Unable to help myself, I press a quick kiss to her plump lips. "Yes?"
"I want to see them again. I need to make things right. Maybe be friends. There's this guilt inside of me that will fester and eat me alive because I hurt them with my silence. No more silence."
"Anything you want," I agree, already planning to be there every time so I can protect her from their anger. "I'll be there."
"And...and it's okay if you want to continue seeing them, Jamie."
"No fucking way. Not without you, and quite frankly, they have some attitude adjustments that would need to happen if I hang out with them again." I'm reeling. She should be demanding I never see themagain, right? There's so much confusion and strange connections that it's making it hard for me to understand where she's coming from.
"Jamie," she coos, placing a warm hand on my cheek. "I've taken enough from them. I won't take you away too. I'll still be here. What I’m saying is that I'll be okay if you end up doing stuff with them. Honestly, it's the least I can do."
"What the fuck? No. That's messed up, V."
Shaking her head, Violet snuggles into me as drowsiness begins to weigh her down. "I'm just saying you have my blessing. They were amazing to me, and I hurt them, Jamie. I'll try to fix things with them so this isn't weird. Just don't write them off, okay?"
Fuck. What the hell?I'm saved from having to respond when her left boob starts vibrating between us.
Violet wiggles and snorts a little. "Forgot that was in there." Then her hand is beneath her shirt and pulling her phone out. "Shoot. I have to drive Cassidy home."
Absolutely fucking not. "No. I'll drive you both home."
"But my car."
"Fine. I'll drive you and Cassidy home in your car, then crash on your couch so you can drive me back here in the morning. Or, I'll drive you and Cass home in my car and pick you up in the morning to get your car.Or, you go curl up in my bed, I'll pick Cassidy up and bring her home, then I'll snuggle you all night long."
I know which option I'd like her to choose, and by the way her eyelids are drooping, I think I'll get my wish.
"Promise you'll come right back?"
Nuzzling the top of her head, I stand with her in my arms and bring her to my bedroom. Two panic attacks, a mugging, a big revelation, and truth bombs drag her into dreamland as I promise, "Nothing could keep me away."
Twenty
NATE
We knew we would see Violet again someday. Imagined it even.
None of the scenarios we pictured came anywhere close to what happened tonight. We figured we'd see her, tell her that her actions caused a lot of hurt, and really make her understand the consequences of how she treated us.
Ellis' emotions on the subject have always been a bit more volatile than mine. Over the years, my anger has diminished as I've grown. I'm thirty-one years old. I'm capable of empathy and understanding that what happened to Violet's mom changed her life.
While the rage has diminished, it's really fucking hard to tamp down feeling like the woman we loved betrayed us. She ghosted us. Left us without a word. Just disappeared.
Socials were taken down, her number changed, Violet left us to pick up the pieces of the life we planned which she shattered.
Ellis has always wanted to give her a piece of his mind, and I admit I've wanted to educate her on the impact she has on others, but the way tonight unfolded has left a bad taste in my mouth.
Because Ellis and I are partners in every sense of the word, I carry half the blame for how wrong our meeting went. "I don't feel good about this, Ell."
He mutters curses under his breath. Not lifting his head to look at me, Ellis continues to drag his hands through his hair. His posture is that of a defeated man with the weight of bad choices weighing him down.
With his head hung low as he sits on our couch, Ellis shakes his head. "Me neither."
Damn it. Had he said anything else, it would have made me feel better. Like what we did was warranted. Had he said something toxic like Violet deserves it, I might have been able to brush my feelings aside and just nod along.
"Fuck, Ellis. Jamie's pissed, and Violet isn't acting like herself."
At that, Ellis scoffs and looks at me. "Of course she wasn't acting like herself. She just got mugged, then saw our angry faces. She feels guilty as she should!"
