Page 159 of On The Edge
Adam nods quickly and walks toward me, gently taking my other side and they help me walk into the bathroom. Together, they undress me and I let them while I watch their controlled expressions.
Adam’s eyes widen slightly, just for a moment before he forces himself to look to the side, his eyes glazing over. Reis' jaw clenches and he breathes in sharply through his nose when he sees me. I knew they wouldn’t be able to not peek.
“Have something you wanna say?” I say weaker than I meant for it to sound.
“What do you mean?” Adam asks, feigning innocence as he turns to turn the shower on.
“You look like you want to comment. Please, go right the fuck ahead.” I roll my eyes.
Adam freezes and he looks at Reis out of the side of his eye before he takes a deep breath and nods.
“I’m fucking twisted up about how you’ve been. We… You’ve been alone and you look like you’re next to death. That’s on us. We should’ve figured it all out sooner. I’m so sorry. I wish I could fix it but the only way you’re going to understand that we’re serious is if we stay. And we will.” There’s steel in his words, and maybe one or two bricks fall from the wall around my heart.
“Come on, in you go.” Reis gently moves me into the water. When his hands touch my bare skin on my hips, I feel goosebumps break out all over my body.
The water wets my hair as I lean back, almost physically knocked over with what Adam means. The hot spray feelsheavenly.Wait—how’d I get the water turned on? I don’t remember calling to set it up yet. Reis nods to the side of me and I realize that these four very famous men probably have something to do with why I have water and power.
“We’re going to stay right here. Do you want us to talk, or do you need silence?” Reis asks as he shuts the glass door to the shower.
“Talk,” I say softly, the cool tile hitting my back as I slide down to sit. “Please, talk.”
“You got it,” Adam says and I can hear the smile in his voice. “So, we were on the way back and George asked about you,” he shares quickly, launching into story-telling mode. My brain shuts off in the best way, just listening to the way they sound talking about anything, and it's like I can breathe a little easier.
When they’ve toldme every small little story they can think of, Reis turns to look at me and tells me it’s time to soap up. On shaky feet, I stand and cleanse myself before the water turns cold and they force me out. I don’t know where they found towels in the boxes, but the one that’s wrapped around me is fuzzy and warm.
“Food!” Kai calls out, and my stomach growls loudly again.
“Let’s get you fed.” Reis guides me out of the bathroom. I don’t have any energy to fight him, to tell him I need to be clothed before walking out, so the moment we step out of the shower, Markus and Kai get an eyeful too. There’s heat and tension in their gazes, but the most overpowering expression is concern.
“Melody,” Markus says softly. “Why didn’t you call us?” Kai’s fingers curl into fists against the kitchen island and his shoulders rise.
“Do I really need to answer that?” I ask exhaustedly.
“She needs food,” Adam interjects quickly.
“She needs a lot of food.” Kai smacks the counter. “This wouldn’t have happened if we were paying more attention. She wouldn’t look like she’s in medical danger had we been smarter. This is on us!” He growls and each word feels like a hit to my sternum, knocking the breath from my lungs.
I gear up for a session of verbal sparring with him, but Reis steps in.
“Now is not the time. She needs food, water, and rest. Let’s get her healthy and then the four of us can wrestle with the guilt. Alright?”
Kai’s nostrils flare as he takes a deep breath in and nods once, rolling his shoulders back.
“We made sandwiches and got the TV up and running. Dinner and a movie?” Kai asks.
FORTY-EIGHT
We should bethankful she hasn’t called the cops on us yet.
I think I’d stay right outside the front door until she left and showed her exactly how much I mean it when I say I’m never going to leave her again.
Melody lookstiny.She was a smaller girl to start with, but now?
I see ribs, collarbones. Her veins are more prominent, her eyes are sunken in uncomfortably like she hasn’t rested fully for days. I don’t think I’ll ever get over how she looked when we broke in. I swear to fuck I thought she was dead. She didn’t move until Adam touched her. Her eyes were… dark and glassy. Like she couldn’t understand what she was seeing.
God,I shake my head and my hand comes up to scratch the back of my neck uncomfortably. She… she looked like she hadn’t moved since she left us.No,she didn’t leave us. Louis manipulated her.
Louis.
