Page 45 of Stitches

Cady shrugged while Church continued kissing Sirena, whispering words to her whenever he’d stop for her to breathe before he dove back in. I pulled my lighter out and flipped it open and closed five times.

I was worried about Stitches. As much as I hated to admit it, I was also worried about Sin. He looked like hell today. He was losing weight. His gray eyes were dull and lifeless. He was the shell of the guy he once was.

And for that, I had regrets.

I just couldn’t deal with all this shit right now though. Stitches had to be a priority because we knew exactly what he was capable of if he went off the deep end again. I prayed every night he wouldn’t.

“I don’t know. We stopped here and he mumbled about needing to leave. He didn’t elaborate and I didn’t ask,” Cady said, looking past me. I followed her gaze to see Bryce headed toward us.

He stopped next to me and cleared his throat.

“Hey, I was wondering if Sirena would be available tonight.”

One of my worst nightmares. Him wanting to hang out with her. The ex. The one she was still friends with and who clearly cared for her and vice versa.

Church broke off his kiss to Sirena and openly glared at Bryce.

“No,” he said without missing a beat.

Sirena looked from Bryce to Church, her lips curled into a deep frown.

Damnit, heaven.

I sighed, knowing we couldn’t just keep her from having friends.

She pulled away from Church who let out a protest and came to me, her pretty eyes focused on mine.

Carefully, she took my hand and traced a single word onto my palm. The rarity of her communicating was always a shock and one that made me want to do whatever she was asking for.

Please.

“Heaven, baby,” I murmured weakly.

“What did she say?” Church demanded. Cady looked on with interest, the eagerness to know plain as day.

“She saidplease. She wants to.” I took in the look of anger on Church’s face and watched as he turned and directed it on Bryce who had the decency to take a step back.

“What is your fucking problem?” Church seethed, advancing on him. “You keep coming up in here trying to spend time with her. Trying to get close to her. You do realize she belongs to the watchers, right? That she’s not yours. That she will never be yours again.”

“She’s my friend,” Bryce answered, drawing himself up. Bryce wasn’t a small guy by any means, he was just quiet. If I had to compare him to something, I’d say he’s the guy the girl cuddles with and always knows just what to say to make her smile. He was just a sweet guy. At least that was how I took him.

A muscle popped along Church’s jaw as he continued to stare down Bryce.

Sirena squeezed my hand, making me sigh.

I was giving in. She knew I was. How the hell couldn’t I? She could have anything in the world I could give her if she wanted it.

I guessed hanging out with Bryce was one of those things.

“If Church and Stitches are agreeable, you can come over tonight and hang out in the living room with her. Watch a movie or something,” I said, the words gross on my tongue. Bryce was a nice enough guy, but he was still her ex. That meant something to me and clearly to Church who snapped his attention back to me, the glare hardening on his face.

“We’ll be there,” I continued, preferring to have them at our place and not Bryce’s. “Dante, she’s asking. She never asks for anything. Let’s give her this, OK? We owe her.”

Church stared at me for a moment before he looked at Sirena who stared back with wide, innocent eyes.

I could already see Church’s resolve crumbling.

She just had that effect on us.

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