Chapter 51 #2
“Will you come with me? I think this whole thing really scared him, and maybe…” I sighed and pulled back to meet his eyes.
“Maybe you could let him know that if he does go to college, it doesn’t mean he’s not welcome here.
I think he’s so torn about what he wants because this is his family now.
Two years can change a lot of things, but knowing he has options could help him. ”
Drew raised his hand to brush away a stray hair from my cheek before he looked back at me through his swollen eyes and sighed.
“I’ll do whatever you want or need me to do.
He’ll always be welcome here. This is his home for however long he wants it.
I just gotta warn you, when it comes to pep talks, I usually end up saying the wrong thing at the worse time. ”
“Why do I always have more faith in you than you do?”
“Because you see me differently to everyone else.” He pulled me closer, being careful to avoid the injuries on my back versus the injuries on his chest. It was like an awkward game of body Jenga, trying to pull at the pieces that wouldn’t send us tumbling down.
“And stop turning this around on me. Take me where you need me to be,” he whispered with a grin.
Pushing up on my toes, I pressed my lips to the part of his that weren't swollen or split. When I landed back on my feet, I slipped casually under his arm, ignoring his growl of protest as I headed toward our room. I would bring Tate to us. It was easier than explaining to Sutton why we were all in his daughter’s temporary living quarters.
“There’s several answers to that, which could possibly get me in trouble with your doctor.” I grinned back at him.
“Definitely trying to kill me.”
“I’m the one torturing myself here.” I laughed, pushing the door out of the way and guiding him toward the bed. Helping him to sit on the edge of it, I looked down at him with a smile and backed away to leave again. “I’m going to get Tate. Try and stay out of trouble, Mr. Tucker.”
“Sure thing, darlin’.”
Swinging around the doorframe with one last grin back at him, I made my way through the corridors of The Hut to find my kid brother and the ex-girlfriend he was alone with.
I knew him better than anyone, and the fact that he’d stood up to me about Libby and his relationship told me everything I needed to know.
Sloane was his friend now, nothing more, nothing less, and if he proved me wrong, I was going to kick his ass.
When I could finally move without groaning.
The one thing that truly sucks about having injuries is that everything becomes a gargantuan effort.
The corridors I’d navigated so easily in the past now felt a mile long, and the floors might as well have been at awkward angles for all of my nimbleness.
The fact that I was huffing out breaths when I arrived at the right door was just humiliating.
It didn’t stop me from knocking, though.
Sloane answered in a pair of ratty sweats with her hair in a messy bun, one of the twins asleep with her head on her shoulder.
Her eyes were red and swollen and her skin was pale, which told me she’d been crying a lot over the last couple of days, and that my intuition about my brother had been right the first time.
“I’m so sorry, Sloane.”
“Thanks, Ayda.” She looked at me like she wanted to say more, but decided against it, rearranging the toddler in her arms. “You looking for Tate?”
I nodded, reaching out to take the little girl’s miniature hand that was balled up into a fist as she let off a sigh, while Sloane simply stepped to the side and revealed my brother sitting on the bed, cradling the carbon copy of the kid she was holding against his chest. He looked entirely too comfortable with a child in his arms.
“Hey, you.”
“Ayda.” He and Sloane traded a look that said a hundred things before he got up and laid the sleeping toddler on the bed. The moment he stood straight, he curled his shoulders in and pushed his hands into his pockets as he walked toward me.
Smiling at Sloane, I stepped back and out the way, not at all surprised when the door behind him closed.
“I know what you’re gonna say.”
“Do you?” I asked, heading down the corridor with a slow limp. “Because if I’m being honest, I don’t have a clue what I’m going to say.”
“You’re not pissed about Sloane?”
“Unless you slept with her, no,” I said, looking up at him. “I know who you are, Tate. Libby’s hurt, but trust takes time, and I’m pretty sure what she has is invested in you anyway. You just have to be honest and open with her about your friendship.”
“Sloane’s messed up. I’m just listening.”
“How bad?”
“She feels guilty because she’s upset with Maisey for dying, pissed at her dad for assuming she would take responsibility for the twins, and scared that she won’t get to go to college now.”
“And you?” I asked, veering into his body and bouncing off. Tate and I had never been awkward around one another and I was diffusing the situation before it got to that place and stayed there.
“I’m pissed at you for getting yourself into that situation, Ayda.” He didn’t bother looking at me and he wasn’t pulling his punches, which was fine with me. I understood he was upset, but the longer he let it gather inside of himself, the more it would be blown out of proportion.
“Okay, but you have to know I didn’t willingly walk into that situation.” He opened his mouth to speak and I put a hand up in his direction, knowing exactly where he was going with it. “And neither did Drew. You think for a second that he wanted me there?”
“No, but—”
“There are no buts, Tate. Put yourself in his shoes for just one minute. I already know you’ve figured that out, but you need a few people to aim your pain at, right? I’m here. Aim it at me, kid, but know that shit happens and understand that Drew is the one of the only reasons I’m still alive.”
“Then it all comes down to me,” he said, stopping outside of the room I shared with Drew. “I broke in here, I tried to steal their shit, and I’m the reason you met him at all.”
“Then you’re the reason I’m happy.”
“Ayda!”
“No, hear me out, Tate,” I said, placing my hand on his over the door handle.
“I know this new world we live in is terrifying. I understand how much the thought of losing more people makes your insides shrivel up. Believe me, I get it, but these risks, these moments of gut wrenching fear, they’re worth it for me.
That doesn’t mean I expect you to do the same.
You know if you want to go live somewhere else, all you have to do is say the word.
I love Drew, I love these boys, and I love The Hut, but you’re my brother, and you will be for every day of forever. ”
“I could never ask you to give this up… I couldn’t—”
“You couldn’t give it up either, huh?” I asked gently. “Then it’s probably best we sit down and have us a good, old-fashioned heart to heart about it, and it’s about time you were honest with yourself about what you want out of life, Tate. The Hut, the pack, they’re always going to be here.”
It was at that point the door opened, and Drew, in all of his broken and bruised glory, leaned against the door frame, looking between us.
His eyes landed on Tate’s as he folded his arms across his chest. “Not that I was eavesdropping or anything, but your sister’s right.
We’re always here for you, brother.” The way he said the word brother had Tate’s eyes flickering nervously between the two of us.
It wasn’t said as just a term of endearment, but as a mark of respect.
It was Drew’s way of telling him he was one of the pack now, and that they loved him like he had always been their own.
I smiled, gravitating toward Drew as I always did when he was nearby, but my eyes were on Tate.
“You have the world in the palm of your hand. You have choices that not many do, and you have the support of everyone around you, because believe it or not, we just want you to succeed. You still have a few years to explore your options, to be a kid and enjoy it. All I’ve ever wanted for you was to follow your dreams, Tate, because I found mine. ”
I grinned up at Drew. I’d always had big dreams for myself growing up.
I had a career planned out, I knew what city I wanted to live in, and I’d always known that I would have a big family one day.
The one thing I hadn’t counted on was circumstances changing, but life had put me on a path, and no matter how much I hated some of the things that had happened along the way, I would never regret where I ended up.
The smirk he gifted me with that time wasn’t filled with certainty or arrogance. It held nothing more to it than a happiness he was getting braver at showing, day by day. He eventually tore his gaze away to focus his attention back on my brother.
“No one expects you to find this easy, T. Truth be told, I’m still learning about all this myself.
I’m walking blind, but if I’ve learned one thing this last week, it’s that I can’t control what I feel for your sister.
Not every kind of love is gonna be easy, but all I know now is that I’d rather spend my life on the edge with her than doing or being with anything or anyone else out there and playing it safe.
I’ve got something important to protect, and you’re included in that.
The stuff on the outside heals, but I can’t fix myself if I lose Ayda.
I’ll do whatever it takes to make the two of you happy.
I’ll fund any college you want to go to.
You have options. You just need to talk to us. ”
I smiled up at Drew. The man I saw behind closed doors wasn’t always the man everyone else got to see. I knew that Tate rarely got to see anything other than Drew Tucker, president of the Hounds. This time, he was witnessing the man I loved with every part of my body, heart and soul.
“See, Tate? There are no rules, no right and wrong. You can have the whole world. You just have to go after it.”
Drew leaned down to whisper something in my ear, leaving me no time to protest, even if I’d wanted to before he stood up straight again.
“Why don’t the two of us step away from your sister for a second, Tate. Let’s have a man to man chat about what options you have. You can ask me anything. Shoot any shit my way, I can take it. I’ll be honest with you about the club, the lifestyle, your sister, anything you want.”
I hadn’t expected the comment to come, but when Tate’s eyes lit up and moved between us, all I could do was nod and smile, my hand reaching out and squeezing his before I backed away and winked at them both. “I’ll leave you to it then.”
I’d only taken two steps back when Drew grabbed a hold of the door frame, twisted his head back over his shoulder and gave me a look.
“Don’t you go too far. A favor for a favor.
” Then he shut the door carefully, leaving me standing bewildered and amused.
There were no words for how much I loved that man.