Page 41 of North
“Kane, you did what you had to do. North didn’t understand back then but she’s a smart girl and she knows now,” Elijah said.
“You’re probably right.” I swallowed the lump in my throat and looked at Melanie. “Will you talk to her? It doesn’t have to happen all at once. Honestly, I’d prefer if it didn’t happen all at once. She just needs to know that…”
“She has a friend. A real one.” Melanie reached across the table and squeezed my hand. I nodded and pushed a chunk of hair behind my ear. “So what’s Sierra’s deal? Is she a mean girl? Bitchy? Backstabby?”
“Worse. She’s jealous.” The oven beeped letting me know the temperature was right so I put the pans of lasagna in the way North instructed me. “She grew up with North and when they were kids she was a good friend to her. They shared suffering. That was how their bond was formed. Sierra bounced around in foster homes and North dealt with Izzy’s addiction.
I think as long as North was sufferingwithSierra things were okay but now…”
“North is thriving and Sierra is bitter,” Melanie frowned.
“Exactly. There’s no redeeming a toxic thought pattern like that. You can’t be best friends with anyone who wants you to live below them so they feel important.” I clenched my fist and stared at the snow falling lazily out of the window.
“Nope. People show their true selves when you’re doing better than they are. North has to see that shit for herself. Nobody’s going to be able to show her,” Elijah said.
“I’ll talk to her. We’ll hang out a little later tonight if I can get her alone. If not, trust me I’ll pull her aside soon for girl talk.” Melanie’s smile was warm and genuine. I saw the sincerity in her gray eyes and it gave me comfort.
I knew trauma bonding was a toxic foundation. North had come too far to let someone crawl inside her head and pull her back down. I refused to let that shit happen on my watch.
While the lasagnas baked and filled the house with an insanely delicious aroma, Elijah, Mel, and I drank Moscow Mules and laughed at my horrible vegetable cutting skills. I got the salad done but it definitely wasn’t Instagram worthy. Not by far.
By the time North got home with Sierra in tow, I was buzzed from the vodka and had to fight myself not to pull her slender tight body into my arms for a hug. I saw the fatigue in her storm-cloud eyes when she walked into the kitchen but my girl lit up like a Christmas tree when she saw me.
“Hey, Kane,” her smile was soft but I saw everything she was trying to hide. She wanted to lay her head against my chest and push her fingers through my hair. She wanted to feel my mouth on hers while I spoke against her lips and asked how her day was.
“Hey, Shortcake. How was your day?” If we were alone, I’d be busy peeling her out of her clothes so I could taste how her day was.
“Busy,” she sighed. She made her way around the room greeting Elijah and Melanie then introducing Sierra. I eyed her problematic best friend making sure my polite mask was in place so she didn’t see how much disdain I held for her.
“Glad you came to visit, Sierra. Welcome. Make yourself at home. There are some drinks in the fridge.” Sierra’s brown eyes climbed up my frame until she rested on my eyes. A smirk lifted one side of her full lips.
“I want whatever you guys are having in those mugs.” She tipped her chin toward the copper mugs sitting on the kitchen table.
Those are Moscow Mules. Not for people under twenty-one.” I chuckled then pulled open the fridge. “All of this is yours for the taking though.”
“Thanks, Kane,” North said cutting in. “I’m gonna go upstairs and get out of these clothes and into the shower.” She bounced up on her tiptoes and looked over my shoulder at the lasagnas. “They look good,” she chirped.
“I’m capable of putting food in the oven to heat it up. We’ve discussed that.” I reached out and tugged on her pretty red hair. I stared at the freckles on her lips then dipped down to her neck.
Fuck, she was perfect.
The liquor coursing through me was making it tough to ignore the familiar behavior between us. The way my hand went to the small of her back and my lips clung to her throat. I was hungry for her and after nearly fucking her in my art studio I was about to devour her now.
“Hurry up so we can eat, North. I’ve been smelling these bomb-ass lasagnas for an hour. I’m hungry.” Elijah must have seen the way I stared at her. He cut in just in the nick of time.
“Okay,” she laughed taking a step away from me. I must’ve looked like a wolf ready to attack. It’s how I felt inside.
When North and Sierra disappeared upstairs and Melanie excused herself to answer a phone call, Elijah pinned me with a pointed look. “Yo, Kane, you need to stop looking at North like you’re ready to put all of us out and fuck her on the counter.”
I rubbed my forehead and fell into a chair at the table. “Fuck…I’m losing my goddamn mind, Elijah. You know how long I’ve been waiting?”
“It’s December, hold on one more month, man.” I heard him, I really did but the beast inside of me wasn’t willing to listen anymore. I came too close earlier. Feeling how wet North got all over my dick was like a fucking drug.
I understood why logic was useless against addicts now because nothing anyone said could stop the rampant thoughts and desires from ruling my brain. I wanted North on my tongue. I wanted her wrapped tight around my cock. I wanted her crimson hair in my fucking fist while I bent her spine and buried deep inside of her.
There was no cure for that.
I knew it was probably sick to normal people but after living with North for a year and watching her grow and blossom, I wasn’t normal anymore. I was feral. I was beyond logic.
