Page 117 of Twisted Fate

It wasn’t much, but it was there.

I picked at my pancakes, keeping my voice gentle.

“Don’t push him away, Jense. Not for me.”

It hurt that Lukas hadn’t pushed his sudden hate for me aside to check on me as well.

He hadn’t even acknowledged me when I’d shown up with Skeeter, covered in blood and tears trailing down my face.

“Rory,” he said firmly with affection, making me look up from my food to give him my full attention.

“Yeah?”

“I’m not pushing him away. I love you just as much as I love him, so he needs to accept that. He still loves you, he’s just freaked out. He’s shit scared of you getting hurt, so he’s trying to cut himself off and hate you to stop it hurting him so bad if you do end up dead. Give him some time, okay? Once all of this dies down, he’ll relax again. Now, tell me what’s going on in your head so I can help you deal with it. You look ready to explode, baby.”

Lukas was pretending to hate me because I scared him?

Was it my fault for not reassuring him enough?

I didn’t make a big deal out of Jensen admitting he loved Lukas, but it soothed my heart a little to know they were finally coming to terms with their feelings for each other.

I turned my attention to my coffee, and he rolled his eyes as he moved around the bench and pulled himself up onto it right next to me.

“I know you won’t talk about crew shit, but talk about the other stuff. I know we aren’t together, but I still love the hell out of you. I just want to help. Seriously, don’t let Lukas bother you right now, okay? He’ll come around when you stop getting shot at.”

“You can’t help me, I’m a dead bitch walking and it’s only going to end one way. They’re going down for killing Slash. That’s the only thing that matters,” I spat angrily, making him wince as concern crossed his face.

“Shouldn’t you lay low so they don’t find you?”

I threw my coffee across the kitchen so that the cup shattered, pushing the chair back and causing the legs to screech on the floor as anger consumed me.

“I hope they find me, because I’ll be fucking waiting! I’m going to kill every single one of those assholes for what they did to him!”

“Baby…”

“No! Don’t tell me it’s a bad idea, because I don’t give a fuck! They killed him! He’s fucking gone and he’s not coming back and…”

My shouting cracked as the first sob made its way out without permission.

I leaned back against the solid chest behind me as a hand landed on my waist, knowing Caden’s touch from anywhere.

He turned me around to face him, cradling the back of my head and letting me bury my face in his chest as he stroked my hair calmly.

“We know, baby. C’mon, you’re coming home with me for a few hours.”

I didn’t argue, but I glanced at Jensen, speaking softly.

“For the record? I love the hell out of you too. Go back home to Lukas, he needs you too. Tell him I love him?”

It probably wouldn’t make much of a difference, but Lukas needed to know that I wasn’t letting him push me away.

I needed him.

He nodded, tidying up the mess from breakfast and the coffee I’d thrown, before leaving silently.

Caden placed his arm around my waist and led me towards the door, but I paused at the last minute.

“I can’t leave Ty.”