Page 43 of Broken Butterfly
“Then we’ll both be there to protect her,” he says.
I narrow my eyes at him and ask the question that’s been rattling around my brain since I saw how they acted together at the bottom of the stairs last night.
“Is something going on between the two of you?”
I love Elizabeth and I told her I forgive her, but part of me is still hurt about the whole thing with Jayson. Add the fact that she ran to Fallon for help and not me, and my uncertainty about where I stand with her skyrockets. Watching the easy and intimate way Fallon and Elizabeth interact with one another also has my jealousy flaring. With everything that has happened, my insecurities are running high.
The brief widening of his eyes makes my stomach drop, but I need him to tell me everything. I may have to beat the shit out of him afterward.
“If you’re asking if I fucked her, the answer is no.”Oh, thank God, I think, then he says, “But that doesn’t mean I didn’t want to or didn’t try.”
“What the hell, man?”
“You wanted honesty. Shut the fuck up and let me finish.”
I sit back, crossing my arms so I don’t punch him in the face, and listen to what he needs to tell me.
“She was broken, Ry, when she appeared on my doorstep. The girl we knew didn’t exist anymore. She was in jagged, damaged pieces and she needed someone to help her put herself back together. She couldn’t face you, and she hated herself for it. She kept talking about Old Elizabeth and New Elizabeth. She destroyed my room, by the way. Even broken, she’s still a fighter. But I watched as she shut down and started to disappear. I knew if I didn’t get her away from you and Jay and Julien, she might never have recovered. She had been through too much, and the weight of it was crushing her. Elizabeth was at a point where one more thing would tip her over that cliff of no return, and if that happened, she would never come back to us. I couldn’t live with myself if I allowed that to happen. So I took her, and we got the hell out of town. I told you that you wouldn’t like my methods.”
The resentment I feel over the fact that she went to Fallon for help dissipates somewhat. “But it worked,” I tell him. “Whatever you did, it worked. I was pissed as hell about it, but I owe you for what you did for her.”
“I’m not finished. You said you wanted everything,” he warns me. “I may not have had her in my bed, but I did kiss her… twice. Those are on me. I was the instigator. And I won’t apologize for it. We may have also shared the same bed a time or two, but I swear, nothing happened,” he finishes, staring at me, unblinking so I see that he’s telling the truth.
I groan out a frustrated sigh, looking up to the sky for guidance. “You really want me to beat the ever-loving shit out of you, don’t you?”
Then Fallon hits me with something totally unexpected. Something that I don’t think I could have ever prepared myself for.
“I love her, Ry. I love her in every fucked-up way imaginable. I’ve never loved anyone before. I even told her that love was a lie. I don’t like feeling this way, but I can’t help it, and it pisses me the hell off. None of it matters because you are it for her. I know that I’ll never have a shot at a future with Elizabeth because she is completely in love with you. However, if you screw this up with her, I can promise you that I will be standing right there, ready to take her away again—for good this time.”
“You try it, and I will bury you,” I growl. “We’ve been through a lot together, Fallon, and I’ve always had your back, but Elizabeth is mine. I love her too damn much. I’m not letting her go again. You try and mess with that and you’ll regret it.”
The threatening scowl that was on Fallon’s face falls away into a huge grin. “That’s exactly what I wanted to hear. You continue to fight for her. She loves you, Ry. You’re the man she wants.” He sits back and gives me a pointed look. “But like it or not, she and I have gotten close. She understands my darkness, and I trust her with my secrets. I’m not asking for your approval and couldn’t give a shit if you don’t like it. It is what it is. I hope you can accept that.”
Some people may think the entire situation is screwed up and so way out there, it’s unbelievable. Me, Jay, and now Fallon all in love with the same girl. Hell, throw Julien in there too because he also loves her; he just loves Elijah more. All I can say to those people is: Go fuck yourselves. You can’t help who you fall in love with.
I’m mulling over what Fallon has told me when he adds, “And just to warn you, she’s invited me for Thanksgiving and Christmas.” He grins at me like a snarky asshole, and I punch him on the arm. “She also wants you to come with us on the rest of our journey,” he finishes.
That takes me by surprise. I had assumed she and I would be going back home after today. “What are you talking about?”
“She wants to finish our adventure and she wants you to join us.”
“She never said anything about that.”
“When could she? You had your dick shoved up her pussy all night long. The walls are not soundproofed.”
“Shit, Fallon. Warn a guy next time,” I cough, then grin like the Devil because I’m the man who had his girl screaming in ecstasy all night long. Hell, I hope the whole of Spain heard her yell out my name.
“So, what are the plans then?” I ask.
“The last cities on her bucket list are Venice, Amsterdam, and Sydney. We were planning on arriving in Venice tomorrow. What do you say? You coming with?”
If Elizabeth and I are going to be together, I have to accept her new friendship with Fallon. Fallon has never cared for a girl before. He always used them and threw them away. The fact that he says he loves Elizabeth doesn’t sit well with me, but I’m also happy that he has allowed himself to open his heart to the possibility of love. After everything he’s endured, that alone is huge. I guess it comes down to whether I trust my friend and my girlfriend, and the answer is, I do. Fallon can be a dangerous son of a bitch, but he’s also loyal to a fault and extremely protective of those he lets in. He’ll protect Elizabeth with his life, and I couldn’t think of anyone better for her to have on her side.
“I want us home for Thanksgiving,” I tell him.
“Fine. Now let me catch you up on what’s been going on and tell you how your girl knows how to hustle me at pool, drink me under the table, and dance like a pole stripper.”
I spend a very long time making all of us a huge breakfast. Finding some Italian sausage and Danish bacon, I whip up a crustless quiche and squeeze a bag of oranges to make fresh orange juice. I add pieces of toast, bowls of fruit, and a fresh carafe of coffee to complete the meal. I find a rolling tray cart to pile everything on and push it outside. Once out on the patio, I listen for the sounds of yelling or fists hitting flesh, but all is quiet, thank goodness. Breathing a sigh of relief, I plaster on a brilliant smile and make my way out.
