“We’ll be there soon, Baby Girl.” He replied, ignoring what everyone knew.
“I love you,” Reyna said and then hung up.
I closed my eyes and thought back to a time when Hannah said that to me without all the complications surrounding it.
Would I go back in time if I knew then what I know now? To blissful happiness before all the changes happened?
I thought of Hannah, silently questioning everything she knew about herself and how lonely I’d been when I had been at the same point years ago.
I thought of Lex, and how her spunky fire made me ache to be more and be better because she deserved it. Especially knowing why she was so bold and independent.
Then I thought of Brody, and how for years he felt like my literal other half. When I felt like we were so in sync and open with each other. There was a raw honesty between us we didn’t have with Hannah because we rarely minced words or worry about feelings.
Until suddenly, the words cut so deep that I couldn’t stop the blood that ran free in their wake.
Would we recover from our fight? Did he want to? Did I want to?
I ran every possibility through my head as we neared my home and became more distraught with each passing minute.
What if he didn’t want to be with me anymore, but wanted just Hannah and Lex? Was that something I could do, just cut that part of my life off and pretend it didn’t happen?
What if he wanted to go on like we always had? Could I pretend he didn’t regret me?
God, I was fucked.
“Hey, man.” Parker put his hand on my shoulder and shook me gently as I snapped my eyes open, getting my bearings as we sat in the driveway at the house.
“Right,” I nodded, wiping my face with my hand, glancing over to him, “Thanks again.”
“You aren’t regrettable, Knox.” He said, holding my stare through the dim lights from the dash. “He was wrong. And you deserve better than to be treated that way.”
I nodded and looked away, unable to speak through the thick emotion building in my chest. I opened the truck door and got out, stretching my tired body as Parker stood at the hood, watching silently.
The front door opened and Hannah ran out at breakneck speed, nearly missing every step on the way down and sprinting across the lawn to me wearing a nightgown and silk robe. “Oh, my god!” She cried, flinging herself into my arms.
Even though I was dead on my feet, I caught her and squeezed her back so tight I doubted she could breathe. She clung to me just as tight, running her hands over my head and neck as she cried into my ear. “I’m sorry.” I apologized. “I’m so sorry.”
“Shh,” She hushed me and pulled back far enough to press her lips to mine. “Don’t you dare apologize to me. Never. Not for this” She buried her face back in my neck, with her legs still wrapped around my waist.
Lex hovered at the steps, wearing an equally sexy robe with her dark hair piled on top of her head. They must have been in bed when Parker called them and I wanted nothing more than to just crawl between them and the sheets and let the darkness take me under again.
Reyna walked to Parker’s side, and they silently got in his truck, backing out of the driveway, leaving the three of us in the silence and the porch light.
“Let’s go inside,” Hannah slid from my arms and looked up at me. “You can take a shower while I make you some dinner, and then we can figure this out.”
I shook my head, giving her what I hoped was a believable smile. “I just need a quick shower and some sleep.”
She pursed her lips but didn’t argue, simply lacing her fingers through mine and walking alongside me toward the house.
When we neared Lex, she stayed silent, expressing so much with those dark, troubled eyes as she gave us space.
But I didn’t want space. When I got to the bottom of the stairs, I stopped and leaned into her, gently pressing my lips to hers. I didn’t ask or wait for her invitation, and I guess that was exactly what started the entire argument between Brody and me. My inability to be sensitive to her needs because I didn’t understand them.
But she didn’t hesitate for even a second before putting her hands on my cheeks and kissing me back. When I pulled back, she rested her forehead against mine, “Welcome home. We missed you.” She whispered, and I kissed her again.
“Let’s get you both inside before you get cold.” I pulled Hannah under my arm and Lex wrapped her arms around my waist as we walked inside.
“Let me fix you something to eat.” Hannah looked up at me worriedly, “You look like you haven’t eaten in days.”
“Parker has a large supply of protein bars in that truck of his. I just want to clean this stink off and sleep, baby. I’m okay.”
She nodded to the stairs, “You can go shower if you want, but I’m making you something. You can choose to eat it or not when you’re clean.”
I smirked and gave in to her insistence. “Whatever you say.” I kicked my boots off and climbed the stairs, ditching my clothes in the hallway so the stink didn’t follow me.
I turned the shower on and avoided looking in the mirror as the water heated and walked in. The water was steaming hot and was exactly what I needed to burn the grime off my body from lying on the ground for two days.
I tried not to think as the power of a hot shower tried to spin the wheels that hadn’t stopped until Hannah landed in my arms. I didn’t want to worry about the what-ifs and regrets. All I wanted was to forget it all.
I placed my palm on the stone wall and hung my head under the water, letting it run over my body, trying to silence the noise in my head. A soft voice came from the entrance to the oversized shower, and I looked over my shoulder as Lex stepped in.
Naked from head to toe, with her hair still piled up on her head. “I don’t want you to be alone.” I held her stare, unable to speak as so much spun around in my head. “Is that okay?” She asked, stepping behind me, gently wrapping her arms around my torso and placing one kiss between my shoulder blades.
Her body was warm against mine and I put my hand over hers against my stomach, unable to fight the comfort she was offering.
“I’m so sorry, Knox.” She whispered, gliding her hands over my abs and chest. “I never wanted you to hurt because of me. Never.”
“Shh.” I hushed her, lifting her hand to kiss her palm. “I can’t think about it right now.”