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“Here you go. And if you need a doctor to look at that…” She points at my jaw, which at this moment is starting to throb. I must be starting to sober up. For the first time since Axel and I fought, my whole body aches.
“Advil? Do you have any?” I rub the back of my neck and look down the hall, noticing Ryder is coming toward me.
“Um… I can’t give any medications without a doctor.” She bites her lip, reminding me of Dolly when she bites her lip. Only Dolly has spectacular red puffy lips and this girl’s are thin and small.
I shake my head to snap the fuck out of this. “Thank you,” I say, handing her the ice pack.
“Please, put it on your jaw and hands.” She sits back down as I glance over at Ryder who looks like he wants to put a bullet in my head and dump me in the desert.
“This way, Edge.” His deep voice seems to make the walls shake.
Wordlessly, I follow him back to the room, stopping at the door where his big body blocks me.
“I don’t have to step in here, do I? Looks like Axel already beat me to it.”
“I’m fucked up. But you have nothing to worry about.” He hesitates and sighs, looking up at the ceiling.
“I’m sorry, Edge, but Dolly is on her way over. Again, is this gonna be a problem?”
Hearing her name makes my heart hurt, but I snarl, “No” and move past him to see David and Charlie, my mind already trying to block her out.
The room is nothing but a celebration. Blade has an arm around Eve who is laughing with Axel. I’ve got to look better than he does, yet no one is taking him out to the hallway for a talk. I toss the ice pack in the trash can and turn to a worried-looking David and a disappointed-looking Charlie.
When I clear my voice, it’s as if the room stops to watch me. I go over to the bed and address Charlie first.
“You look beautiful. I’m so happy for both of you.”
Charlie reaches for my swollen knuckles and looks at me as if she’s trying to read my mind or something.
“Rough night.” My voice sounds flat.
“Oh, Edge.” Her eyes fill with tears and if I didn’t feel like shit earlier, making Charlie cry sinks me to a new low.
She loves Dolly, wants her to be happy, and me showing up looking like this, well, it’s not like Dolly and I are ever subtle.
My eyes shift to David who still looks like he feels bad for me. That’s worse than anything.
I’d rather them hate me than pity me.
“I should go.” I look up at all my brothers staring at me. Axel looks away and I know she’s behind me. The room instantly feels like it has an electrical charge to it. And my cock, which has been dead all night, hardens as her vanilla candy scent permeates me.
I walk over to the baby who is in the plastic crib thingy by Charlie’s bed. “David.” I look at him. “He’s beautiful.” I nod at the red-faced baby.
“He’s a champ already, coming almost three weeks early. Look at him. He’s gonna take on the world.” David reaches in and scoops him up. The love for this child simply seeps out of him.
I turn and stare at her. She stands holding Charlie’s hand much like I did a few moments before. Dressed in a short flower girl-type white dress and some brown lace-up boots, she’s wearing her hair down. It’s slightly wet and curling at the ends. Her lips look like she had collagen injected. It’s clear she’s been crying. Good. I’m happy. I hope she’s at least as miserable as I am because she can’t be more. As she parts her lips, it looks as though her red lipstick is all the makeup she’s wearing. She keeps her sunglasses on.
“What happened?” She comes around the bed and straight over to me. Her body heat invades my own and I pull away before she can touch me.
“Why don’t you hold the baby, Dolly.” The room grows quiet again as I cross my arms.
Eve steps over and hugs her, saying, “Maybe later. He’s sleeping, right David?”
David looks at me and I turn my back because I don’t wanna see that my Dolly can’t even do this small thing like hold a baby. How did I not see this before?
My mind goes to Eve and Blade’s babies’ births. We were always there, yet I never remember her holding any of them. Christ, I don’t know if she even pays them any attention now.
They call her Auntie Dolly, but besides buying them things, she barely looks at them.
David walks over with his son. “Dolly meet Zachery Jason McCormick.” My eyes dart to Blade who stands with his arms crossed, watching.
