Luc jumps up, discomfort crossing his face before anger replaces it. "Hey!” He growls. "She needed help. You would have done the same fucking thing."
I realise my mistake instantly. I take a deep breath, letting the misguided anger leave me.
"You're right. I'm sorry," I apologise.
Luc gives me a satisfied nod. Then I realise he's left out a very important detail.
"Hey, what's this girl's name?" I ask. How has no one told me before now?
Luc smirks. "You didn't think that was important?"
I give him a deadpanned look. "I was having a hard time getting past the fact that I'm her legal guardian. How am I only twenty but have been the legal guardian of three people?"
Luc sighs. "Her name’s Ar—"
The sound of the garage roller door has him stopping. As the noise continues, Alec’s alarm on our phones goes off.
I look down at my watch. It's way too fucking early for them to be home. Luc seems to realise the same thing, reaching for the gun I know is under his pillow. Before we can react, Maverick yells out.
"Luc! You better get out here, dude!"
We exchange looks and hurry into the living room.
All the guys are gathered around the couch in the living room, Alec's the only one sitting.
Hearing our footsteps, the girl standing in front of the couch, blocked by my brothers, swerves around.
"Luc, did you really—" Her voice jolts me like a blast of lightening straight to the chest.
Her mismatched eyes meet mine. She drops the glass of water in her hands, stumbling back in shock. It rolls along the ground, spilling water on the hardwood.
"Rory, are you okay…?" Mason trails off when he sees her reaction is to me.
Her eyes travel up me. A hand flies to her mouth.
"Ro?" I gape. She flinches.
Something inside my roars and pounds to be let out. My chest heaves
She's not the kid I used to know. Before me stands a woman who's seen a lot since I last saw her.
Her t-shirt is loose but I can see all her curves. Her jeans don't fit quite right but anything could look perfect on her. Her hair is long wavy strands of perfection that frames her one blue, one hazel eyes. There’s a dark, black and blue bruise on the side of her face.
I can’t help but go back to those eyes. They haunted me for three years.
"No," she says softly. She mutters the word no over and over again.
I can't stop staring at her. It's like I'm a little kid all over again. Silently begging I could whisk her away and save her from this cruel, harsh world.
The guys stand around us silently trying to figure out what's going on.
Luc puts a hand on her shoulder and she steps away.
"They got me emancipated…you’re my fucking guardian?! What the fuck are you doing here, J?” She whispers, never taking her eyes off me. I flinch, hearing that tone. The pain in her voice.
J? I need you. Where are you? He knows–he's here. Please, Jace!Her words echo through me.
It’s like I’m sixteen again—hearing those voicemails for the first time. Knowing that by the time I got there, it would be too late and she’d be gone.
