Page 15 of Intertwined Souls

After she leaves, I distract myself with laying out the blankets and getting them ready for the night. I don’t know if Harley will really be able to sleep, what with worrying about Cade, but hopefully we can at least rest for a bit.

Ryker’s hand lands on my shoulder, and I jump slightly, spinning around to face him. “Are you doing alright?” he asks quietly, searching my eyes.

I blow out a breath. “I don’t know. It’s a lot to think about. I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact that out of everyone in the world, Harley ended up there with Lincoln and brought him into my life.” I shake my head with a light laugh. “It’s insane.”

Before I can stop them, a few tears trickle down my cheeks; the normal comfort that Ryker brings me allows my walls to drop all the way down around him.

I smile bitterly. “I really miss my brother. I try not to think about it too often, but now I feel like all I can do is think about him. It hurts,” I whisper.

“I know, Gray.” Wrapping his arms around my shoulders, Ryker pulls me against his chest, resting his head against my own while I drop my forehead to his shoulder and wrap my arms around his waist. “Maybe you need to talk about him more. Stop trying to keep him in this box in your head. It is okay to get emotional about it.”

“It makes me feel weak,” I admit, my voice low and hoarse from the sobs threatening to break free.

“It shouldn’t. I don’t know who the fuck decided that men have to be strong all the time and never show emotions, but it’s bullshit. We feel shit just like women do, sometimes it’s just in different ways. Cade and I will fight it out, Cade runs, I use humor, but you? You need to feel your emotions and cry and that is okay. Even if you can’t do it around others, you can always do it with me. I’ve got you.”

Pulling back slightly, I meet his brown eyes with mine, our noses so close they are almost touching. Ryker bites his bottom lip, and his forehead creases in confusion before he clears his throat and pulls away, running a hand over the back of his neck.

Pinching my lips together I spin back around and finish getting the beds ready. My heart thunders in my chest, and I can’t help but let my mind wander.

What would it have felt like if he had pressed his lips against mine?

Harley comes back in a while later, and Ry has laid in one bed and me in the other. She stands near the door, biting her lip.

“What's wrong, babe?” Ry asks groggily.

Pulling at the sleeves of the hoodie she wears, her cheeks turn pink. “Can we, uh, push these together?” she stammers.

Ry chuckles and gets up, easily pushing the bed right next to the one I’m on. “That crack probably isn’t going to be very comfortable,” I mumble, sleepily rubbing my eyes.

Harley gives a shy smile and climbs on the bed, grabbing an extra blanket and shoving it in the crack, then laying down in the middle.

“Well, alright then,” Ry remarks as he flicks off the lights and crawls in on the other side of Harley, who is now facing me.

“Thank you for the hoodie,” she murmurs.

Ryker’s head pops up from behind her. “You sneaky little shit. This is yours, isn't it?” I nod and shrug as Ryker shoots me a glare and Harley giggles, snuggling into my side.

A while later, we have all been dozing off and on, none of us really able to get a good night of sleep. But now there is a groan sounding from next to us. Before I can even register what it is, Harley is climbing over me and walking the few feet to Cade’s bed, taking his hand.

“Cade?” she asks, her voice but a whisper in the dark room.

Ryker and I both slip out of bed, coming up next to Harley. Cade blinks up at us and opens his mouth to talk but starts coughing instead. Harley lunges for the water on the table by the bed and hands it to him.

He slowly sits up and chugs the whole thing. “Fuck,” he mumbles. “Are you alright?” he asks Harley, raising his hand to cup her cheek.

She nods and blinks away tears. “I’m so sorry.”

The second the words leave her mouth, she starts sobbing and repeating she’s sorry over and over again. My heart hurts for her as we all watch her fall apart over everything happening. I can only imagine how she is feeling and how much guilt is sitting with her. Even if none of this is her fault, I understand how the guilt seeps in anyway.

Ryker pulls her against him, trying to get her to calm down while Cade snaps, “Why the fuck are you sorry?”

Harley sniffles and looks past Ryker. “I—this is all my fault. And then I was a mess in there; I couldn’t even keep it together. You–you were mean, and I was mean, and then everything happened, and I felt horrible, but then I felt anger towards you for how you talked to me. Then I felt guilty for being angry at all when this is all my fault, and you were just trying to keep us alive,” she rambles on frantically.

Ryker grasps her cheeks and slams his mouth against hers, cutting her off. “Stop it,” he demands against her lips.

She nods slowly and takes a deep breath. Pulling back, she glances at Cade, who is staring at her with furrowed brows. “I need to use the bathroom,” Harley mumbles and all but runs out of the room.

“Cade? What happened?” I ask when she’s gone.

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