"I can't ask you to always make me feel better, Jamie." That would be ridiculous.
"Too bad, Sweets. You fell off a cliff and got your heart broken by two assholes, so get used to me hovering. I'll be stuck to you like glue." He's being serious. Oh, and he's not done. "I also feel like I should have known something was up. I feel like I fucking failed you, V, so please for the love of God, let me help."
His words and declarations settle on my heart like a warm blanket. I get how he's feeling, so letting him take the reins with some things feels right. He needs this, and I need some support. We're both vulnerable in our own ways and so strong in others.
"Okay. Can you ask them to come over then?"
Jamie plants a firm kiss on my lips and says, "Of course. Go hop in the shower. I'll join you soon." When he shifts to grab his phone, I scurry away, not wanting to deal with the other two quite yet. Hopefully I'll get some before they get here.
Twenty-Four
NATE
“Maybe you should pull over and I'll drive."
"Shut it," I growl, gripping the steering wheel so hard my knuckles turn white.
Ellis just laughs off my rudeness and turns to fully face me. "You're panicking."
"No fucking shit." Cringing at my attitude, I force my shoulders to shake off the tension to no avail. Glancing at Ellis, I'm relieved to see amusement on his face. "I'm sorry. Fuck, this justneedsto go well."
His warm hand lands on my thigh, grounding me. "I know. It's okay. Honestly, I just don't want to die before we fucking get there. So could you please focus on driving so I can give Violet the satisfaction of killing me if that's what she desires."
Unable to hold my laughter in, I snort. "You're so dramatic. I'll get you to your place of death, don't you worry."
"Thank you." He beams at me as if I wasn't just being a huge douchebag. Grabbing his hand, I press a kiss to the back of it and do as he requested.
The drive has been tense, and the remaining ten minutes are the same. When Jamie called a bit ago asking us to come over to talk, I about fell over with joy and all-consuming fear.
Since then, my mind has been a mess of possibilities. Many of them aren't positive or hopeful, which is not how I want to feel going into this.
"What's the plan?" Ellis murmurs as I pull into the parking garage of Jamie's apartment complex.
My partner's uncertainty and show of vulnerability bring out my dominant side which is exactly what I need. Releasing the wheel and killing the engine, I say, "We need to be as honest as we can. No hiding our feelings or sugarcoating anything. They're worried that we aren't the men they got to know these last few weeks, so we show them that it isn't true."
"They're going to question everything," Ellis mutters with a dose of dread lingering in his tone.
I nod, knowing he's right. We're in for a grilling, an investigation of sorts. "So we will give them all of the answers."
"She hates us." He sounds so dejected already, and I realize I could have helped both of us if I hadn't been lost in my own spiral.
Nodding, I reply, "She might."
"So does he."
I nod again. "He could."
"They do, Nate," Ellis snaps, glaring at me. "And when we give them everything they demand, it will only be worse."
This time I shrug. "There's nothing else we can do, El. We've lied, betrayed, and made bad choices. This is theonlychoice. We give them our all for as long as we can, and if it's not enough, then it's not enough."
"I'll need you to drop me off at the new gym on the way home," he blurts, rubbing his sweaty hands on his thighs. "Need to run."
"Of course, darling. Let's go."
"Come in."
Be strong. Be fucking strong. Swallowing the bile in my throat at the detached look on Jamie's face, I guide Ellis into the apartment with a hand on his lower back.
