“Don’t cry, baby. I need you to be strong for me. For us.”
“I only just got you,” I whispered.
“Oh,malen'koye solnyshko,you’ve always had me, my sweet sunlight. From day one, I was hooked. Nothing is going to change that. Trust me?”
I swallowed thickly, nodding, my throat tight and burning.
He leaned in and kissed my tears away. He said he wanted to leave before the guys woke. He didn’t want a prolonged goodbye and just needed to head out. We’d lain together for an hour after we’d had sex, him holding me and whispering to me how much he loved me. Now we were here, nearing his departure.
It hurt. It was killing me.
“You take care of our babies,” he murmured. “Because they are ours. They belong to all of us. Can you do that for me?”
I nodded again, my bottom lip quivering.
“No tears. You’re such a strong, powerful girl. I know your heart. And when I get back, I’ll never have to leave you again. I swear it to you.”
I went up on my tip-toes and kissed him. He groaned into my mouth, deepening it until we were both breathless.
“Be good,” he whispered against my lips. “I’ll be back. Keep Fallon in line for me.”
I swallowed and nodded. He pulled away from me and opened the door to the garage.
“I’ll love you for eternity, Bianca Walker. Never forget who you are, my queen,” he said, looking at me from over his shoulder.
A tear trickled down my cheeks as he gave me one final smile before departing, the door closing softly behind him with a click that felt like a gunshot to my heart. I slid down the wall, sobbing softly and hating everything about how this life was tearing us apart.
I saton the back patio, a blanket wrapped around my shoulders, and stared into the forest. Birds chirped in the distance, the smell of spring in the air. I inhaled, my heart heavy. Drake had been gone for an hour now. I knew he wasn’t going to reach out right away, but I was beside myself with worry. Missing him was hard. The pain I felt would only double because Levin would be leaving too.
I wiped at a tear that slid down my cheek and continued to stare out at the forest. I didn’t even want to consider what the future held. All I wanted was my guys here with me where we were safe.
“I was wondering where you were,” Levin said softly, sitting beside me and dangling his legs over the edge of the patio with me. I liked that it overlooked a small drop-off into the woods. A creek trickled nearby, and I told myself that maybe I’d take a walk to it and see how big it was.
“Why are you crying, bumblebee?” His voice took on a concerned tone. “Babe?”
I sniffled, and he reached out and gently turned my head so I was staring at him.
“Talk to me. What’s going on?”
“Drake is gone,” I whispered hoarsely. “He left this morning to go back.”
“Oh, bumblebee.” He sighed and pulled me against his hard body. “Don’t cry, baby.”
“How can I not, boo bear? He might be dead.”
“He’s a relentless cocksucker. He won’t die. If he survived the first round, he’ll surely survive the second.”
“How do you know that?” I looked up at him.
He leaned in and kissed me gently. “Because he has something worth living for. We all do.”
His words melted my heart, and I kissed him again, deepening it to the point where we were both breathless.
“I love you, bumblebee,” he murmured against my lips. “Everything has been shit lately, but I want you to know it’s going to get better.”
“Levin, you can’t possibly know that.”
“I do know that. I know we’re going to get through this and come out on top. We’re all fighting for you.”