AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Right, I walked into that one.”
“Yep.”
Looping the towel over my neck, I began to walk a circuit of the room. I needed the cool down as much to slow down the sweating as I did to ease my muscles. Everything was burning, only it was a good burn.
Arms folded, he leaned against the wall. “How are you doing?”
I glanced at him before I took another drink. The water was deliciously cool. I had no ready answer for him. “I don’t know,” I admitted, locking gazes with him as I paced in my circle. “Most of the time, I feel pretty good. But there are moments…”
Momentsandbad dreams. I didn’t sleep alone, that helped. But Mickey also had bad dreams the last few nights. More than once, he’d just gotten up and left. It was like once he jolted awake, he couldn’t just stay there.
Once Liam had just come in as Mickey left and crawled right into the bed. With him wrapped around me, I’d been buried in heat and just went back to sleep. Nevertheless, Mickey wouldn’t stay when the nightmares came, and I wasn’t sure what to do about thatyet.
“Then I can’t get out of my head, and I start asking myself a thousand questions. At least Lainey messaged me back—finally.” That was another irritation.
Interest lifted his expression. “How is she?”
“She says she’s good.” I believed her. To a point.
Worry stamped across his face. “You don’t think she is?”
“I don’t know, that—bothers me. I’ve been a shitty friend to her.”
“No you haven’t.” His defense was instinctive and I adored him for it.
“I have been. Adam is off doing whatever the hell he is. She’s back there dealing with their parents and trying to keep her little sister out of drama, and I haven’t exactly been much help.”
“You’re safe,” he said, as if I needed the reminder. “That’s what Mayhem needs from you. She needs to know you’re safe.”
“She also needs to not be alone,” I pointed out and he grunted. “Yeah, just dismiss my concern, but the point is—you two seemed to have something.”
It was weird. But I kind of liked it too.
“She doesn’t belong here, Ivy,” he said, and I rolled my eyes. After draining the water bottle, I put the cap back on it and then flung it. It bounced right off his head and he blinked at me.
“Stop deciding where people belong. I swear, you were a damn hall monitor when you were a kid.”
He retrieved the bottle, eyeing me with what looked suspiciously like a smile, even if he fought it. “Did no one ever tell you that throwing things at people isn’t nice?”
“Nope,” I informed him, popping the p. “I skipped that lesson with Ms. Manners. Didn’t Liam tell you? I’m a hellspawn.”
Laughing, he shook his head. “Tell you what, why don’t you go shower and change. Then we can grab some food. Hang out for a bit.”
“Everything okay with you?” Of course, it wasn’t. Not being okay had been our reality for a while now. But I’d been managing to scrape together happiness because the guys took care of me. I’d hoped Milo had been doing that with Lainey, but he sighed.
“Yes and no,” he said. “Go shower. I’ll send a rat to get us some pizza. I feel the urge to listen to you bitch about how many carbs you’re eating.”
I flipped him off, and he laughed.
“I want a veggie lovers, please…with sausage…and pepperoni…and maybe some ham.”
“Yeah, that sounds like a veggie lover to me,” he commented as he opened the door for me and I grinned.
Just for that… “We know I love the meat lovers, so we could just order that.”
His gaze flattened and he just stared at me. “Brat.”
I grinned even wider. “Yes, yes, I am.”
