“You hungry?” Luc puts his hand on my knee, finally saying something. He doesn’t look at me when he says it. A pang of hurt hits me.
“Weirdly, yeah.” I sit up.
“It’s not weird. The last thing you ate was soup. Yesterday.” Alec tells me, concern lacing his voice.
“Is there any soup left?” I ask hopefully. That soup was amazing.
Mase gets up off the bed. “I cooked more. I’ll heat some up for you.”
“Thanks, Mase,” I call out as he disappears out the door.
The rest of the guys slowly get up from their places around the room. Luc is the only one who stays behind. Jace kisses my forehead before giving Luc a look I don’t understandand follows Alec, Maverick and Dominic out. Someone shuts my bedroom door behind them.
Luc doesn’t say anything so I awkwardly climb out of bed, going to my drawers and pulling out some clean clothes.
I’d love to change my underwear but with Luc here…I’m not that ballsy.
I pull on some loose fitting shorts before pulling off my shirt and replacing it with a clean one. I need to have a shower but I wanna eat first and those clothes were kinda gross. I also apparently didn’t have a bra on when Drake came because I’ve been going braless for three days. With the ache still in my body, I damn sure ain’t wearing one now.
I fiddle with some things on my desk, closing drawers when Luc doesn’t look like he’s ready to say anything.
“Butterfly…” Luc trails off and I turn around.
He’s leaning back against the headboard, biting his lip. He lifts a head, running it through his blond strands.
“I didn’t…I never meant to…”
I sit down on the end of the bed and wait for Luc to gather his thoughts.
“King—“ Luc corrects himself.“Drakeand I have a complicated history. We’ve had a few run-ins as rivals of sorts but I shouldn’t have been so…” he searches for the words before coming up empty. “Look. I just—I know Drake told you and I something that put us at an advantage when he didn’t need to. So, I’m sorry I was so standoffish. You trust him and that should have been enough. I’m sorry,” Luc repeats, honesty clear in his eyes.
I’m quiet for a moment. Luc shifts uncomfortably under the weight of the silence.
“Okay.”
Luc’s eyes flick up. “Okay?” He says hopefully.
“Okay,” I confirm. “Luc…Drake’s done a lot for me. I wouldn’t have survived as long as I have without him. The kids at school pull shit sometimes but it would be a hell of a lot worse without Drake’s influence. Most of them come from MC parents or have friends in local gangs. It’s only now that Drake’s actually gone that some are getting a little too big for their boots but…I couldn’t have lasted without him.”
“What did he tell you?” Luc asks softly.
I sigh shakily and look down at the doona.
Disappointment flickers in his eyes as well as understanding.
“You don’t have to tell me if you’re not ready,” Luc tells me, quietly.
“No, I just…I’d rather just tell this story once. After dinner…I’ll tell you all.” A feeling of dread washes over me but I can’t ignore this. If Drake’s telling me to go, then this is serious.
Luc and I rejoin the others. My stomach rumbles uncomfortably, the aroma of soup wafts through the kitchen.
Mase sets the bowl down on the island in front of me, two pieces of buttered sourdough on a plate beside it. I smile appreciatively up at him.
“You’re my favourite for today,” I mumble around a spoonful. The guys gasp in mock outrage.
Mase grins and leans across the other side of the counter to capture my lips. “Thanks, Angel.”
The guys stop pouting to heat up their own dinner. Eventually.
