Page 14 of Sweet Anarchy

Tyson nods. "I appreciate that. And Rylee?"

I pause. "Yeah?"

"Charles is lucky to have you."

"You always take your bed for granted until you have to sleep somewhere else," I moan, falling onto the mattress.

"Technically, it's my bed," Asher says, kicking off his shoes and dumping his shirt on the ground. "But I'm happy to share any time."

"I bet you are," I say into the blanket, muffling my voice.

Zayn and Blake have gone to their bedrooms too for a rest. I don't know why I headed straight for Asher's room. It always seems to be my go to place.

"Maybe I should push my bed into here and create one large bed for all of us."

Asher looks at me, nose wrinkling up. "You want me to share a bed with my brothers."

"I'd be in the piggy in the middle. It's just a nice thought. Plus… room for activities," I laugh, quoting Stepbrothers.

Oh, the irony.

He taps the pillow next to him with his hand, signalling me to lay down. I pull off my shirt and shorts, and crawl under the blankets, positioning myself against him so I'm on my side, curved around his body. He wraps his arm around me, holding me close.

"Do you reckon there's any more hidden cameras in here?" I snort, my filter long gone as I start to fight sleep.

"There better fucking not be. It doesn't matter anyway," Asher responds.

He's right… the situation with Jenny is done and we've all moved on. God, it seems like so long ago that all that happened. Time feels like it's flying by, but at the same time… it's paralyzed.

I don't have the energy to muster up a reply. All I can do is just lay there, curled up in Asher's arms and drift off to sleep, hoping that when I wake up, Chuck will be back with us.

"Oh, my God!"

The voice cuts through my sleep like a knife. I bolt up in the bed, still half asleep, wondering if I'm having some vivid nightmare or lucid dream.

In fact, judging by my mother's horrified face at the foot of the bed, I pray to fucking God it's a nightmare.

"Mom?!" I yelp, accidentally kicking Asher in the calf as I scramble up. I grab the sheet, ripping it up to cover my half naked body.

Charlotte Taylor rarely doesn't look composed. Sure, she gets frustrated a lot at me… but she looks utterly mortified right now. Behind her, Gareth watches us, an angry look on his face. I can just imagine what it must look like, the two of us curled up together in bed, barely dressed.

Asher sits up, rubbing his calf. "You're back," he says dryly.

"Yes," Gareth answers slowly. "We travelled through the night after receiving a very distressing call yesterday."

I freeze, as does Asher.

"What call?" I ask, already knowing the answer.

Mom huffs, eyeing off my bandaged wounds. "The hospital called us and said you had been in an accident. But apparently, you were discharged before we could arrive."

"Why did the hospital call you?" I splutter out.

Her perfect eyebrows raise. "Because you're my daughter, Rylee. Why wouldn't they contact me?"

I glance over at Asher, the two of us sharing the same thought. The hospital didn't contact anyone when I was in the car accident. Maybe that's because the guys travelled with me to the hospital. My best guess is some nurse took it upon herself to contact my emergency contact when I arrived solo in the ambulance yesterday. I think I need to update my emergency contact details.

"I'm fine," I say weakly. "You didn't need to come home."

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