She sank onto the couch next to me and a wave of her perfume and hairspray settled over me with a comforting warmth. I’d grown so used to her presence in the short time we’d been together. “Don’t lie to me. I can see it all over you. Have you told them?”
Groaning, I rested my head on her shoulder. The shoulder pads were wildly comfortable. “I told West.”
“And?” She took my hand and looked at my chipped nails. “You have to get a manicure. Did he say it back?”
She really knew how to cut to the meat of the matter. I swallowed and shook my head. “No.”
She sighed. “Men are stupid so that doesn’t mean anything. You’re being careful?”
“I take my birth control on time daily.” I blushed. “We haven’t been using condoms, though. I think they like…”
“Being cavemen and pretending to breed you?”
I sat up. “What?”
She waved her hand. “Nevermind that. I wasn’t talking about sex, babygirl. I was talking about your heart. You’re not giving it away to men who don’t deserve it, are you?”
“I…” I hadn’t thought I was the first time around. I’d been convinced that Cole would open his eyes and see me eventually. It didn’t feel that way with Cash, Hayes, or West, though. It really felt like they saw me and cared about who they saw. “I think this is real, Aunt Jolene.”
“I think so, too.” She laughed at my shock. “I’ve seen the way those boys look at you. I saw them drop you off this morning on the cameras. I’ll cut you a copy because it was adorable. Noneof them wanted to leave you. They looked heartbroken when the door shut with you on the other side.”
“Oh.” It was impossible to not feel like I was on cloud nine. “Yeah, I’d take a copy of that.”
There was a heavy knock at the door but instead of the excited way Aunt Jolene used to greet Elvis she looked down at her nails and took a deep breath. “That’ll be my date, Joe. Joe, the wrestler.”
“You don’t seem excited, Aunt Jolene.”
“He’s a professional wrestler who takes his craft very, very,veryseriously. What’s not to be excited about?” Her smile turned real for a moment. “Idolike how red his face gets when I mention thinking it’s all fake, though. That part’s fun.”
“You could always just stay home with me. In this episode ofGingerLoveMary M tells Paul that she slept with Mary B on the night of their engagement party.” I grinned. “Can you imagine calling out your own name during sex?”
“You assume that I don’t? I’m amazing and deserve the accolades.” Aunt Jolene winked and walked towards the door. “I love you, kid. Have I told you just how happy I am that you’re here?”
“I love you, too, Aunt Jolene. Try to have fun.”
After she was gone and the house was quiet I had time to think about how much things had changed for me. I’d gone years in LA feeling unloved and lost. Since getting to Texas, though, I felt more and more loved every day. I felt surrounded by it.
I’d been so wrong about LA being home and my entire life there. My home was in Texas, with Aunt Jolene. And hopefully with the guys. The more time I spent with them the more I felt like they were mine and the more I felt like theirs. Maybe West hadn’t said he loved me back but I’d felt it. I didn’t think I was stupid enough to get it wrong twice. Especially when I’d neverfelt an ounce of the care I felt from the guys from Cole. Even when we were officially dating. It was just different with them.
If that was what Savannah felt about Cole, Jax, and Ryder, then I was glad she’d found them. As much as I’d hated her, I was starting to think maybe I owed her for setting things in motion. She’d driven me to the place I felt like I really belonged.
I knew that it was probably wrong to still hold a grudge against her but she was the easier target. As much as I knew I was over Cole, it was still hard to place all my past anger and hurt on him because it made me feel like such a fool. I’d been so wrong for so long and it was just easier to let Savannah be the bad guy. I loved her brothers, though, so I was going to have to figure it out eventually.
61
***Weston***
Ilooked up from the book I’d been staring at for an hour straight and scowled when I saw it was Sam who’d let himself into our house. I was going to have to get a tutor if I couldn’t figure out how to focus with all the thoughts of Cassidy banging around in my head. It’d become a fucking Disney musical in there and adding Sam to the mix wasn’t going to help anything. I shut the book and rubbed my temples, waiting for him to start in on whatever tirade he had planned for us that day.
Hayes didn’t look up from the sandwich he was making. “We really need to start locking the door.”
“Since when do locked doors stop people from disrespecting your space in this family?” Instead of sounding furious about his yard and house, Sam sounded smug. It was a chilling sound.
“What do you want?” I just needed the bandaid ripped off.
“Funny you should ask that.” He raised a folder in the air and slapped it down on the island next to Hayes’ sandwich.“Sometimes I think y’all’s stupidity was a blessing. I have cameras on every inch of my property.”
“Since when?” Cash stood up and walked over. He only had to crack the folder open to go red. He spun on Sam and grabbed him up by his shirt collar. “What the fuck?”
