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“December.” The warning came from Knight, his head shaking. Jax and LJ had all but looked away, and I faced Royal when he brushed my arm with two fingers.
The beautiful boy smiled a little at me, a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Pneumonia,” he passed off again. “Almost took me but it didn’t.”
Christ, and how terrible? That was bad, but I didn’t understand why things suddenly got so weird, though. Nor why no one was watching the movie anymore. They all seemed hell-bent in sitting in this awkwardness, then watching Royal when he stood.
“I’m going to get some more popcorn,” he said, taking the time to pause the movie. He tossed the remote on the ottoman. “Want anything?”
Since the question had been directed at me I shook my head and Royal reached down, bending my head forward to kiss the top.
“I’ll be back.” He left me with that, left us all with that, and LJ kicked Jax.
“Go with him,” LJ growled, and Jax immediately popped off the couch.
“Eh, bro. I need something,” Jax exclaimed, traipsing after Royal, and once they cleared the room, I ran my hand over Hershey’s head.
“What was that about?” I asked, Hershey leaning into my touch. She fell on her back for a belly rub, really getting too big for that with her size, but I gave into her anyway. I smiled at her, but the guys weren’t smiling at all.
Knight frowned. “Not our place to go there.”
“Go where?”
Knight gazed away with a huff and LJ put his hands together. The tall blond leaned forward. “We don’t talk about that year Royal got sick.”
“Why?” I asked really curious. “Was it that bad?”
“Pretty bad. Yeah, but that’s not why we don’t talk about it.”
“LJ.” Another warning, but this time obviously directed at LJ, the growl low in Knight’s voice. Knight’s dark eyes flicked in my direction. “That was the year Royal lost his mom and sister.”
My lips parted. “What happened?” I’d heard a car accident, but what did that have to do with Royal getting sick?
Knight wet his lips. “It was a car crash, but you need to ask Royal about it. I’m sorry. It really isn’t our place to go into details.”
“We miss anything?” Royal came back into the room, Jax behind him with a couple of beers from my dad’s fridge. When Jax offered, I quickly took one, nursing it while Royal and Jax got comfortable around me. Reaching for the remote, Royal started the movie again, and since he hadn’t missed anything I wanted to detail in the conversation, I stayed silent.
I’d been the only one to miss something in the end.
Eleven
December
The tone changed for a little bit after what was said during My Girl, but eventually, things mellowed out. I actually ended up falling asleep, and I was glad since the movie was so sad in the end. It was probably also the wrong thing to watch considering my sister, but since Royal didn’t mind watching it, that’s what we did. I ended up waking up while another movie was playing, and kissing my forehead, Royal advised it was probably time for the other guys to go. My dad would be back eventually tonight, and the last thing he needed to see were four large boys on my couch. He already wasn’t too fond of Royal. Royal slapped all the fellas’ hands, and after letting them out, he came back for Hershey and me. Helped us upstairs. I’d drunk a little too much, one or two beers I’d had before falling asleep. Royal assisted me by getting Hershey in her kennel and later, putting me into bed.
He tucked me in and everything, pinching my chin and kissing my lips. His weight hovering over me and fine smell around me quickly made me want more, and I opened my bed to him.
“Stay with me,” I hummed, pushing his academy jacket off, but he stopped my hurried hands, rubbing my nose with his.
“Your dad,” he said, the only logical one here. If Dad wouldn’t be happy about four boys on my couch, he definitely wouldn’t be happy about one of them in my bed.
Smiling, I slid arms around his waist. “Lock the door. He’ll know I’m in here, then. That I’m safe, but won’t try to come in.”
I’d gathered a few things about my dad too since moving in here. He needed security in proximity, nothing more. The locked door would let him know I was home.
Taking that for what it was, Royal grinned, leaving my bed only long enough to lock the door, then come back. After tossing his jacket, he unbuttoned his shirt, giving me a show when he exposed his golden, chiseled skin. His body was absolutely perfect, and he wasn’t shy about not hiding it. He toed off his shoes, then joined me in my bed, cuddling with me when he breathed kisses on my neck. I wanted him here. I wanted him safe, and there was no way he was going back to his dad’s house even if he wasn’t there. I supposed he could stay at Windsor House, the Court’s headquarters, but I didn’t even want him there. I wanted him with me.
I sighed when he lifted my shirt, then pulled it off. That left my bra on but when he reached around to pull it off, I placed a hand between us.
“Can we just hold each other for a while?” I asked, and that didn’t seem to bother him at all. He quickly got in to it, covering me with his hard body.
