Page 50 of Sweet Anarchy

I throw myself on the bed, grumbling into the blanket. The bedroom door clicks open and we look over. I twitch as I spot a leather arm snake through the gap between the door and frame, pushing a candy bar across the floor.

Zayn pops his head around the corner of the door, spotting me on the bed. "A peace offering," he winks before closing the door.

I purse my lips before slowly climbing off the bed and snatching the candy bar from the floor.

"You have to admit, he's kind of cute," I mumble, snapping the bar in half and handing the other piece to Asher.

Asher rolls his eyes, popping the chocolate into his mouth. "Sure, if you like that type of thing."

The sugary snack goes down like a treat, but I decide to hold off forgiving until the morning. I walk into Asher's closet, grabbing a shirt from a coat hanger and changing into it.

"How am I going to sleep with you in my bed, dressed only in your underwear and my shirt?" Asher questions with a groan.

"You'll figure it out."

We pull back the blanket together from either side of the bed, climbing in. Immediately, I roll against Asher, tucking myself along his side. He wraps his arm under my back, holding me close.

"They just want to keep us safe, you know? I don't like it either, but I guess it's their way of caring," he says quietly.

I rest my chin on his chest, staring blankly at the wall. "I know," I admit. "But it would kill me to lose any of you. This is so very real and dangerous. I wish we could all just leave and come back when it's safe."

Asher gazes down at me, brows furrowed. "No, you don't. You wouldn't leave your friends behind to deal with it. You're too protective. You just hate the fact you were left out. I do too."

"Maybe you're right," I admit. "But I can't help but feel like this is just going to get a whole lot worse now."

He nods in agreement. "Maybe it will scare them off. We're due to catch a break eventually."

"Maybe," I repeat. "I hope so, anyway."

"So, any news yet?" I ask the next morning as I walk into the kitchen.

Zayn and Blake look up from the kitchen table, surprised at my change in attitude.

"No updates yet. Just that they burnt completely down. Both clubhouses are gone," Blake tells me, pulling out the chair next to him and motioning for me to sit down.

I walk over, sliding in beside him. Zayn pushes his plate towards me, my eyes burning holes in the delicious stack of pancakes.

I take the plate, watching as he looks pleased. "I'd already forgiven you," I tell him, stabbing a fork into the fluffy, syrupy stack. "The candy bar sealed the deal. But you just lost your pancakes now."

"It was worth it," Zayn says, grinning as he watches me shove a forkful into my mouth.

"Where's Asher?" Blake asks, looking at the doorway.

I swallow my food. "He's gone for a run. Where's Chuck?"

"Still in bed, I assume," he replies.

Laughing, I reach for Zayn's orange juice, taking a sip. "He's not a morning person. Plus the rest will do him good."

Zayn leans back in his chair, arms folded as he looks down at his now empty placemat. "Did you sleep well?"

"I slept great," I tease. "Asher has amazing body heat."

Zayn narrows his eyes at me, a smirk pulling on his lips. "Oh, you're going to get it so bad later, babe."

"I said I had forgiven you, not that you could fuck me."

Blake snorts, holding in a laugh. "Withholding sex? Really?"

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