That had been what attracted us to each other in the first place. We thought the same, so it was easy to read between the lines without having to have the hard or embarrassing conversations. Able to be emotional without ever really having to own up to it. That had been what I’d needed when I was younger. I’d needed to have that kind of control over myself because I’d hardly had any control over my surroundings.
I looked at him in his deep, dark eyes as I confessed, “I handled this whole thing wrong. I should’ve come to you. I should’ve told you myself and not let the rumors get to you first. You deserve better than that, and I'm sorry.”
He looked at me, not knowing what to say. Finally, he whispered, “Thank you.”
We both sat there in awkward silence for a while before he asked in a low, hoarse voice, “So what’s the story, if you don't mind me asking?”
I smiled at him, shaking my head that I didn't mind. “Well, it's going to be a long story…”
He settled back into his chair, folding his arms as he smiled. “I've got time.”
I smirked and asked for Reggie to get us something to drink as I started my tale. I left out all the sex stuff—I wasn't a complete bitch, and I wasn't trying to hurt him, just have him understand.
After I was done, he looked like he had been put through the wringer, but a calm sort of acceptance settled into his eyes. An understanding like we used to have, and it made my heart fill with hope that we could be friends again someday.
He looked at his hands, wringing them together before he gulped and whispered, “Did I ever have a chance?”
I didn't know if it was a question that was more for him or me, but I leaned over the table, laying my hand on his.
“It would be a lie to tell you no, and I don't want to lie to anyone that I care about; so yes, a long time ago there was a chance. I knew it, I felt it. What we had before wasn't a lie or made up in our minds. Who knows what would've happened if I hadn't fought with my dad that day and run off, but… that doesn't change what the outcome is now.” I squeezed his hands and then let go, sitting back in my seat.
He took a shaky breath, then looked up at me with a single tear in his eye, giving me a broken smile. “I can't deny that these men have had a good effect on you. You look happy and at peace with yourself for the first time in forever. Do I wish things could've been different? Yes, but I understand why they aren't, and I accept that.”
I opened my mouth to thank him when he rushed to say, “And if you’re worried that I'll cause problems for you and your,” he gulped, taking a moment to spit out the word, “… mates, know that I'm…” He took another breath. I knew that this was hard for him to say, so I kept my mouth shut. “Just know that I won't.” His shoulders slumped as he got up and turned to wink out, but I wasn't done yet.
I winked in front of him. “Wait. I wanted…” I looked down at my shoes, telling myself to just say what I needed to say. I looked back up into his dark black eyes that were so familiar to me that I took comfort in them.
“I wanted to thank you for… well, for everything, and I know that someday you are going to find someone who will help or force you to come to terms with yourself.”
He looked at me with an eyebrow raised. I lifted my hand and cupped his cheek, needing him to believe me. “Someone you can be vulnerable with. Then you will find the happiness you seek.”
And just because this was Hell, and it liked to fuck with me, the conference room door burst open and my four mates came in, pausing as they looked at Levi and me. Then their faces went feral.
I snatched my hands away, lifting both up towards my mates in surrender. “Nothing is going on. I was just—”
“Just hanging out with your ex-boyfriend. The first man you had sex with. The first one who made you power drunk,” my dad rattled off as he leaned against the wall, watching the drama unfold with an actual bucket of popcorn.
My eyes flicked to my mates, and their eyes fell away from me and narrowed on Levi instead. Savage rage vibrated off them and flooded the room. Fucking Hell. I gritted my teeth as I looked at my dad.
“You're not helping.”
He shrugged as he laughed. “We went out to stop a rebellion in Wrath this morning. Nothing like a good brawl to bond with your new sons-in-law.”
Con rolled his eyes as he mumbled, “If you mean throwing us in the middle of a war and saying, ‘Show me what you got,’ while eating a bag of cookies on the sideline is bonding, then yes, that's what we did.”
I almost laughed, almost. My dad caught my eye and winked at me, that small gesture letting me know he liked them, but he was far away from not giving them shit. He was just getting started.
Levi chose that time to step up next to me. “Look, all we did was talk. She owed me that.”
My mates didn't like that phrase, and Death growled.
Levi tried again, “She made it very clear that you are her mates, and she’s devoted to you.” Then he just couldn't help himself as a cruel smile splashed across his prideful face. “But if you all aresoworried about a simple conversation, then maybe her trust and devotion is more one-sided than I thought.” His smile turned smug as his eyes slid up and down my body.
That was it. My mates lunged for him. He laughed and winked out.Damn Pride prince!Well, that was going to be interesting to deal with for Hell meetings.
My mates started to make their way up off the floor and turned towards me in unison with anger and a small amount of jealousy clouding their eyes.
“Oooohhhh… someone's in trouble!” my dad started to taunt me, but I didn't dare take my eyes off of my mates. They were the real threat in this room.
