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Sliding my hand under Lay’s, I finish off our little love fest confessions. “We may be an unconventional group of lovebirds to the outside world, but we fit together in exactly the right way. We’re four kinda broken, kinda imperfect puzzle pieces that connect and create the very best versions of ourselves. There’s no one out there who could bring out the best in each of us quite like you do. Thank you for giving life with us a chance.”
“Thank you for saving me,” she whispers back, her gaze flitting between all of us. “You all brought out the parts of me that I didn’t even know were there. The person I was before coming here was a shell that hid the real me from the world. You broke it open and pulled me out, saving me from myself. I love all of you and I’m forever happy that I didn’t give up that night.”
Her eyes fill with tears, the first time I said those words to her flashing in both of our minds. Sitting on that bridge with her as she contemplated taking her own life is one of those moments in my life where I distinctly knew that everything was about to change. I either talked her off the bridge, or I followed her in trying to save her.
When I walked up behind her, I was shaking from head to toe with fear. All I knew was that it couldn’t end there, she couldn’t just leave us like that. Alayna, the beautiful woman who put me in my fucking place with one hand, was too strong to go out in a moment of pure weakness like that. I wouldn’t— No, I couldn’t let it end like that.
We’re all sitting here today, in a stunning little bistro, happily in love with two kids on the way, because Lay got down off that ledge and chose to give life with us a chance. We’re here because she listened to the fucked up asshole when she had every reason to ignore every word out of my mouth after how I treated her. One day she might stop amazing me with how incredible she is, but I honestly doubt it.
“Let’s go home,” Rhys breaks the silence with his words. “Riggs and I both, unfortunately, have early mornings tomorrow.”
We all get up and head for the door. The bill was paid right after dessert was served, leaving us the freedom to head out whenever we were ready. Nodding to the host on the way out, I take Lay’s hand and walk with her to the car. Riggs follows behind us with Rhys trailing ahead to get the car unlocked and going for us.
The chill is starting to go away as spring peaks over the horizon, but the nights are still freezing right now. Since I hate jackets, that leaves me shivering and shaking by the time we get to the car.
“This is why you should wear a coat,” Riggs jokes and nudges me with his massive ass shoulder.
“Mind your business. I’m fine,” I toss back, punching him in the arm in retaliation. “I’ve got Alayna to keep me warm on the way home.”
I wink suggestively at her, enjoying the way her cheeks flush at the insinuation, yet her eyes narrow on me in warning.
“Nope,” Riggs laughs, standing in front of the back passenger door. “You get the front seat with Rhys. I’m stealing Lay for the drive home since you’ll have extra time with her after Rhys and I head to bed.”
“Fine.” I glare at him, sliding in the front seat and turn the heating vents on me to warm me up.
Lay and Riggs both get in the back seat, snuggling close together once buckled in. I stare at them over the center console, glaring and watching them until Rhys pushes my head out of the way.
“Sit back and leave them alone, asshole,” Rhys mumbles with a chuckle. “Remember it’s all four of us, not just you.”
Sighing and laying my head back against the headrest, I grumble under my breath. “Yeah, yeah. I know. The obsession with our girl is real, though.”
“Fucking tell me about it,” Rhys responds, glancing in the rearview and then back to the road.
“Amen!” Riggs chimes in, startling us with his louder response.
Lay just groans at the three of us, the love and annoyance clear as day in the sound. I smile, my cheeks hurting from how often I’ve been doing it lately, and look out my window.
This may not have been the way I envisioned my future, but it’s more perfect than anything I could have dreamed. My family consists of the girl of my dreams, my two best friends, and will soon be joined by two beautiful babies. Yeah, I don’t think it gets much better than this.
Chapter 9
Chapter Nine
Alayna
Theunbelievablesweetnessofeverything my guys did for me tonight makes me all warm and tingly at the thought. This night has been perfect from start to end. It was exactly what we all needed after a month of tension and worrying. Tomorrow we’ll all probably go back to waiting and worrying about what Kevin may do in the future, but for tonight, the glow of the date will let us be happy for a while.
Walking into the living room, I flop down onto the couch and wait for Rhys, Riggs, and Adam to finish taking off their shoes and coats. My body melds into the cushions, the softness sucking me in until it feels like I’m now just part of the couch. A half moan, half sigh of complete contentment comes out of me as I become one with the comfort of the couch.
The guys stop to talk in the kitchen, their voices carry as barely a whisper of sound in the living room. Their muffled voices lull me, giving me a sense of peace and comfort even without hearing their words. I have something with them that I’ve never had before; Safety. It’s why, despite the threat of Kevin on the horizon, I can still find happiness in my life this time around.
I place my hand over the necklace they gave me and skim my fingers over the soft, warm metal of the moon with a smile. They care about me, as I do them, and we have bonds of mutual respect, love, and security. No matter what happens, we have each other. We have our family, and I’ll be damned if I let anyone tear that apart.
“Whatcha thinking about, baby?” Rhys says, startling me out of my dazed thinking.
“How much I love you,” I murmur, looking up at him from my cushioned home on the couch. “And how, for once in my life, despite the threat still hanging above us, I’m happy. Truly, inexplicably happy.”
Rhys squats down in front of me, his hands resting on my thighs. “I feel the same way. It’s hard going through all of this shit again, but the stronger our relationship gets, the stronger I feel when facing the difficult and unknown. The realization that we have a family and support system to get us through anything really seems to help tame the demons that want to drag us down.”
