“I can hear you,” Summer rasps.
I sag back into the sofa, pinching the bridge of my nose.I didn’t realise how tense I had been by her catatonic behaviour until now.“She speaks,” I mumble.
“So not a zombie,” Isaac mutters, no longer staring at her, though he does seem disappointed.
“What happened for you to seek us out?”Jaxon questions.“Howdid you find us?”
She runs over what happened at her workplace, the room growing tenser and tenser with each word.
She had been scared, and not just of the situation, butforus.A grin forms on my mouth when I realise what that means.
She likes me.
Any other girl would have let me burn.
“Why are you smiling?”Isaac whispers to me.
“Wait, can you describe the person the other voice belonged to?”Jaxon asks, his words urgent.
“I didn’t see him.I didn’t recognise his voice either,” she replies softly.“But I was also freaked out.I’m sorry.”
“Don’t ever be sorry.You saved all our lives,” Liam tells her.
“Why are they so obsessed with you?”Makayla blurts out, looking confused.It would be cute if I didn’t think it was an insult.“I don’t get it.”
Paisley chuckles, not the least bit offended like I am.I mean, what’s not to obsess over?We are fucking legends.I’d obsess over me too.
When all eyes go to Makayla, a pink tinge blooms on her cheeks.It’s Malia who replies.“I don’t think it’s about them as people.”
“It wouldn’t be the first time people have obsessed over us,” I remark, letting her know I am offended she thinks we wouldn’t be worthy of someone’s obsession.
“I don’t think they are doing this because they want to date you, Reid,” Summer sasses.“Not everything is about you.”
“I beg to differ,” I sniff, affronted by her comment.
Malia gets to her feet.“Fuck this.I’ve got shit to do.”
Summer inhales sharply, and quicker than I expected her to move in her condition, she immediately follows, diving onto her cousin’s back.I get up when they fall to the ground.
“Oh no you don’t,” Summer argues.
“Get off me, Summer.”
“No.Not until you promise me you won’t do anything.Don’t make me give you a nipple cripple.I will though.”
As hot as it would be to see Summer touching another chick, my mind goes to the last nipple cripple Luke gave me, and I wince.I had a bruise for weeks, he twisted so fucking hard.Women are vicious, so I dread to think what damage they could cause.
I glare at him and his lips pull up into a smirk, like he knows where my mind immediately went.
Malia rolls until she’s on top of Summer.“I will not make that promise.We know who did this.I don’t see the point in sitting around waiting for them to try again.She’s fucking dead.”
Liam peels her up off the floor, restraining her when she goes to leave.“Nuh uh.You aren’t going anywhere.”
“Listen here, handsome, if you want to keep that pretty face, you will let me fucking deal with this my way.I don’t take kindly to people who try to hurt me or mine.And Summer is ours.”
I help Summer up off the floor.“You do realise you were close to an explosion today and really shouldn’t be diving on people.”
She inhales softly when she realises Liam won’t let Malia go.“You think she’s joking.Once, a drunk guy got into a fight outside a club.I got knocked into the street and a car barely stopped in time from hitting me.It barely tapped me.The next day, I saw the same guy who knocked into me on crutches.She had broken his leg,” she whispers.
