Page 35 of Filthy Liar

When had I started crying?

Reid climbed out of the car and walked around to my side, pulling my door open and squatting in front of me as he took both my hands.

“Hey, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you cry.”

I shook my head, not wanting to speak and make it worse, but I didn’t want him blaming himself.

“What’s wrong?” I heard Ander ask just before he appeared in view behind Reid, his face softening when he saw me. “Why the tears, Bluebird? Was he being an asshole?”

I shook my head again, and Reid winced. “It’s my fault. Logan was upset today and I was telling her about it.”

Ander studied me, seeming to understand what was happening without me having to tell him. There was only one thing that would have both Logan and I this upset.

“You good with Reid?” he asked, waiting for me to nod before continuing. “I’ll catch up with the others so they don’t worry. Take your time, we’ll wait for you.”

“Jump out,” Reid murmured to me as Ander walked back to his car, and I got to my feet, letting Reid pull me against him. Ander flashed his lights as he drove off, and I sank into Reid’s hold a little more.

“Is it supposed to hurt this much?” I managed to get out, his lips pressing against the top of my head.

“How you’re feeling is normal. People grieve differently in all aspects of loss, so you handle it any way you feel is right,” he promised, rubbing my back. “I feel like it’s wrong that I’m hurting over it too, but we’re family. No matter what, your kids will always be loved by me as if they’re my own.”

“You can grieve too,” I stated, hugging him a little tighter.

We stood there for a few minutes as I got control of myself, and then he pulled back enough to wipe my cheeks, giving me a small smile. “Let’s get home. We can have an early night once we eat.”

The rest of the short drive was silent, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. The sun was almost set, and there was some kind of peaceful feeling in the air.

Reid had barely parked the car when Logan opened my door, giving me a second to unbuckle myself before he took my hand and pulled me against him. He didn’t say anything, but it was obvious that Ander had said what had been wrong.

Zavier closed the gate before we all walked up to the front door together, Logan’s hand tightly in mine and the keys in my other. This would be home until we got our real home back, and I was a little excited to have our own space again.

I unlocked the door and we stepped inside, my eyes scanning the small space. The kitchen was updated, while the living room had new furniture and carpet.

The open-plan design made it feel bigger than it probably was too, which was nice.

The bathroom was basic but clean, and the bedroom had a wardrobe at one end, and two large mattresses pushed together on the floor.

It was perfect.

Zavier dropped an arm around my shoulders and kissed the top of my head. “This is kind of nice, don’t you think?”

“It is,” I agreed, taking it all in. The streets were quiet outside, and one of the guys must have found the remote for the TV since I heard it turn on.

“Other crews need to do what the local ones here did and learn to play nice,” Reid scoffed as the news reporter droned on about gang violence. The Skull and Bone crew had been making waves in their town, and it made me glad that they were nowhere near us.

We joined the others in front of the TV, and I perked up at seeing footage of the Heights Community Center filling the screen, locals telling the reporter what they thought of it.

People were wary of the Donovans, but they praised them for doing something when it wasn’t their problem. A lot were tearing down the government and council for not stepping in to help, which hopefully helped give them a push to fucking do something.

Everything was looking so good, and I hoped it eased the strain on some families.

A car sounded out front, and Ander poked his head out the curtains to check.

“Pizza’s here. You guys find something to watch,” he said as he headed out the door, and I moved to sit on the couch, but Logan tugged me onto his lap to make more room for the others.

I didn’t fight it, curling into him and putting my legs across Zavier’s thighs as he sat beside us.

Reid moved towards the kitchen, opening the fridge. “Uh, guys? Did Rory mention the fridge is stocked?”

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