Fuck.Fuck."I'm sorry, princess," I say hoarsely, and press my lips to her forehead.
I knew that. She let us read her report. To say I didn't swallow bile and despair-filled screams would be a lie. I hope Kade and Jarek are okay...It's been a bit since their bonds stopped snapping out and raging like a storm in our chests.
"S'okay," she whispers with a reassuring squeeze of my hand. Inhaling her salty, fresh scent, I close my eyes and soak her in.
When I open my eyes and pull back, Riot looks ready to go to war. "Are you okay, Firefly?"
Vivie gives him a thumbs up over her shoulder, then snuggles back in. The poor man scowls in response to her silence.
"See?" I sigh. "There is always room for us to mess up or misreadanyone,no matter how long we've known them. But I can see for a fact that her selective mutism riles up your alpha side and challenges your control. Probably because you've lived a life where people, young, old, rich or poor, respond to you how you expect them to."
"Selective mutism? I'll need to research that," he says thoughtfully.
Hmm. "It's not a one size fits all, Riot. So less research, more intention to learn about the people you're with."
"I admit realizing that shecantalk makes it a bit harder to understand why she chooses not to talk to me. It's even more confusing when I see she doesn't always speak to her mates either. And you're right, nobody has ever not answered me," he admits.
Glancing down at my woman, I see her lips twist, but I can't tell if she's annoyed with Riot or just thinking.
"It's not a choice, first and foremost. Her anxiety and insecurities lock her voice away. I can give you the dos and don'ts if you'd like? Vivie has a very strict list of what pisses her off when people realize she's selectively mute."
Groaning, Vivian throws my hand back at me. "Silas, no."
Laughing, I poke her nose. "Did he do all the things you hate? Pity you, apologize for not realizing, get mad?"
Riot curses, and Vivian actually grins. Fuckinggrins. "He gets really mad," she mutters, still smiling.
Thatgets a reaction from him. "I don't get mad, Vivian. I get fucking frustrated when you're not telling me why the hell you make things so hard for yourself. Had you told me you plannedon getting beaten up every damn hour, I would have tried to convince you before it happened to let me help!"
"Hey, calm down," I order, not liking how loud he's getting with my woman. He's already standing and walking around to stand beside me, easier now without his IV. To my relief, Vivie doesn't cower away from him. She just matches his energy with a glare.
Her lips are tightly closed, so I decide I should help them out. "Riot, it wasn't about you. Vivian?—"
"Itshouldhave been about me. Those assholes took out all their prejudice and rage on her, when I wasright there. Fuck, just never mind," he growls and drops his chin to his chest as he scrubs his face. "I'm sorry you thought I was mad about you not talking. I was angry and frustrated that I couldn't help you, Vivian. And pissed you wouldn't let me help."
With that, he stomps away and closes himself in the bathroom. "Wow. I don't even know what to say," I mumble. "That got deep really fast. Didn't know he had it in him."
Vivian snorts and burrows back into her pillow. "Very emotional, that one."
"He brings out your sass," I note, rubbing my thumb over her cheek.
She playfully nips at my finger, and I allow her to brush off the conversation we had with her teasing.
It's been a really hard fucking day and if she doesn't want to work things out with Riot right now, then she doesn't have to. We'll make sure he doesn't go anywhere.
Eight
Vivian
"So, what makes it hard for you to talk?"
Startled, I gasp and whip my head to the left. With my hand pressed to my chest and my breath whooshing out of me, I glare at Riot.
The gauze around his eye is gone, and in its place is a soft-looking eyepatch. After more tests, they found less damage than they initially thought and told him to keep the eyepatch on for at least a week or two to give his eye time to heal. I laughed the first time I saw him with it, but I've already gotten used to it.
He chuckles at my glare and winces as he shifts to sit against the headboard of his bed. "Sorry, Firefly. I didn't know how else to snap you out of your zone. You okay?"
Nodding, I wipe a lone tear from my jaw. Kade, Jarek, and Silas are asleep in various spots around the room. Like a weirdo, I offer Riot a small wave. I hadn't realized he was awake too.
