Page 4 of Talk About… History

He was taller than the other two, standing a few inches over their 6’2 frames, but I assumed it was the dirty workboots he always wore that added the extra height. His smiles were few and far between yet if you knew him well enough, you could read him like a book.

Right now his neck was tense enough to show his anger, but his eyes were tracking over me and full of relief to see I was safe and in one piece.

“Have they come back?” Cameron demanded. His voice was harsh, even as he gave me a small smile and quick hug. He was so different from the guy he was before our dads died. When the accident happened, it took a piece of him, too.

He tucked his leather jacket tighter around him and glared around the living room before settling back on me, waiting for my answer. He may not have the same bulk and height as Maverick, but he was just as intimidating in an unpredictable way. My brother was impulsive, but he was loyal.

At least to family.

“No. Your guy was out there last I looked. I’ve been trying to sort through things,” I admitted, gesturing at the chaos of my apartment. Knowing that my brother had a friend outside watching over the door, even if I didn’t know him, allowed me to focus on myself.

Nash laughed as he picked up a broken frame and quirked an eyebrow at me. He always brought the levity to the moment, lightening the mood whenever he could. “Really, sis?”

He really wasn’t far off of our brothers in size, but the way he carried himself seemed less intimidating and smaller even, and he didn’t work out to keep the extra bulk they had. Though, I knew he could kick anyone's ass in a second if they pushed too far. Hell, he’d do it to my exes right now if he could.

“Fuck them, they don’t even get to have printed evidence of our time together. They fucked up, not me.”

Nash held his hands up and let out a warm chuckle. It was a sound that was so familiar I had to fight off tears.

Sidney clapped her hands, effectively chasing away the moment. She threw her chestnut hair into a ponytail, her green eyes locking onto me as she quirked an eyebrow. My best friend looked the same as she always did, despite the years. It was oddly comforting.

“Absolutely not. No sappy shit. Tell us what to do so we can get out of this fucking city. All these buildings so close gives me the heebie-jeebies,” she said, shuddering dramatically. Between that and her slight southern drawl, I had to stop myself from laughing. She was the same that she always was, a petite omega with a big personality.

Fuck, I'd missed them. The ache in my chest was replaced by another one I recognized as homesickness. Somehow I’d convinced myself I was happy to be away, but the truth was, there was nothing like home.

“I’m sorry I didn’t come home enough,” I managed, my eyes locked onto the faded rug instead of four of the people who would never leave my side.

“Why didn’t you come for Christmas this year?”

“Travis made this whole itinerary that kept us here,” I admitted, suddenly seeing the isolation red flag. “Same thing for the other big events.”

“Are you going to stay home this time?” Cameron asked. I looked up to see his hazel eyes that matched my own, boring into me, demanding an answer. He likely expected me to find somewhere else to run once I was on my feet.

“Yes,” I said, not even having to think about it too hard. “I miss Rockwood and Mom.”

“What about us?” Nash demanded, letting out a gasp as if I cut him to his core.

“Less now,” I teased.

“There’s that fire,” Maverick said, grabbing a box. “Let’s get out of here as quickly as possible.”

They all looked at me expectantly. Now that they were here I felt calm, like I could face the rest of this bullshit.

“My bedroom is packed up, everything needing to go into boxes is on my bed. Documents are somewhere in the office and I’m honestly not sure where. Brad was meticulous and kept me out of there most of the time. Otherwise, that’s all I want.”

“I’m taking the cookies on the counter,” Nash huffed. “Mav, Cam, and I will handle the office. You two tackle the room and we’ll help afterward. That way you can get all your embarrassing shit packed first.”

He snagged the fresh box of cookies, stepping over the remnants of the cake and takeout no one bothered to pick up. He popped it open and the guys descended on it.

Sidney shook her head and laughed before grabbing a few boxes and tugging us toward my room.

The nest door was still open as we walked down the hall and she let out a low whistle.

“Remind me never to fuck with you,” she laughed, grabbing her phone out and taking a picture. I looked at her like she was crazy but Sidney just shrugged, completely unapologetic. “What, sometimes we need reminders of why we hate people. This will be yours. Anytime you need it, I can send it along.”

She kind of had a point. Maybe my lonely heart would long for her former mates at some point. The thought made me want to revolt, but I was an omega, one who had been hurt, and that wouldn’t be easy to move past.

“Fair. Remind me to send you the pic of them balls deep, too,” I said with a shudder before I snatched a box and went into the room I’d shared with the guys.

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