It was the way her face was tipped up to mine, her smile that reached her eyes, and the combination of the amazing day that had me leaning down and pressing my lips to hers. There was still one more story that I hadn’t told her. One that weighed on my chest daily, a dark memory that would never leave me.
“Remember how I mentioned how Mattie and I grew up?”
Pulling back, Juno gazed up at me and nodded.
“Our mom always had new boyfriends coming in and out of the apartment, and there was this one who treated me and Mattie like his own kids. He would take us to dinner even when Mom was working, brought us small gifts, hell, he even paid the electric bill one time so we didn’t die of heat exhaustion in our own apartment.” I sealed my lids shut and blew out a slow breath. “One day, he came over when Mom was at work, which was normal for him, and offered to take me and Mattie to get some candy, but he had a business call to take first. At our disappointed faces, he offered to give me the money so I could run down to the corner store and get it myself, and said that since it was so hot, Mattie could just stay in the cool apartment and wait for me.
“All I could think about was that fucking candy,” I growled, curling both hands into tight fists and pressing them into the tops of my thighs. “So I took his money and left my little sister with a practical stranger. She was eight years old, and I just left her with him, alone.”
“Langston,” Juno whispered. “You were just a kid yourself. You didn’t know.”
“But I’m her older brother. My job is to protect her, and I fucking failed.”
Her small hands cupped my face and pulled until I was gazing down at her. “You were just a kid. Does Mattie hold you responsible for whatever happened next?” I shook my head. “Then why do you?”
“It was the first time I failed someone I loved and they were hurt. She was left with memories that gave her fucking nightmares for months after.”
Her brows flew up her forehead. “That’s why you try to protect everyone you love now, why you’re hypervigilant and suspect everyone.”
I nodded, waiting for the pity or anger to appear, but neither did. Instead, something like understanding had her features softening.
“Thank you for telling me. It helps me understand”—she gestured up and down my frame—“this.”
“You just pointed to all of me,” I grumbled with a smirk, remembering a similar conversation just a few days ago with West.
“Exactly. That incident made you who you are today, and I like this man, who you are, how protective you are of your friends and family. Look at it as a lesson, one that made you this amazing man today, instead of a failure.”
Gathering her in my arms, I held her close and rested my chin on top of her head.
A lesson instead of a failure. That would be a hard shift. But maybe with her help, one day, I could.
21
WEST
“Are you sure you don’t mind all my computer stuff in here?”
Her lips were curved downward as she scanned the now-cluttered corner of my bedroom. We had worked for the last half hour getting all her computers and monitors set up on the small desk we brought from her place. Every inch of the compact surface was covered with some type of electronic, the nearby outlet nearly maxed out.
“I’m positive.” Unable to stop myself, I wrapped an arm around her waist, sealing her to my side. “Seeing all this here, in my room no less, not only means you’re here safe but that all this is real and not some cruel dream I’ll wake up from. Plus, being sidelined because of the hand means I have a lot of downtime, and with Langston working a lot, I’m looking forward to the company.” I inclined my head toward the bed. “Maybe I’ll lie around all day and watch you work.”
She turned to wrap her arms around my waist. “If you do that, then I won’t get anything done.”
A soft vibration brought my focus to her phone humming along the top of the dresser. Juno tensed but didn’t say a word or make a move to answer the incoming call.
“I think we should set up my gaming system next.” She angled her head toward the living room only to tense again at another round of continuous vibrations against the solid wood. “That is definitely high priority. I’m legit having withdrawals, and I need to keep my hands in prime gaming shape.”
Eyeing her phone, then her, I pressed a kiss to the tip of her nose. “Juno.” She hummed a response. “Why are you avoiding your phone?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she defended while attempting to wiggle out of my grasp. I only tightened my arms, holding her even closer. “West, come on, let’s get the rest of this set up so we can chill when Langston gets back.” Her gaze dropped to the floor, and she worried at her lip. “Did you see the group he took out today?”
“Yeah,” I hedged, not sure where she was going with that question or if it was just a way to distract me from whoever kept calling her over and over.
“The women were really pretty and seemed to know what they were doing with all the fishing gear.”
“Okay, not sure what you’re getting at, Juno. Now, who keeps calling you?—”
“Do you think he’ll like them more than me?” she blurted, eyes going wide like she did not intend to say that out loud.
