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“Four years ago, I went to a party when I was fifteen. That night, after seeing someone who I thought would recognize me—”
“It was Kieran?” he asks in his oh-so-observant way, and I nod. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
Remorse clings to his voice, and he holds me tighter, giving me the comfort no one has offered my entire life. Van sure as hell never held me after we had sex or listened to me when I spoke. Again, all the red flags were present; I just didn’t see them.
“Kieran used to live here; one day, he was gone. Asher’s dad, I’m assuming, started coming around. I… I knew Kieran would be at that party and wanted to see him. He was my best friend, and… Well, let’s just say he had no idea. To make a long, boring story short, I drank too much and found myself at the hands of Bradley and his friend.”
Callum gulps a breath, kissing my head when I shudder in his arms. Why is it so easy to spill this secret to him? I haven’t told anyone since the police waved me off and practically blamed me for the entire situation. I tried to go forward with my life and ignore the injustice I had been served, but seeing Bradley tonight stirred up all those old, foggy memories.
“They took advantage of me, if you can imagine. Then….” I close my eyes as the memory of Rad’s soft, dark eyes looking down on me resurfaces. The comforting words he uttered when he picked me up off the ground and put me in his car.
“I’ll find those fuckers for you,” he said in a soft but demanding voice. “I’ll beat their asses. Who was it?” he whispers, starting up his car. But I just shook my head, tears streaming down my face, and I refused to look at the man who saved me. “Please talk to the cops. Let them know everything. I know something bad happened. Someone at that party…took what wasn’t theirs, right?” he asks when he pulls up to the hospital, staring at me when I nod in confirmation.
“Rad has always had a soft spot for you, you know? When he found you like that, it fucking broke him. He went to the cops and told them he found you to corroborate your story, but they….”
“Laughed him off like they did me?” I ask with a shaky breath, shaking my head. “I’ll always remember how he took care of me.”
“Will you ever let him know it’s you?” he asks, stroking a hand through my hair, causing my eyes to close.
It feels like the world lifts from my shoulders at his validation. No one has ever told me it wasn’t my fault, or that I didn’t deserve it. Even my mother looked down at me and rolled her eyes when I called her from the hospital.
I shrug, unable to speak through the lump in my throat. “I think I need to get some sleep. It’s been a long ass day,” I mutter, burying my face into his chest.
“Avoidance at its best, but that’s okay, my Little Star,” he murmurs, snuggling into me. My heart fucking soars at the name, and my eyes find the green neon stars shining on the ceiling. “Let’s get some rest.”
Taking one last, long breath, Callum and I drift off to sleep in each other’s arms, sinking into the best dreams I’ve had in years.
The first thing I notice when I wake up in the morning is the blaring sunshine beating through the sliding glass door, which I swore I had secured the blinds better than that.
The second thing I notice is the second warm body squishing against me, heating my back. Sweat coats every inch of my skin from the ovens surrounding me and….
“What the hell?” I shriek, pushing the second body away from me with my fist to their hard chest as panic takes over.
He grunts, rolling onto the floor with a loud hiss. If we had downstairs neighbors, they’d be pounding on the ceiling out of frustration.
“Wh-what is it?” Callum asks in a raspy, just woken-up voice, rubbing his eyes with urgency.
Peeking over the bed, my heart hammers in my chest when I meet the gaze of the intruder rolling around on the ground. He groans, holding his chest and wincing through the pain. Huh. Apparently, I punched him harder than I thought.
“Pretty Girl, it’s not nice to punch people out of bed. You interrupted an amazing dream. You and me and the rest of the guys naked on the beach with sand in places we shouldn’t speak of. But you were about to give me a sandy pussy sandwich, and then you pushed me out of bed,” he groans through his entire speech, finally rising to a sitting position. His big brown eyes peer at me with mischief.
“First off, I don’t even want to know what a sandy pussy sandwich is,” I say, shaking my head. “Second off….”
“How’d I get in your room?” he asks with an enormous grin, climbing to his feet. “You all ask the same questions. How’d you get into my room? Why’re my panties in your pockets? Which they’re not, by the way. No panties in here,” he says, lying through his teeth when he pats his bulging pocket. “But the answer is always the same. You summoned me with your mind.” He grins, tapping the side of his head.
“Are you high?” I ask, furrowing my brows. “Wait, don’t answer that. It’s way too early in the morning.”
“It’s noon,” Rad says, climbing back into bed beside me. He grins, pulls his phone from his pocket, and shows me the screen. “But you two were the best snuggle buddies. We should get rings made. Snuggle Buddies activate!” he howls, thrusting his fist into the air.
I blink a few times, processing what the fuck is going on. I’m too tired and way too grumpy to deal with his optimism—which he should kindly choke on until I get more sleep. But noon? Seriously? I haven’t slept this late since…. Well, forever. I’ve been up at the butt crack of dawn since I was fourteen, busting my ass at work.
“Is he serious?” I stage whisper to Callum, who pulls my body into his and huffs into my neck.
“Unfortunately,” he grumbles, sounding half asleep.
Rad frowns, bumping his own fist, and sighs. “You all left me hanging. It’s rude. So, what are we doing today? Obviously, my girlfriend is not killing herself at work. So…what should we do?”
I sigh, putting an arm over my eyes. “I’m not your girlfriend, Rad.”
