Page 45 of Healer’s Betrayal

I take in the three men standing in some sort of stand-off. Jackson looks mad, like spitting mad. Then there’s a tall guy with blond hair and another bigger, broader guy with dark hair. “What’s going on?” I finally ask.

More than one set of eyes turns my way, but it’s Jackson’s eyes that I meet. I take in the color of his eyes and suck in a breath. He strides over to me a moment later, stopping just centimeters from me. “Are you okay?” His voice is gruffer than usual, and that’s saying something.

I frown. “What happened? Who are all these people?”

“We’re your new BFFs,” the tall girl with dark hair pronounces.

“She may not be ready for that yet,” the other girl, who’s shorter and has a belly on her, says.

“Is anybody?” the dark-haired girl asks.

The blond with the belly cocks her head to the side. “True.” Then she meets my gaze and gives me what I would consider a hesitant smile. “Hi, I’m Ava.”

Before I can put my hand out, the tall guy with blond hair appears next to her and wraps an arm around her side. “If you breathe wrong in her direction, I will end you.”

I suck in a breath at the vehemence in this guy’s gaze and tone. I put my hands up. “I-I won’t. I promise.”

“Not you,” the dark-haired girl says. “The dangerous one behind you.”

I turn and take in Jackson. He looks...terrifying. There’s a menace coming off him that’s never been present before. “Same.” That’s all he says, and yet, it seems to indicate an entire threat incapsulated in one word.

“Well, since we’re all posturing and threatening, you go, Baby,” the girl with dark hair says to the broad guy at her side. He crosses his arms over his chest and levels a look at Jackson. She turns back to the men and grins. “That was it. Now, who’s hungry?”

I finally find my voice. “I’m sorry. Who are you?”

The girl beams at me. “I’m Raechel with an e; Rae for short.”

“Aren’t all Rachels spelled with an e?”

“Yes, they are. They are not, however, spelled with two e’s—one at the beginning and one at the end.”

“So, you spell it, E-R-A-C-H-E-L? Erachel?”

She scowls. “What kind of name is that? It’s Raechel. R-A-E-C-H-E”—she stops. “You’re yanking my chain.”

I shake my head, trying to figure this all out. “Come on, Erachel,” the blond says, wrapping her arm around her. “Let’s go find a snack.”

The Raechel girl frowns. “You always want a snack.”

“That’s because the first trimester I didn’t eat the entire time; I was too busy throwing up literally everything.” Raechel and I frown, but it doesn’t seem to stop the blond. “I think I set a record for how many times I threw up. Guess how many times I threw up in Bryce’s car?”

“I really don’t want to—” Raechel starts.

“Seventeen,” the girl says.

Raechel scrunches up her nose and looks at the guy beside the blond. “Remind me to never ride in your car.”

“See?” the blond bemoans. “That’s why I’m so hungry all the time.”

“Uh, not to break up this happy story,” I start. “But who in the world are you people, and why are you in my home?”

“Hate to break it to you, Girlie,” Raechel says. “But this is not a home.” I cross my arms over my chest and lift an eyebrow. “Oh, wow,” she whispers to the blond. “She does that almost as good as Emma.” Then she smiles at me. “I’m Raechel.”

“With two e’s,” I say flatly. “I remember.”

She smirks. “And this one with the big ol’ belly is Ava.”

“Thanks, Rae,” Ava says flatly.