Page 73 of Honey Undone
“It’s definitely real,” Zane said, “Why do you sound scared?”
“Because she has a life here and she’s not Dad…” Taylor snapped.
“Yeah, because Mom is a saint, Taylor.” He rolled his eyes and suddenly the conversation was all about them again.
“At least she didn’t move across the fucking map just to get away from us,” Taylor grumbled. It was a tired argument they had often, Taylor always took Mom’s side, Zane always took Dad’s and I was always forgotten.
“Okay well, I don’t have kids or a husband so if…”
“Dad moved so he could pay for the house Mom refused to sell,” Zane reminded Taylor who only scoffed. I got up from the table, knowing I wouldn’t be missed and wandered over to the bar.
“What do you think of California?” I asked Brighton as he appeared from the kitchen.
“It’s hot and dry,” he shrugged, pouring me a glass of water. “Why?”
“I got the contract,” I confessed.
“Shit,” Bright said with an understanding nod. “When do you leave?”
Not askingifI was going orifI had made a decision yet. No, Bright had jumped straight towhen do you leave?I swallowed tightly.
“End of season,” I said.
“I’ll have to get Rugby One so we can watch the games,” he said without skipping a beat, showing me the confidence I had expected to receive from my brothers and didn’t get.
“Thanks, Brighty,” I said with a smile.
“Don’t call me that, Addy,” he said, tapping the bar and disappearing again.
What are you doing tonight?
You if I’m lucky
You might as well be a four leaf clover with those odds.
I giggled, making my way back over to my brothers who were still fighting over our parents and hoped that Jensen was about to give me an out. I might have asked them here but it was very obvious how wrong I was in doing so. They weren’t going to be any help, Bright was kind and oblivious. Who I really needed was Kaia.
We have the night off and we’re going to Hilly’s for trivia, I can pick you up?
Please
An hour later Jensen was in the parking lot of my apartment wearing a half buttoned black silk t-shirt and a pair of beige pants. His tattoos were the perfect accessory to his dark messy hair and bright smile.
“Belle,” he purred as I walked out in my lightest sundress and a pair of sneakers, giving him a twirl that made the dress fly up around my thighs and ass. “You better be prepared to fight cause I can’t mess up these hands and if anyone hits on you tonight…”
“You wouldn’t fight for my honor?” I teased and fell into his arms with a soft groan as he wrapped his arms around me.
“I’m a lover,” he mumbled into the crook of my neck, the words tingling over my throat. I pulled back to look him in the eyes, both hands pushing up into the back of his hair as he captured my lips in his. It numbed all the worry in my body and calmed all the fear that I was feeling over unmade decisions. Tonight wasn’t for that though, it was for us. Rugby could wait six hours.
“Come on,” he whispered against my lips, stealing another before opening the door for me and letting me tuck inside. He found the last parking spot in thelot of a very busy Hilly’s with a string of curse words for Dean Tucker’s parking job on the left side of him.
“He thinks just because he’s the size of a bear he can double park,” Jensen grumbled as he held the door open for me. My favorite thing about him is that no matter where we went, no matter who we were with his hand was always on me. Currently pressed gently into my lower back, but in the car it was wrapped in mine or tucked into my thigh. Like he couldn't help himself but be attached.
“Hey Addy!” Van nudged my side as we slid into the booth next to him and Zoey. She handed me a beer with a smile before turning back to pay attention to the host at the front of the restaurant talking loudly into a mic.
Hilly’s was quiet compared to the Hollow, less packed with sweaty bodies and drunk assholes. The music was quieter as the host explained the rules of trivia night and everyone gave her most of their attention. It seemed I had been tossed into the deep end of Hornets culture without warning and I couldn’t help but think it might be payback for our night at the Hollow.
“I’m Ella,” a pretty blonde girl with a bright smile and big brown eyes held out her hand to me, “I work with the team.”
