Page 94 of Mended Souls
“You’ve been stressed, and as much as we’d like to use sex to distract ourselves, in reality, sometimes we need to breathe. So tonight, no sex, just talking and cuddling.”
I had the willpower of the gods, because we don’t end up having sex. My chest was lighter after spending time with the woman who was patient with me. I’d never admit it, but this was exactly what I needed after being on edge for weeks. She was the calming embrace after a brutal storm, and I was never going to let her go.
“Princess.” She mumbled sleepily against my chest in response. “I love you.”
“I love you, more than you know.” Her voice was low, husky with sleep as her fingers gently traced a heart on my forearm. “I’m gonna go to the pier tomorrow.”
I looked at her. “I don’t want you going alone.”
She pressed her lips together. “I won’t be there long, and I’ll take your car. Tomorrow is Nathan’s birthday.” Her voice was low. “It’s stupid, but I like going to the pier and talking to him. I just…five minutes is all I need. I’ll be okay. Besides, you taught me how to fight. I’m not how I was before. I can fight this time if someone attacks me.”
“I don’t like it, but I can’t force you not to do something you want. I’ll be at the clubhouse to talk with Hawke and keep looking for Everly so I am down the road.”
“You’re paranoid, you know that?”
“With good reason.”
I wanted her safe. And I would do everything in my power to keep her safe.
CHAPTER 71
KADENCE
Nathan would’ve been twenty-nine today. I always wondered what his life would have looked like, if he would’ve been a marine biologist or if he would’ve changed his career path. Would he have a wife? Kids? His birthday was already the hardest part of missing him next to his death day. My father made me know every year how much he missed Nathan. When I got older, he stopped making a show of it and just mourned his son in silence. If Nathan knew what our father did to me because of his grief, he would kill him. My big brother was always protective, and it would show.
I kept the SUV running as I walked to the pier. I called Blaize so I could give her peace, but she knew I wanted this moment. She was paranoid, and I understood, but at the same time, I didn’t like how it was consuming her constantly. I wanted the woman I fell in love with to focus on us. It made me feel selfish, because Everly was causing so much pain in her life.
“You know you missed a lot, big brother.” There was so much I wanted to spill and tell him, but I knew Blaize was on the line, and I didn’t want her hearing everything. I took a moment, listening to the crashing waves. “Happy birthday, Nathan. I love you. I miss you so much.”
I wanted Blaize home with me so I could cry. It was getting easier to accept things I had no control over now that I was out of a toxic environment, but it was hard. Healing decades of emotional wounds felt like an uphill battle on rocky terrain with bricks weighing me down. I needed to heal my inner child more, and then I could fully heal. But unfortunately, to fully heal the little girl I was, I needed to scream and hit my father. And I refused to open that can of worms. It would get easier day-by-day with the support system I had.
To think just months ago, I was rebellious. Then my rebellion caused a life-altering injury and trauma I never thought I would survive and now…I was happy, healing and living life with a woman who might not be perfect, but she was working on herself for me. There was a world of possibilities for me. I no longer had to let my past hold me down. Because of Blaize and Hunter, I could finally have everything I ever wanted.
I heard the wood creak and I spun on my heel, ready to fight. No one would sneak up on me this time. To my surprise, Everly was on the pier, disheveled and looking scared. It could be a trick.
“What are you doing here?” I demanded, taking my stance, ready to fight her. She wouldn’t hurt me this time.
“Kadence, I’m…I’m so so-sorry.” Her voice trembled. “I d-didn’t…”
I heard Blaize’s voice faintly in my pocket saying she was on her way. “You didn’t what? You didn’t call my ex and have him try to kill me? You didn’t trick Blaize or have her try to kill me?” She stepped closer. “No. You hurt me. You betrayed the woman I love.” She hurt Hunter, but that wasn’t my job to announce.
“I-it w-wasn’t me! I-I didn’t w-want to h-hurt y-you. H-he m-made me.”
“I don’t fucking care.” I looked around. She was trapping me on the pier, and the only way between me and her was the water.If I knew how to swim, I would dive in, but that would cause more issues than I wanted.
She stepped closer, and I fixed my stance. I wouldn’t let her get the upper hand. Her boyfriend or partner or whoever the fuck he was might’ve snuck up on me before, but I wasn’t in the right headspace when he did that. Now? I would kick her ass and make sure Blaize dealt with her the proper way. She ruined a lot of lives and hurt a lot of people.
“Please Kadence, I’m so-sorry! I-I wanted to tell s-someone. H-he hu-hurt me. I-I was scared.”
“You didn’t sound scared when you told Dom where I was.” She thought I was stupid. I wasn’t going to fall for her tricks or lies, no matter how close we were. “Did you shoot Annika, too?”
A sob—a genuine sob—broke through her lips. “N-no. I told him not to hurt her! I didn’t w-want him hurting you, either, but he won’t stop.”
“Why should I believe you?”
I wasn’t going to believe her. I just needed to distract her long enough for Blaize to show up so I wasn’t alone with her. If I wasn’t dancing on the edge of a pier I would fight her, do something a little more badassery, but I was scared of falling into the water. Everly knew I had a fear of water. I had a big fucking mouth when it came to my friends, but I also wasn’t expecting my ‘friend’ to stab me in the back, either.
“You really are stupid, huh?” Everly snapped, the sob story leaving her completely. “She doesn’t fucking love you. Do you really think Blaize is capable of loving you?”
