Chapter 23
twenty-three
Over the next two days, we fall into a new rhythm.
It’s almost as if we’re on vacation until the guys disappear every night into Breaker’s basement.
Today is Friday, a day I would typically work at Revamp, but I had to call and tell Malcolm I was sick.
He was, of course, an asshole about it, but he didn’t argue.
Rory and I sprawl out on the plush rug in the living room, playing with Scarlett and Silas so Ember can have some time to herself.
Both babies are trying so hard to roll over with Rory and I cheering them on at every attempt.
A knock on the door startles us both and Rory scoops up both babies, walking them down the hallway and out of sight as I get up to check the door.
In theory, no one should be able to get past Breaker’s security fencing unless he allowed it.
But you can never be too careful. I check my phone, quickly shooting Ev a message that someone is at the door.
I try checking the security panel, but there’s a password lock and I can’t figure it out.
Before I decide between fight or flight, the door clicks and swings open.
I breathe out a sigh of relief when I see Willow and her son standing on the porch.
“Holy shit. You guys scared me!” I cover my racing heart with my palm as they step through the doorway.
“I’m so sorry, honey! They should have mentioned we were coming, at least,” she says, placing an apologetic hand on my shoulder as Jax shuffles uncomfortably behind her.
“Everything cool?” I hear Ember shout from the hallway.
“Yeah, it’s Willow and Jax,” I yell back as she peaks around the corner.
“How are my favorite Harding twins doing?” Willow says, stepping past me to wrap Ember in a hug.
Jax and I stand in the foyer. Willow told me last week that her teenage son has developed a little crush on me and I think it’s adorable. He tries his best to look anywhere else, but when his eyes find mine, a deep red blush stains his cheeks.
“Hey Jax, you doin’ okay?” I ask with a warm smile. He gives me a noncommittal shrug, and I laugh to myself. “How’s school been?”
“Shitty. It’s high school.” He says with a smirk and I laugh. He’s not wrong there.
“Are you keeping up in AP Trig?” I ask, walking to sit on the couch and gesturing for him to join me.
Willow is an amazing mother. But I’m sure there are still moments when Jax feels like no one truly cares about what’s going on in his life.
Kids like him are the reason I first took an interest in social work.
With Jax’s dad bailing on them, Willow has had to struggle to provide a life for herself and her son. That kind of hustle comes at a cost.
“I’m doing my best. But that shit is hard,” he leans back a little on the couch, feeling more relaxed around me already.
“Jax, dude, come on. Language,” his mom says from the dining room table as she talks with Ember and coos over the babies in front of each of them. Willow’s perfect timing gave Rory the opportunity to grab a quick shower, which I’m sure she’s grateful for.
He gives me a sheepish look, and I giggle to myself. “Have you thought about maybe looking in to a tutor? Just something that could help you get a better grasp on the concepts?” I ask, genuinely interested in his dilemma.
“Yeah, but my school doesn’t really offer much.” He lowers his voice and leans in as if to tell me a secret. “I even looked into paying somebody from the college, but that shit is expensive. My mom already does so much for me. I can’t ask her for anything else.”
My heart aches for them. While I don’t exactly know what it’s like to struggle with money, I want so badly to find a solution for them.
Seeing people struggle this way always ignites the most compassionate parts of my heart.
A thought hits me and I rattle off a quick message to Ev to ask them to come upstairs.
The basement door opens, and Ev comes to the living room. He stops to fist bump Jax and give me a kiss on the cheek while Eli and Breaker head into the kitchen. “Whats up, goddess?”
“Hey, I was just checking in with Jax and he said he was having a little trouble with trig. Do you think Helo would tutor him?” I ask.
“Well shit, why didn’t I think of that?” Eli pipes up from the kitchen. “I’m sure he would.”
“He’s the smartest fucker I know, for sure,” Everett says, nodding at me as he wraps an arm around my shoulder.
“You think he really would?” Willow asks quietly, her voice hopeful but reserved. “We couldn’t pay him much, but it would be a tremendous help.”
“He wouldn’t take your money, Will,” Everett scoffs. “Besides, we pay him well enough to cover a little after school extracurricular activity.”
Jax gives me a small smile, and it warms me to the core. Helping people brings me more joy than anything else. I wish there was more I could do for him and Willow, but she’s still so closed off about her past and their situation.
“Good thinking, babe” Everett kisses my head softly. We spend a few moments in comfortable silence, relaxing and decompressing from the events surrounding us.
Suddenly, an alarm sounds loudly throughout the entire house. The shrill tone echos down every hall and my eyes go wide as they snap to Everett’s.
“Basement, NOW!” Breaker shouts. He opens a cabinet in the kitchen and retrieves a pistol from its hiding place. Momentarily, I wonder who the fuck keeps pistols next to their cereal bowls, but it’s Breaker we’re talking about.
Ember holds Silas tightly to her chest while Willow scoops up Scarlett, wrapping her hand tightly around her tiny ears.
Within seconds, we all hustle down the basement steps.
Ember shushes her son softly against her chest as Willow does the same with Scarlett.
I have an arm wrapped around Jax, who looks scared but is trying to put on a tough face.
Glass shatters somewhere on the main level as Everett and Elijah arm themselves from a cabinet in the corner of the basement living area.
“Everybody good?” Eli asks, rubbing his son’s head gently and kissing Ember’s cheek.
Breaker holds his position at the top of the stairs while Everett stands guard at the bottom. Elijah seems to look over each of us, assessing our safety and mental status. His brows furrow as he furiously searches the room.
“Where the fuck is Aurora?” He shouts, eyes snapping to Everett, who immediately looks to Breaker.
“She was in the shower,” Ember says desperately. Eli is already climbing the stairs. Breaker sprints from his post at the basement door in search of her. Glass shatters again from somewhere upstairs, followed by a scream.
“Fuck! Kelsea, take this,” Everett shoves a pistol in my hand, the cold steel feeling foreign against my skin. “This door is solid. No one can get through the biometric security. Do not open it for anyone, no matter what you hear. One of us will come back for you guys.”
“Ev, wait! I don’t know how to use this!” I say, my voice panicked and unsure.
“Here, take Silas. I’ve got it,” Ember says, taking the gun from my hand and passing me her baby. “Eli’s been teaching me. I can handle it.”
Everett nods to his sister, kisses my forehead quickly, and runs up the stairs. He shuts the door behind him, leaving us in terrified silence.