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Turning, his brows raise. “Really? I figured you’d want her to yourself tonight.”
I shake my head, annoyed. “Derek, you’re a part of us, and I personally, missed the fuck out of you.”
His body releases tension I don’t think he realized he felt. “Everything was so new when Len disappeared, I really didn’t want to assume,” he sighs.
Turner grabs him around the neck, pulling him into a hug I can’t give him since my hands are full. “We aren’t ever going to not want you,” Turner says into his ear. “Orion’s to be determined. I don’t know what to think of him, but I know you have feelings for the scary fucker. So we’re just going to figure it out. There’s a bond between him and Lavender, too. I just don’t know if it’s only trauma induced or if it’s deeper.”
“Orion doesn’t feel emotions like other people do,” Derek says, snuggling into Turner’s arms. The man has been starved for affection since he’s been playing the dutiful son for his dad, and it shows. “Len and I are the first people he’s felt anything for, but she needs time to get to know him outside of Hidden Hills.” He yawns and I chuckle.
“You two clean up, and I’ll take our girl to bed,” I tell them as Orion walks back in. “G’night, Orion, we’ll see you in the morning. Just… keep giving Lenny time to figure things out. You’re both in uncharted territory, and there’s not a manual for this.”
Orion’s lips twitch, but he nods. “I don’t know what to do with her,” he says. “Part of me wants to wrap her in bubble wrap and the other wants to teach her how to skin a man so he can never hurt her again. What the fuck do I do with that?”
I press my lips together, because I didn’t expect those words. “Caring about someone is complicated. Turner and I regularly beat Derek up for how he treated Lenny, but we figured it out. He’s more than made up for things,” I explain.
Orion blows out a breath petulantly. It’s so not what I expect from him, that I snicker.
“Welcome to the very confusing world of human emotions,” I laugh. “It isn’t always going to make sense, but we’re all excellent listeners.”
I leave Orion with that thought as I stride out of the room. Exploring and turning on lights in the house as I move through it, I find an empty room with a giant king sized bed.
It’ll do for now.
Thankfully, Lennon’s clothes are comfortable enough to sleep in, and I get her under the covers. I slip the monitor onto my girl’s finger before leaving her to wash the day off. We have refused to leave her all day, and my skin itches. When I come out, a towel wrapped around my waist, I find the bags I had packed in Georgetown in the room.
God, it feels like years since I did that. Time moves oddly when so much is happening. Dressing in a pair of sweatpants, I turn down the light and get in bed with Lennon. As much as I want to pull her into my arms, I decide to let her find me in her sleep. The last thing I want is to scare her, it’s also why I didn’t turn off the light completely.
I am well acquainted with the things that go bump in the night, and I want her to feel safe. Yawning, I let the sleep that’s been waiting for me take over, and drift off quickly.
* * *
There’sa verywarm koala wrapped around me.
Lips already curling in delight, I open my eyes to find that Lennon has her arm wrapped around me while touching Turner, and her thigh is hitched over my stomach. Even in her sleep, her body remembers mine. We’ve slept in the same bed for so many years, it’s been hard to sleep without her.
“You’re staring,” Lenny mumbles as she snuggles deeper into my chest. I curl my arms around her with a chuckle.
“I’m afraid to blink, little Valkyrie. You’ll have to forgive me, because I think we all will be developing a staring disorder,” I rumble.
“Hmmm, I’ve missed everything about you all,” she sighs.
“Missed you too, Len,” Derek yawns on the other side of Turner and Lennon’s eyes pop open.
“That’s a fun thing to wake up to,” she giggles. “Good morning, Derek. Ugh, what time is it?”
I grab my phone, glancing at the time. “It’s about nine in the morning, hungry?”
“Mmm, yes, I think I am.” Lennon yawns, hiding her face in my neck. “I would kill for a toothbrush, and maybe a Tylenol.”
“What hurts?” Turner asks, shifting his head toward us. He’s been quietly listening to us, amused, but now his brow is furrowed as he watches Lennon.
“Hmmm, my head hurts a little, but it could be because I’m hungry. I’m not sure though,” Lennon grumbles.
Derek slips out of bed, grabbing a T-shirt to throw over his head. “I’m going to go check with Miranda, okay? You were on a lot of drugs, and it could be some kind of withdrawal, baby.”
My heart clenches at the thought that Lennon could be going through drug withdrawal after everything. She probably still had drugs in her system yesterday, so it didn’t affect her then.
Derek walks out of the room normally, but I hear him walk faster as soon as he’s out of Lennon’s sight.
