"Light needs to shine. If it weren't for the dark, nothing would change. When it shines in the dark, it's a signal of hope. A beacon of the new day and better things to come." He grins, no doubt thinking of Sarah.
I pat the ache in my chest where the hole sits, willing it to stop hurting. "Who are you, Little One?"
"Not even that man is in the running for Sainthood."
"You could give him a helluva run after saying things like you just did. That was deep, I mean deep as hell and hit me in the feels." My ears ring from the silence in the night, or is it the loneliness of my heart?
He pulls his phone from his back pocket. He scrolls over it, smiling. "Look, my girls are up and waiting for me."
"Absolutely perfect." I smile, looking at the photo on his phone when he turns it to me. His wife, Sarah and their daughter Jordan are a mirror image. Much like Silas and Chord are. "You're blessed."
"That I am." He types something quickly before returning the cell to his pocket. "There was a time I never, in my wildest dreams, thought it would happen but here we are. I'd follow her anywhere."
"I almost did, but Mack needed me, and Harper was with Weston. I assumed I had lost my chance and then..." Anger churns in the pit of my stomach.
Chord stares at me. "One day, you're going to have to tell what happened so you can figure out to fix it or to get over it but either way, it's got to come out."
"You're killin' me with all of this deep insight shit, man. Cut me some slack for a few days, or at least chill for now." I tag his bicep.
He knocks me off, rubbing his arm. "I didn't come here to get abused."
"The hell you didn't." Hardy wraps him in a headlock, spinning him around.
Chord thumps his side. "Ohhh, I'm telling Thayer."
"You would, punk." Hardy scrubs his knuckles on the top of his head. "Next time, it's Wet Willy."
I cross my arms, narrowing my eyes at these two nuts. "Not to spoil your fun or anything but you do understand we're trying to be incognito here."
"Have you always been so rigid?" Hardy elbows Chord when he snorts.
I cover my mouth with my hand, tapping my lips. Until I slowly raise my middle finger, flipping them off. "Apparently."
"Looks as though there's enough shadow out here that we could hide a body quick like." Hardy cuts his eyes at Chord. "Should we practice?"
"I should never worry about enemies with friends like you two." I smirk.
Hardy throws his arm around my shoulder. "Awe, I gots the feels."
"Same, dude. Same." Chord pats my chest with a thud. "Alright, I'm head out. I'll update One once I get to work and we'll get moving on everything."
Hardy's head bounces from Chord to me and back. "So, have you seen her? Is she still hot af?"
"She's my cousin but hell yeah, she's like Thayer." Chord waggles his brows as they snigger.
"Fuck you both." Harper is Chord's first cousin. His dad, Cal, is Blaine's brother, which is Harper's mom. Their close knit, but since Harper's years away, it was more important for her to talk to her immediate family first.
Chord holds his fist up. "All in good fun, later."
"You know where to find me." I bump his hand and continue my night watch.
A warm sensation radiates off my face, rousing me awake. My body is so relaxed, I refuse to open my eyes. I lie here, wallowing in a cloud of fluff and comfort.
The morning breaks with a soft light creeping through the billowing curtains. I don't want to move from this spot, and I linger as long as my body will allow.
I clutch the pillow in my arms, claiming it for eternity. For some ungodly reason, I feel safe wrapped in the coverings on this bed. A fortress from the world and the shame that comes with it.
The aches and pains of the last few days are setting deep in my bones now. I want to stretch, but the fear of agony defeats me. As my eyes focus, I fall back into what is my life.
I throw the comforter back and will myself to sit up. No sooner am I upright, my phone pings. I glare at it on the nightstand. So close, yet so far. Lazily, I lean over grabbing it from the surface.
My throat is scratchy and dry, I clear it as best as possible and answer it with a raspy tone. "Hey."
"Good morning." Scout sounds cheery today, there's a lilt in her voice. "I hope you slept well."
I hold the phone to my ear, and curl back up. "Too well, if you know what I mean."
"Can't complain about that kinda feeling."
"This bed is utter heaven; I could stay here all day." I sink deeper into the fluff of bedding. "I can't tell you how badly I want to stretch but I'm afraid to."
"They say the third day after a car wreck is the worst, or at least we tend to treat as though it is."
"Every muscle in my body hates me right now, I don't plan on doing anything to make them even more angry." My jaw pops, leaving a heaviness in the pit of my stomach.
Scout sucks in a deep breath. "Ouch! Please tell me you didn't break anything."
"Naw, just my jaw making its presence known." I giggle. "At least it's working, right?"
"Right, but I'm not laughing."
I clear my throat. "Me either."
"I'm getting ready to leave for work and wanted to give you a heads up on a few things we're working on." Scout's words are no louder than a whisper. I don't enjoy talking about this either, but it's a necessary evil.
"You sound like you're about to apologize." I gasp as I sit up in bed, wrapping my free arm around my ribs. "Fudge crackers and cheese grits, that hurt like a close cousin to a witch!" Now she giggles. "What?"
"I can't wait until you rip into a profanity filled rage of anger and tell us how you really feel."
"One day but probably not until I break old habits." My brows knit.
"Habits? More like rules and regs." Scout huffs. She's right, Weston didn't allow me to use vulgarities, but I often thought them.
"So true. You were saying?" I don't want to spend the time regaling Weston's attributes or lack thereof.
"Landon tossed your old phone; we'll get you a better one today. The attorney said they'll be filing papers as soon as the clerk's office is open, and the PI can't find Weston. We should assume he's already here." She rolls through the list like a doctor would before surgery. I suppose she is cutting out a growth of sorts.
I rub my temple, as a headache like no other is coming on. "I never doubted he'd come here, but I hoped removing the sims card would've thrown him off. So, he's filing divorce papers?"
"She... it's Reese Pennington, Walker's wife. She works with Lea at her shelter and she's damn good."
I lift my brows. "I need good, he's going to fight me every step of the way."
"Actually, if we can catch him, it'll be a cakewalk."
Again, the pounding in my head rings in my ears. "How's that, Scout? No one has ever been able to do anything to him; his family's money has gotten him out of everything."