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Chapter 21
Addie
It was the freaking wedding of the century.
Seriously. I don’t think anything could compare.
What was probably once a living room was now devoid of any couches and TVs, instead set up with row after row of folding chairs. In each chair, blind gazes fixed eerily on the front of the room, were stuffed animals.
And no, I am not kidding. Actual stuffed animals.
I didn’t know whether I wanted to pity Whore or hate her even more. There was obviously something severely wrong with her brain, but hello. I was kidnapped and tied to a chair. And beaten. You couldn’t forget that little tidbit of information.
Instead of untying me, Whore Bag merely dragged me down the hallway. She didn’t seem to care if I ran into a wall or if the chair got stuck in the carpeting. I could’ve sworn that she did it on purpose, especially when she let out a lilting laugh whenever I groaned.
Apparently, my pain was amusing...?
I wondered if she would still find it amusing if I put my foot up her ass.
Glancing around the room, I realized suddenly that my throat was parched. I couldn’t remember the last time I had had a sip to drink. Probably during my date with Calax, which seemed like eons ago.
Calax...
My mind conjured up images of his handsome face the last time I had seen him. Dark hair grazing his eyebrows, in desperate need of a cut. Muscles clearly defined beneath his dark t-shirt. Low-slung jeans that revealed a tiny swath of golden skin whenever he stretched. My heart ached something fierce when I thought about him.
He, no doubt, would realize that I had been taken. At least, I hoped that was what he would conclude. I didn’t want him to think that I would ever abandon him.
I had considered it, briefly, but I knew the bastard would only follow me.
I thought of Fallon, next. His impassive face contradicting with eyes that always seemed to hold a boatload of emotion. His golden-brown hair messily tied back into a ponytail.
Tam. My shy, sweet boy. His hair constantly covered his face as if it was an actual shield between him and the outside world. I envisioned his finger pressing his glasses further up his nose. What happened in his life to make him so shy, so timid, so afraid? I longed to break through his walls as he had done to mine.
Ronan was my leprechaun. Protective of those he cared about, he still never failed to make me laugh. There was so much I yearned to learn about him. Why did he have a unicorn tattooed across his chest? Why did he dye his hair green?
Declan was another enigma, mainly because I couldn’t help but compare him to my childhood best friend. I knew that the man no longer resembled the boy, but I thought I saw glimpses of Ducky in his expression. When he smirked? Ducky. Blushed? Ducky. But his features had hardened, time and space chipping away at the sweet boy I remembered. I longed for the relationship I once had with him, but I knew I had to look forward instead of backwards. Ducky was gone, but Declan was still around. I just had to decide if I liked the new man as much as I had loved the boy.
Asher had always been my sweetheart. He had this innocence about him, this compassion, that put others to shame. He was too good for this world. Too good for me. I tried not to allow that realization to pain me as much as it did, but I felt tears spring in my eyes.
Maybe it would be better for everyone if I just stayed away.
I knew for a fact that Calax would finish my mission for me. He may not have known about Nik, but he would do anything to ensure my happiness. By association, Nik was now his brother as well.
My heart thumped painfully in my chest at the thought of never seeing any of them again.
I thought of Tommy, my little friend with sass that put even mine to shame. What would he do now that I was gone? Would he allow his depression and grief to consume him?
I could only hope that the boys would keep an eye on him. They may have claimed that they hated him, but I saw their eyes sparkling with amusement on more than one occasion. They considered him a little brother, just as I did.
I told myself that if I were to get out of this shest (shit fest) alive, I would tell Calax the truth about my feelings for him. And then I would go on to explain how I also had feelings towards the other members of his team. He might hate me after my confession, but he deserved my honesty. I would also make sure he understood that I didn’t love him any less. My heart was growing, expanding, making room for these men that had somehow snuck their way past my defenses.
I didn’t love them all. I knew that.
But I also knew that I couldn’t imagine a life without them in it. Actually, I could, but the world without them in it was so bleak and depressing that I didn’t want to even consider it. The emotions I felt towards them were confusing and terrifying, but also kind of exhilarating.
Music began to play from the speakers, and I flinched instinctively at the strident voice singing about first love and all that shit.
Whore Bag stood in the doorway, wilted flowers in her hands and a long white dress clinging to her curves. I had to admit that the dress was gorgeous. The bodice appeared rather snug, but the skirt cascaded around her legs like rivulets of snow. Her dark hair was twisted into an elaborate braid, and she had applied a light coat of makeup onto her face.
