Page 23 of Rebellious

“You’re saying that because you’ve never laid with him. Your outlook is completely different once you’ve been intimate, especially if you’re compatible.”

Rebel glowered at him. “Like you and Fia?”

“What? No! Where would you get that idea?”

“Your fucking words, Kaia. What are you talking about? Did you fucking hear yourself?”

“I wasn’t talking about me! I was talking about you and Diesel. That motherfucker wants to fuck you, and I hate the fuck out of him. I can’t compete, even if I earned ten fucking thousand dollars every two weeks. He thinks he fucking owns you, that miserable fuckhead.”

“He doesn’t,” she said flatly. “Believe me. Don’t believe me. I don’t care. The man who I belong to will belong to me as well. He won’t marry another woman because he’s a jackass times two. He won’t sleep around. He’ll belong to me, body and soul. Otherwise, I will never share my entire self.”

“Can we start over, Reb? I’m begging you.”

Her exhaustion didn’t help her bewilderment or the fear that her life was destined to end before she had a chance to live. Kaia finally wore her down, his plea eroding her reservations. “We can start over as friends.”

He smiled. “That’s an improvement from a few minutes ago.

I understand why, though. Sometimes I read about signs and from everything you’ve been through, it seems like you’ll die soon.”

“What?” she screeched, bursting into tears when she’d just calmed down.

“That came out wrong,” he said, snatching her into his arms and squeezing her. “Uh, you’ve almost died twice so you probably want to live your life free of anger and hate. That’s all I meant.”

“I’m afraid to die,” she cried, swiping her cheeks and forcing him to pull back. “I want to…I’m a virgin and…and…and…I want…” So much. Once, she’d wanted to marry Diesel and have his baby, but she was even more afraid of childbirth now than she had been a few weeks ago. Death was stalking her, she reminded herself. She didn’t need to help it along.

“I don’t want to die.”

“You’re not going to die, Reb.” Axel’s little voice spoke those words a moment before he barreled into view and climbed into bed next to her, hugging her tightly and sobbing softly. “I was so scared when Uncle Mort came to school and told us.”

“Me, too.” CJ glared at Kaia, who flushed and hightailed it out of there, leaving her alone with her brothers.

Ryder and Ransom stood side-by-side at the foot of her bed, their eyes watery though they held in their tears.

CJ leaned down and kissed her cheek. “I don’t know what I would do without you,” he said, his voice trembling.

Rebel swallowed, her own tears starting again. She refrained from revealing that Kaia agreed she didn’t have long to live.

CJ straightened. Bent and kissed her cheek a second time. Straightened again and shoved his hands in his pockets. Axel snuggled against her. Ryder and Ransom remained silent.

“I can read Little Red Riding Hood to you, Reb,” Axel said.

“I thought you wanted a new fairytale, Ax,” CJ responded, releasing a breath as if relieved for a new topic of conversation. “Because of the video of—”

“Don’t fucking remind a man,” Axel ordered, his little body stiffening. “But remember when Mom and Aunt Zoann went somewhere when I was a kid? When Dad got the book out, Reb pretended she was Little Red and the Grandma, and Rule was the Big Bad Wolf, then he drew a lot of stuffs for me.”

At the mention of her twin, Rebel wilted a little more and her lower lip trembled.

“Don’t cry, Reb!” CJ said, alarmed, hugging her and kissing her cheek yet again.

“I’m sorry!” Axel said around a sob.

Rebel put an arm around his shoulders and laid her cheek on the top of his head. “It’s okay. I’m so happy to have you, CJ, Ryder, and Ransom here. I just wish Rule was nearby.”

“Me, too,” Axel said in a watery voice. “I’ve been thinking about sending him the drawings. At first, I was going to tear them up cuz of what he did to you, but Diesel told me not to. I’m glad I listened. I would’ve been sad because I love Rule again.”

“Then why are you sending the drawings to him?” Ransom asked, confusion knitting his brow.

“So he can give them back to me when he’s ready to come home,” Axel said, his sad, little boy’s voice melting Rebel’s heart and reminding her that she had so many reasons to laugh and to live. To love. Her family. Her life. Her luck.