Page 100 of Let’s Be Real

“I do too.”

I rolled my forehead along hers, breathing her in. She’d been my stalwart support for weeks. I wasn’t sure many women would have stuck around for all this, and she’d done more than stick—she’d been solid by my side the whole time.

There was a dark voice in my head that never quite shut up. I’d had it for as long as I could remember. It was quiet now, only whispering shreds of doubt that soon this would be too much. I’d lean too hard, and she’d get tired of it, no matter how much she cared for me.

Before I could tell her to take a break, Adrian stomped over. “This is such a farce,” he uttered. “Do you think Louise has actually been in touch with any of these people?”

Samantha pulled back from my chest, fastening herself to my side. “I think it was probably a lot easier for them to forgive her for leaving town, so yeah, probably.”

He scoffed. “I don’t know how I feel about you being dragged into this. What, did she manage to charm you in her final days? That was what she did, you know. On her good days, she’d been the most charming, fun person in the room. If only it could have been all good days.”

“I wasn’t dragged.” Samantha gave him a light shove. “You’re not mad at me, so don’t try it, buddy. I’m not going to stand for it.”

He glared at her, but it slipped away just as fast and his head fell on her shoulder. She managed to put one arm around him while keeping the other around me.

“We’re all tired,” she murmured. “This will be over soon, and we can move on. Try to stick it out a little longer, okay?”

“Yeah,” he gruffed. “Sorry for being a dick to you. I’m not mad at you.”

“Like I said”—she patted his cheek—“be nice to Nate and Roman. I don’t think either of them have slept in a week.”

“Neither have you,” I pointed out.

“But you were already in a deficit,” she argued. “I worry about you.”

“Don’t worry about me.” I dropped my head to kiss her shoulder. “You already do enough of that. I’ll get some sleep tonight, as long as you’re with me.”

“Where else would I be?”

Adrian let out a low groan. “I don’t know. I thought the two of you were a good idea, but now I’m second-guessing myself. I’d rather not have to stand here listening to you being sweet to each other.”

Samantha shooed him with a flick of her hand. “Go sulk with Benny. He looks like he could use some company.”

He started to turn away but backtracked, slamming into me. His arms banded tight around my shoulders, and his breath came out in hard bursts.

“I hate this,” he mumbled into my suit jacket. “I hate it so fucking much, and you and Rome are bearing the brunt of this bullshit, as always.”

I grabbed him just as fiercely, pressing my cheek to his. “It is bullshit, isn’t it?”

“Yeah.” He laughed bitterly. “Complete bullshit. Death, funerals, mourning a woman who’d already been gone. Christ, I hate this, Nate.”

It wasn’t long before Ben appeared, then Roman, crowding around me, sharing the same sentiment. I hadn’t realized I’d been waiting for this moment until it happened. And all I could feel was a great sense of relief to be in this with them.

Samantha slipped away, allowing us to be together—the four Wells boys. It’d always been us. Four corners, each different; but without one, the whole thing came tumbling down.

Chapter Thirty-five

Samantha

I leaned against the wall in the hallway outside the restrooms, catching my breath. Another hour, and we could leave. Nate and I could curl up in his bed, and hopefully, I’d be able to convince him to nap with me.

God, a nap sounded like heaven right about now.

My shoulders felt like concrete, every muscle pulled tight. Actually, a massage would have been just as nice as a nap. Maybe I could convince Nate of that too.

A woman pushed out of the restroom, her high heels stuttering when she spotted me in the hall. I straightened, preparing myself for polite conversation with one of Louise’s old friends. Then I took her in, realizing who she was.

A dozen memories rose to the surface like a zombie’s hand breaching the dirt of its grave.