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Nick nods tightly, and dread pools in my stomach. If Ransom doesn't support us, if Declan's as angry as he looks, will we even have a chance?
36
NICK
We sit in silence, Bree and I together, yet not. Her hands are tightly clenched in her lap and I'm afraid to touch her. Partly because I'm afraid she might flinch away, and partly because I don't want to draw any more attention to us. How the hell did I miss Cara in the room?
Because I was too freaked out by Holly, and too wrapped up in Bree, because when she's in the room, she's usually all I can see. Right now? I'm very aware of every single eye on us. Not all at once, that would be too obvious, but no one's focus drifts far from us for long.
I get it. We've kept everything pretty quiet. Some of my brothers knew we were spending time together, but I think even more knew how suicidal I would have to be to make a move. Cara's a force to be reckoned with and she's proven she's willing to kill for Bree.
I don't know if she's still planning to kill me, but judging by her glare, my balls are definitely still in danger. I'm not looking forward to talking with Ransom and the rest of my brothers, but he at least doesn't look like he wants to make me bleed.
He doesn't look happy, though. He's settled into a chair across the room, legs out, hands loosely linked over his stomach. His suit jacket is currently covering Mia, asleep on Colton's chest. But his eyes are watchful and the rest of his body is tight.
Finally, I can't take the tension anymore. "Are you okay?" I whisper to Bree.
She carefully loosens her hands, laying them flat on her lap. "Fine," she says, but she doesn't sound fine. I should wait. Give it time, let things cool down.
But I can't let things cool down between us. I'm afraid if she withdraws too far, I'll never be able to pull her back to me.
"Let's go for a walk," I ask. She looks like she's going to refuse and I try pleading instead. "Just a short one. Please?"
She wets her lips, then gives me a nod and rises to her feet. She doesn't look at anyone, just heads straight for the elevator. I meet Cara's guarded gaze, the waves of 'fuck you' rolling off of her obvious to anyone who looks. It hurts more than I thought it would.
Bree and I are silent until the elevator doors close, then we both sag against the railing. "That was not how I hoped that would happen," I admit.
Bree laughs sadly. "No, me neither. I thought she would be upset, but I didn't think it would be that bad."
"Cara and I used to be cool...I didn't realize she thought so little of me."
Bree turns to me, brows furrowed. "She said some really shitty things, but I don't think she really meant them."
She sounded like she meant them. And she pulled that shit out fast, too. She didn't need any time to scramble around for ammunition against me. "I think she did, Bree. She doesn't think I'm good enough for you. She thinks I'm going to play around." I think that's the part that hurts the most. I am nothing if not loyal, Cara should know that. The fact that she doesn't really fucking hurts.
"It doesn't matter what she thinks," she says, looking up at me, full of fire and conviction. If only I could believe it.
I cup the side of her neck and run my thumb along her jaw. "I think it does." No matter what Bree says in the moment, Cara is her family and she cares what she thinks. If we can't get her on board, this bump in the road may turn into a brick wall too tall for either of us to scale.
The elevator doors open in the lobby, and I hold them open for her. The snow is blowing outside again, making everything outside the windows blurry, so I guide her toward the doors that lead to the rest of the hospital. Security nods us through and we walk along white corridors, a stark difference from the warm tones of the VIP wing.
Finally, I can't take it anymore. Taking her hand, I pull her down a quiet hallway into the doorway of a dark room. I use my body to shield her, giving us some small amount of privacy from anyone who might pass by.
"I can handle Cara, Bree. I'll eat any amount of shit she needs to shovel at me, as long as I have you."
Bree leans back against the door and looks up at me. "You shouldn't have to put up with that thought. It's not fair. And you don't deserve it."
"I don't know. Maybe I do. I haven't been a relationship guy before now, and Cara knows that. Sometimes I think she knows more about us than anyone. She's scary good at her job, and she seems to think her job involves keeping track of us too. But when I make a commitment to something, I stick. She used to know that."
"I'm sorry she said those things to you. They hurt. I saw it on your face."
"I'm normally better at hiding that kind of stuff."
She puts her hands on my chest, gaze soft. "I don't want you to hide from me."
"I'm not. I promise." I lower my head, sipping from her lips, so damned relieved when she pushes up into me. I was afraid she was going to pull away after that colossally shitty scene. "Thank you," I tell her, cupping her cheeks and placing small kisses over her face.
"You're welcome," she says, smiling. "For what?"
