My muscles tense, and a cold sweat breaks out on my neck.
“Pretty girl, please,” Nash begs, his voice breaking with sincerity. My heart aches, and tears prickle at the corners of my eyes.
I’m not gonna cry in front of them again.
“We made a huge mistake, and we’re so goddamn sorry. Just give us a chance to make it right. Let’s talk,” Nash continues.
I swallow hard, my throat feeling dry and constricted. Their pleading makes my heart ache, but I can’t let them see that.
One sign of weakness and they’ll barrel their way back in.
“You had your chance to believe me when I begged you to,” I reply, my voice now void of emotion.
Good, push it all away from you, Sloan.
Like they pushed you.
They exchange frantic glances, North clenching his jaw. Nash reaches out, his hand trembling as he tries to touch my arm. I pull away, my face blank, but I’m in turmoil inside.
“Don’t do that. It’sme,pretty girl. The one who held you when you felt alone, the one you trusted with?—”
I cut him off. “Trust you trampled on.”
“We know we fucked up, okay? We did. But we looked everywhere for you,” North tries, his voice raspy, rough, and desperate. “We’re so sorry. Let’s talk. I’m trying to make this right.”
Not hard enough.
My stomach clenches. “You’re not. You’re fucking up even more. You have a sick child laying in a hospital room,scared.And you’re not with him because you felt the need to chase me?” I huff a sarcastic laugh. “With him is where you fucking should be!”
My feelings change from desperation and hurt to anger on Lio’s behalf. He went through so much because the adults in his life can’t seem to get their shit together.
And this time,I’m the reason for it.
North looks stricken like he just realized that I’m right.
Yeah, Thundercunt. You guys are idiots.
“We need you,” Nash starts again, “We—” But I interrupt him in a harsh tone.
“Lioneedsyou. His dad and his uncle. Go fucking take care of him. We’re done. Two more weeks, and I’m gone from here anyway. So you can forget about this whole fuckup. I know I will.”
“Siren,” Nash pleads, but my blood boils.
“Don’t fucking call me that. Don’t call me anything at all. Leave!” My whole body is trembling, and I can’t even tell if it’s in fury or desperation.
“You heard her. Get out.” Tally’s tone is just as harsh as mine as she chimes in and reaches out to grab my hand, squeezing it.
She’s the fucking best.
“You’re right, okay? You’re more than right, and we’ll go get him, but first, I need you to agree to talk with us. It doesn’t have to be now. We can meet tomorrow when everyone’s calmed down.Let me make this right,” North pleads again.
I push a breath through my teeth.
His words mean shit.Everybody can talk.
Theyshowedme how much I can count on them when shit gets real.
It would be amazing if these men could and wanted to be who I needed.
