Page 73 of Fractured

“Hey, Ambrose,” I said as I put the phone to my ear.

“Hey.” His deep voice rolled over me like the smoothest bourbon with just a hint of spice. Immediately, I felt more grounded than I had all evening. “I was just checking on you. Do you want me to come get you?”

I pulled the phone away for just a second to check the time. It was almost nine, but I’d been here for a good four hours already. “I think I’m okay to drive, I only had two glasses and that was hours ago.” Because while Harper had finished off our bottle and almost another all on her own, I stopped as soon as she started the movie.

“Are you sure? Saint already has keys in his hand.”

I could imagine Saint ready to come get me, protecting me like the sweet man he was.

“I’m sure,” I glanced at Harper. Her frown was fierce, and I felt awful for leaving her. Maybe I should stay over? Like we used to do in college?

“Okay, Lilith.” His voice dipped even deeper, and a shiver worked down my spine. “I’ll see you when you get home.”

Home.

Home with four men who had taken over my world.

After I hung up, I turned to Harper. “It’s time for me to go home. Unless you need me to stay?”

She shook her head as if she were shaking old cobwebs out. “No, I’ll be okay on my own. In fact, that’s probably best. I do my best thinking when I’m left to my own miserable devices.”

I nodded. A few months ago, I would have agreed, but now, I couldn’t imagine going home to an empty house. The guys had spoiled me much too quickly. Almost to the point that when they eventually left, I feared that would be my breaking point.

“Okay.” I helped her clean up and gave her a tight hug before I left. She was such a big personality, but at that moment, she was small in my arms. “If you need anything at all, please call me. And if you need company or to talk things through, my door is always open. And I’ll even introduce you to the guys.”

“I’d like that,” she said, then opened the door for me to leave. It felt wrong to leave her on her own, but she was adamant about not wanting the company, so I left.

I battled with my guilty conscience right until I got home, then I forced it out of my head as Atticus met me at the door with a kiss.

Seventeen

The sand is slipping. - October 5th

The sun waswarm on my toes as I stretched them as far as I could on my porch. It was only midday, so there were only a couple inches of the porch in direct sunlight. Outside of that, I was wrapped in an oversized sweatshirt I’d bought from the gift shop after one of our shows a few years ago and a pair of thick and unbelievably comfortable sweatpants.

The screen door screeched as Atticus pushed it open. “Hey, are you going to spend all day out here?” He grinned and ran a hand through his light brown hair, fixing any stray pieces.

“No, I just wanted a little air.” More and more, I was starting to feel trapped inside four walls. It didn’t matter that they were surrounding me and distracting me.

“Want company?” He waggled his eyebrows.

I smiled back. “I’d love some.”

Just out here, where the air was clean and clear and where an invisible noose didn’t seem to tighten around my neck with every twitch of my body.

The door swung closed behind him as he took the seat next to mine. The wicker creaked as he found a comfortable position. There was just a barely there bit of stubble on his face from missing a day or two of shaving. It gave him a less kept appearance, adding to his dorky yet sexy charm. The man still wore cardigans though.

“Want to talk?”

Startled, I met his gaze. He was smiling, but there was something more in his eyes. Something I didn’t want to think about. Not with these guys.

“About what?”

“About what has been bothering you lately.” He trailed a finger down my sleeve until he reached my hand gripping the arm of the chair, making a few lazy designs on the back of my hand, then working his index finger under my own.

Reverting back to my old ways, I clammed up and looked anywhere but at him. How did one tell their lover they questioned their sanity on a daily, sometimes hourly, basis and not have them run away in terror?

“Lilith,” he said softly as he gently threaded his fingers through mine.

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