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“I know,” I say, wondering just how bad the stuff he has to tell me is, but I know I don’t need to voice that fear. Not to him.
“I won’t let them break you either.”
He holds me like I’m made of glass until the bell rings. “Come on, let me walk you to class,” he says softly. “We’ll talk later.”
I pull back from him and he takes my hand, intertwining my fingers with his. Standing next to him like this, I feel like there isn’t any battle we couldn’t win.
I just hope we can weather the storm that's coming.
* * *
Today at school fucking sucked, so despite knowing Lincoln and I need to talk, I persuade him to hang out with me and East first. Which is exactly why we’re all camped out on East’s giant bed, Lincoln in sweats and a muscle top, me in his hoodie and my leggings, watching a cheesy action movie.
Pretty sure East is bored out of his mind, but he sits on the other side of me, and I’m wrapped around the two of them.
Lincoln’s phone rings for the eleventy-billionth time since we hit play and he sighs. “I’m going to have to get this,” he says, standing and leaving the room. East pauses the movie and looks down at me.
“How are you doing?”
I kiss his cheek softly and smile. “Pretty sure I should be asking you that.”
“Well I asked first,” he says, his eyes sparkling.
“I’m okay, just worried about him,” I say, telling him what Blair said earlier in the day. Lincoln has been distracted ever since. Not that I blame him, but I wish he’d talk to me.
“Harrison is such a fucking asshole. Pretty sure if he didn’t think Lincoln would leave, he’d have kicked me out of the house already.” I frown at the thought.
“If he does, just come stay with me. I mean, you could just come stay with me anyway. You all could. If I thought it would help, I’d insist on it.”
He laughs softly, shaking his head. “I’m sure you would, but unless they can get free of the Knights, there isn’t anything that can help them.”
“Is there a way to get them free?”
He shakes his head and my heart sinks. “I’ve been trying to think of a way for years. Ever since Harrison told me I wasn’t his heir, that Lincoln would be inducted. I contemplated running away with him, trying to make it on our own, but he was so young, and they inducted him before I had a chance to do anything. The only way out of the Knights, as far as I can see, is death. The only person who is out, without it, is you.”
Confusion rushes through me. I didn’t think I was free? I mean, I know I haven’t been inducted but… none of this makes sense. “Me? But I thought the Knights wanted me? That was the whole point of everything they did to me when I came back here.”
“That's part of what I wanted to talk to you about,” Lincoln says, as he steps further into the room. I hadn’t heard him open the door.
“Sorry man,” East says, wincing. “I thought she knew.”
“It’s fine. I was going to tell her tonight anyway,” he says as he moves toward the bed. “Have you had your meds?”
East groans, shaking his head. “No, I wanted to be coherent since you guys were around and they just make me fucking sleep.”
“East, you can’t miss your meds, you only just got out of the hospital!” I scold, and he frowns. “I want you to get better. If anything else happens to you because of me…”
I trail off and he grabs my face in his hands, making me look at him. “This wasn’t your fault.” He kisses me, pouring every part of himself into it, and I sigh against him. He pulls back and glances over at Lincoln. “You guys should talk, but I’m here if either of you need a sounding board. Not being a Knight gives me a different perspective sometimes.”
I clasp his hand as he releases my cheeks. “Thank you,”
“You don’t ever have to thank me, V. I love you. I’d literally burn the world for you if you asked me to. Maybe even if you didn’t.”
I laugh softly, and Lincoln coughs out something that sounds like “suck up.”
“Come on,” Linc says, holding his hand out to me. “We should probably get this over with sooner rather than later.” He turns to East and quirks a brow. “Take your damn pills. I’ll check on you later.”
I climb from the bed, kissing the inside of East’s wrist as I do. “I love you too. I’ll see you tomorrow?”
