I watch them go, a strange feeling curling in my chest. This is going to be one hell of a reunion.
And I’ll be damned if I miss the show.
∞∞∞
I tear through the shopping trip quickly restocking her favorites. Candy. Soda. Chips. Shit she’ll probably poke at and forget the second her nerves kick in. Doesn’t matter. If it gives her even a minute of peace, it’s worth it.
Half my brain’s still playing that conversation on loop.
Axel and Nik. Hell. She wasn’t exaggerating. The haunted eyes, the restraint barely holding them together…it’s all true.If I didn’t already know how deep she runs under their skin, I do now. It was obvious.
I take my time walking back. There’s no reason to rush. When it comes to this, timing matters, a lot. Johnny’s out for now, but he won’t be forever, and I need this to pan out for her.
By the time I enter the penthouse, I’m ready. Focused. This is her choice, and it damn well better stay that way. No more cages. Not from any of us.
The place is quiet and the lights low. I head toward the bedroom, my pulse picking up. Not from nerves, but with anticipation.
When I tell her? Yeah, I’m gonna be the favorite today.Me. Not Johnny. I’ve always been a competitive bastard. I never claimed otherwise.
I find her still tangled in blankets, hair a mess, eyes onme the second I step in. She’s beautiful. Fucking beautiful. Still wrecked from earlier. And that glow on her skin? Yeah… I saw how it got there.
“Took you long enough,” she says, voice rough with sleep.
I grin, and toss the bag onto the bed. “Got what you wanted.”
She pushes up on her knees, rifling through it. I lean against the frame, just watching.
God, I could watch her do this shit for hours. No show. No posing. Justher.
Then I clear my throat, keeping my voice even. “By the way,” I say casually, “you’ve got company coming.”
She freezes, before her head snaps up. “What?”
I cross my arms. “Axel. Nik. I ran into them downstairs.”
Her breath catches. Her whole body locks. “You what—”
“Relax.” I give her a small smile. “They just want to see you. That’s it. I told them I’d text when it’s safe.”
She swallows hard, eyes wide, raw as hell. Fuck, it kills me how much they still own pieces of her, but it doesn’t piss me off. It just makes sense. It’s real.
“I thought…” she whispers. “I thought they might hate me.”
I push off the doorframe and walk over. Tip her chin up with two fingers. “They don’t. Trust me. I saw it all over them.”
Her eyes shine. Scared and hopeful. Torn to fucking pieces.
I lower my voice. “It’s your choice, Baby. I’ll stand in their way if that’s what you want. Or I’ll open the damn door and let them crawl to you. Whatever you need.”
She stares at me, shaking slightly.
Then she nods. Just once.
“Okay,” she breathes.
I smile, slow. “Good. You should know… they’re not coming to pick a fight with you. They’re coming because they love you. Just like I do.”
Her lips part on a sharp inhale.
