as she speaks.
I glance up at Jace, unsure of what they know. Jace knew about how my dad had gotten abusive after my Mum died. Dec couldn't hide the bruises anymore and Jace flipped out. We begged him not to tell his parents, knowing it would only get worse.
"I'm sorry, Ro. I had to," he says, resigned.
"It's okay," I assure him, quietly. I turn back to Helen. "The guys got me out," I tell her, shakily.