Page 52 of Simply You & Me

"Leo," Rylee prods hesitantly, like she's shocked, too.

He offers her a soft look. Ry settles a bit, but then Leo turns his anger on me again. "One of our best friends was thrown in a ditch after god knows what. I really, really don't think you have jack shit handled. As far as I'm concerned, the four of you fucked up before you got her kidnapped."

Leo's voice is sharp yet steady. On the surface, his pale complexion and white hair show no hint of distress. But beneath that, my friend is completely and utterly disgusted with us.

"Adelyn, your girlfriend for all of two weeks, is already pregnant, neglected, and was fucking kidnapped. Not to mention, she's already run ragged being the best mom she can possibly be while trying to maintain a life for herself. Which, I will add, she rarely does, but you four are helping her not only live but enjoy living. Then you go and fuck off, leaving that amazing woman stranded and vulnerable." With those parting words, Leo storms off.

Jude watches him go, his surfer vibes hardening. He doesn't even look at Tate and me as he says, "You endangered my family. We should be out celebrating our wife's new book, yet you could very well have put us in danger by not warning us."

Jude's chocolate eyes trail over to us, none of his easy humor showing. "Did you ever think that Rylee's past, Tate's—all of yours could be connected? This doesn't just involve you anymore. Rylee, our kids, could be targeted too. Shit, man, your baby. I understand you might not have the answers, and we love you all, but this isn't being handled, Wyatt. Whether you like it or not, we aren't going to turn a blind eye to this. Especially with Addie not wanting to see you."

Rylee sighs and slumps against the counter after Jude drops a kiss on her head and makes his way upstairs. Her red hair is high on her head in a messy bun, and she looks ready to pass out where she sits. With the baby monitor gripped in her hand, she sniffles. Baby Oliver finally went to sleep a bit ago in the crib they keep here, just in case. I just hate that the just in case scenario is because of us. We endangered the whole family. Without knowing who’s after us, Rylee's family is on high alert after what happened with her ex.

"Rylee, go lay down," Tate whispers, having been silent throughout the whole ordeal. I can practically feel his anxiety vibrating off him, setting me even further on edge.

Ry doesn't even lift her head from where she's watching her phone and the baby monitor. I hear quiet shuffling from the speakers. Jude or Leo probably checking on Ollie in the guest room.

"No," she murmurs. "They’ll call soon."

My stomach clenches uncomfortably at the unknown.

Will they call with bad news? That maybe Addie isn't where I tracked her phone to, and whoever had us is leading us on a wild goose chase?

The shrill sound of Rylee's phone ringing snaps me out of my racing thoughts, only to send me into a full fucking freak out when I hear the shouts down the line. The word hospital comes through loud and clear before the call ends. Suddenly, Rylee bolts across the kitchen and into Tate's arms, where he stands frozen. His chest is heaving, and his eyes are wide. Much like my own reaction.

How can I help my boy when I am just as scared as he is? What good am I when I am partially at fault for the fact that our girl and child are being rushed to the hospital?

Tate's chest muffles Rylee’s sobs. When I search his face, I see no tears, just emptiness. He's lost in his trauma. Rylee's attack and his first kill. Only kill. Fuck. The questioning he had to go through and the strings we had to pull would have been enough to scar anyone. Tate is not a murderer. He's the opposite. He cares deeply, and I can't believe we allowed another person he loves to get hurt.

We damaged our future before tonight. It's not like Addie just got pregnant when she went to work tonight. No, she's been pregnant for weeks. Weeks we started slipping away from her. The warnings and our concerns are no excuse. I don't think we intentionally decided to keep her out of it, but work, our safety, and fear came first. Never fear for our relationship with Addie. Why? How was that never a concern?

Tate thought of Addie the whole time, though.

Tate blinks, his stiff form softening around his older sister. His soft murmurs and gentle caresses on her back break something inside of me. I didn't think I could break. The clove in my mouth snaps, leaving a horrid taste in my mouth. A perfect representation of my heart. We broke something with our decisions.

I just hope whatever tonight brought to Addie didn't break her as well. I would rather she hate me forever than for the light to dim in her eyes. I need her to be okay. To smile and laugh. I want her to keep flitting around and doing everything in the world to make Rory happy. I want Addie to stay the way she is. And if something in her shattered tonight, I'll never forgive myself.

Chapter Thirty-Four

Aurora

"Aurora May. Time to wake up, sweetie."

A tickle on my cheek bothers me. Shoving my face into the fluffy pillow, I don't open my eyes. I try not to listen to the shuffling around the room, but when someone else's voice comes near, I frown into the sheets.

"Come on, Dino. Wake up. Layla's waiting for you to eat pancakes."

Why is Tate in my room? Wait, Layla's here too? Lifting my head releases a smell from the bed around me. This doesn't smell like my bed. When the blanket is tugged from my face, I let it go.

My chest feels like someone's pounding on it. From the inside, though, it’s like something needs to get out. Mom calls it… what does she call it? Ansety? Anxiety! Where is Mom?

The room isn't bright when I open my eyes. Not like my room is. My purple curtains are thin, which kind of sucks sometimes. This room is still dark, though. I wonder how early it is.

"There she is!"

I don't sit up; too cozy to move. Tate sits next to me on the edge of the bed. His smile is small, just like Aunty Rylee's is behind him. They look the same. More so than usual today. With the glow of the hallway from the door, I see they are both in sweatpants and T-shirts.

Their bright blue eyes look kind of sleepy? Sad? I don't know. Their smiles are the same. They don't look very happy, though. If Tate had red hair, they would look like twins! That would be cool.

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