Page 64 of Shattered Souls

“I can arrange one of those.” He leans forward, presses his lips to mine. One hand ventures up my thigh, to my currently screaming in protest pussy, and I grab the wandering appendage and lightly move him away.

“I want you, Hayze.” I sign to him, lacing my fingers in his.

“I was trying to give myself to you.” His brows are furrowed in confusion, true and raw confusion. I give him a watery smile.

“My period—” I stumble over my words. How do I explain a period to a man when I hardly understand them myself? I never had a maternal figure in my life to teach me about why my body bled like this once a month. When my dad saw that, he saw me as a liability, putting me on birth control so his assaults on me never materialized into another thing to be mistreated. “I don’t want to have sex like this.”

“That’s okay,” He looks almost offended that I would assume that he only wants sex from me. “I can massage it, make it better.”

“Oh my god,” I grip his face with both my hands, placing a wet and sloppy kiss on his lips. “You’re a rare kind of man, Hayze.” He chuckles, his chest rumbling beneath me. Synn comes back to the room, a pile of clothes in his arms. Every time he looks at Hayze or me when we share a moment like this, something like happiness flashes across his eyes.

“You prepared for this?” I slip off of the couch, my uterus begging me to sit back down already.

“I knew you’d come around.” He extends the clothes out to me, and I happily accept them.

The grocery store is full of far too many people for my liking. Each aisle the men guide me down, both having some sort of contact on me at all times, has couples or single people walking and shopping for their everyday items.

“Doing okay?” Synn squeezes my ass, his hand tucked into the back pocket of my jeans.

“There’s a lot of people.” Even when I was on my own, shopping was a daunting task. Too many prying eyes, too many people to recognize my face.

“Well, why don’t you lead the way and get a few things you’d like?” He slips his hand out of my pocket and nudges me on. Hayze lingers behind me like some sort of giant guard dog.

I make my way around the store, grabbing Midol, a heating pad, various forms of gummy candy, my own razor, and a pair of fluffy socks. I get a puzzled look when I toss the socks into the cart.

“You could’ve just asked for fuzzy socks. I would’ve bought those at any point.” Hayze signs to me, flicking the tip of my nose to emphasize his point.

“I kno⁠—”

“Rayvn?” I turn my body, coming face to face with Callum.

“Uh, hi, Callum.” Two firm presences loom over my back, reminding me that they’re here for me. Callum looks at me like he’s seen a ghost, eyes wide and skin slightly pale.

“Rayvn, where have you been? You were reported missing by those girls down at the diner.” He looks at the men behind me with trepidation. “I’ve been worried sick about you.”

“I’m okay, just a misunderstanding.” I reach behind me, opening either hand for one of them to take. Hayze laces his fingers in mine and steps up by my side.

“Oh,” Callum looks the man beside me up and down. “This must be the boyfriend you told me about.” I look over at Hayze.

“Boyfriend? Thought you said I was your first, little scarecrow.” He signs to me, Callum watching Hayze’s hands purposefully.

“Sure is.” I tell Callum, ignoring the burning eyes beside me, and the fumbling hands as he promises to show me exactly why I won’t ever think of another man again.

“Rayvn, the girls, they were so worried about you. I went to the diner when you didn’t show up at the bar, they said they hadn’t seen you since the haunted house. Said you left without a word to them.” He’s now eyeing the men with me as if they stole me—which they did—but that’s besides the point.

“Callum. I’m fine. I had a scare while I was there and ran home. I’ve moved in with my boyfriends since.”

“Boyfriend?”

“Yes?”

“You said boyfriends—plural.” He leans around me to get a good look at Synn. I refuse to look behind me, considering Callum’s face pales a few shades, one can guess that Synn is threatening him with just his eyes.

“No—I didn’t.” Hayze squeezes my hand. I look over to him.

“Let’s go before he asks too many questions,” A glance over his shoulder, to his brother. “Or Synn skins him alive in the middle of the store.”

“Well, it was nice to see you Callum, but we must be going.” Callum reaches out to try and grab me, maybe stop me, but is stopped before he can even touch me. Synn has his wrist twisted at an unnatural angle, Callum whimpering in pain.