She picked me.
Wyatt and Rafe had been there when Landon died. Skye waspanicking, looking around like a trapped wild animal, ready to bolt. I asked her not to leave me, and she didn’t.
She looked right at Wyatt and Rafe, and she tookmewith her.
I didn’t know what the hell that meant for our disaster of a family Chain, and at the moment I didn’t really care, my ego was big enough to sink a cruise ship. I couldn’t wait to rub this in Wyatt’s smug face.
“This is a nice place,” I commented. Zephyr strode ahead of me, and my eyes caught onto the sweatshirt he wore, both sleeves having rips large enough to fit a thumb through on the wrist. I chuckled, suddenly remembering having seen Skye wear something just like it.
“Something funny about my back?” Zephyr asked, glancing over his shoulder at me and raising an eyebrow just like Skye.
I chuckled again. “I saw your sister wearing a dude’s sweatshirt like this before and I got jealous. I didn’t even consider it could be yours.”
Zephyr looked confused for just a moment, then threw his head back and laughed. He held the door open for me as we stepped out of the café and into a sort of hallway. “I thought she’d stopped stealing my clothes years ago. What a brat.”
“My Aiden is not a brat,” the most beautiful voice I’d ever heard in my life called from down the short hall. My heart skipped a beat, that breathless feeling back, but for a completely different reason. My feet moved faster, and I ignored the pictures hanging on the walls as I quickly moved through the hall, my focus only on Skye.
“Not him, Skyes.” Zephyr chuckled. “I meantyou.”
“Oh,” she replied sarcastically as we emerged from the hallway.
There, standing in the middle of a living room, was my beautiful Key, the center of my whole world. Aside from looking exhausted, she was just as beautiful as always. Her dark hair that usually fell in a long, glossy sheet down her back was still disheveled from our ordeal. Her silver eyes were locked onto me, holding me captive in her stare. I suddenly felt like all the air had been sucked out of the room.
“Hey, baby.” I said quietly.
I needed to be alone with her, like, immediately.
But her brother was here, watching us very carefully. I didn’t know how protective he was, or how much she’d told him about me. If he knew about any of my shortcomings before Skye and I had connected,he hadn’t shown it. But there was still plenty of time for him to punch me in the face before Skye got to me.
I had nothing to worry about, of course. Skye launched herself at me the moment Zephyr moved out of the way, and I threw my arms open to catch her. I stumbled backward slightly as she rocked into me, and Zephyr laughed from beside us as we hugged.
“Hey,” I whispered as she began to tremble. I nuzzled my face into her hair, my stubble scratching against her cheek slightly as I spoke. “You okay, baby?”
“Yeah,” she replied in a whimper.
I looked up and locked eyes with Zephyr, who only grinned while he shook his head. “Y’all are great. I like him, Skyes.”
Skye let out a watery laugh before her arms snaked around my neck and pulled me down for a kiss. It felt really weird kissing her in front of her brother for like, two seconds, and then her tongue had me forgetting he was even in the room.
It’d been too long since I had her in my arms. Too long since I’d smelled her shampoo or ran my lips down her neck. How long had we even been apart? It was dark, but I had no idea what time of night it was. If we’d made it in last night–
Skye nipped at my lower lip and I chuckled, painfully pulling back and darting my eyes toward the doorway where Zephyr had been standing. But he was gone, probably giving us some privacy. It was the perfect time for him to punch me in the face, and he’d left us alone, instead. Maybe I was in the clear.
Skye whined and one of her hands gripped the hair at the back of my head, pulling hard to bring my attention back to her. I stifled a groan and ignored my quickly hardening dick while she rubbed up against me.
“Baby, your brother is home.” I murmured against her lips when she pulled my face back to hers.
“He’ll leave,” Skye groaned adorably.
“He is not leaving,” Zephyr called out from the other room.
Skye pouted while I chuckled then groaned as she started to kiss along my neck.
“Fuck,” I whispered. Skye had never acted this way before. I totallyloved it, minus Zephyr in the other room, but something seemed off. “What’s wrong, baby? I’m right here. Slow down,” I murmured as I pulled back to look at her.
Skye’s silver eyes welled with tears, and she buried her face in my chest before she began to cry. I ran my hands up and down her back, hoping it was comforting. I was completely lost. What the hell happened while I was asleep?
“I just missed you so much,” she whispered against me.
