CAIRO: Then Ozzy.
It surprises even me that my immediate thought isyes.
Even with Ozzy’s ties and who he’s loyal to, that he’s part of the Forsaken Crew, he is Levi’s cousin and my husband.
Someone quiet.
And, even though I don’t mind being alone, Ozzy just adds more.
CAIRO: He’s right here waiting for the green light.
I can’t bring myself to type out a response because that would mean being a bigger dick to Cairo when he doesn’t deserve it.
I want Ozzy, not him.
I want to sit here in silence and not be questioned and worried over by Cairo.
He can’t hide his concern as much as he tries. The man is fully aware I don’t need or wish to be coddled, and he does try not to. Maybe it’s something he’s used to doing with his two sisters, but I’m not part of a family with two loving parents who are still alive.
Aimlessly dropping my phone into my lap, I run the back of my finger along my chin and force myself to stop worrying about Cairo’s feelings and focus on the here and now.
I allow my eyes to close and justbe.
I won’t be like this forever. The pain can’t hurt for a lifetime, can it?
They say time heals everything, but I still feel the loss of Dad every single day and how he’s probably the most disappointed he’s ever been in me.
Now he can see everything.
Every move. Every comment. Every selfish need for vengeance.
I always said I wasn’t a role model for my sisters. Never in my life did I ever want them to end up like me. But I’m not doing a good job of supporting them through this transition and beyond.
Like I said, this changes everything.
No longer will I have the support of Levi, I’m in this on my own. I will be raising two little girls and would never nominate myself for such a feat.
The hairs on my arms suddenly lift in warning, and I crack my eyes open to find blue ones belonging to Ozzy towering over me.
My breath catches a bit with a small skip of my heart as I stare openly at him and his tortured beauty. The sharp edge of his jaw is relaxed. His shoulders are lax, the subtle shadow of stubble frames his porcelain skin, and I just openly stare.
I have zero clue why this boy wants to be around me. I am the definition of a Debbie Downer.
Or bitch, take your pick.
My gaze drifts down his inked neck and the hard surface of his chest. I permit my focus to stretch even farther to his toned arms, littered with more black scattered aimlessly, and I don’t stop until I reach his waist.
Then I lose courage and draw back to fall into the pools of dark blues awaiting me.
I could ask him a million and one things, but they quickly fall to the wayside. He and I don’t need words. There’s something supernatural about us where we can sense each other’s emotions or thoughts without shit needing to be said.
I’m sure it’s easier to read me than the other way around. Over time, I’ve learned to pick up a few things here and there and have gotten better with the vibe of where he’s at, but he’s not a book I know by heart.
I’m still flipping chapters and discovering more between the lines.
Ozzy takes it upon himself to step back and sit in one of the black chairs against the wall. He doesn’t push or pry or act like Cairo’s go-to and gain information on me.
He just settles in and waits.
