Page 12 of Bear
I almost laugh aloud at that. I actually think our fucking feisty girl would love it. Tristan doesn’t seem to know Lennon very well at all. Despite not being well-acquainted with football, she’d still loved watching Bear on the field—you know, until Derek bothered her. I happen to think she’d enjoy this sort of event, too. Hard to say if it’s because of the sports aspect or if it’s Bear himself. She gravitates toward him when sometimes I wish it were me she wanted instead.
Tristan’s deep voice cuts through the speaker again. “And is there anything I need to be aware of? Pertaining to Lennon, I mean?”
My eyes dart to Duke’s, then Bear’s. I press my lips together. Fuck, all I can do is trust that Duke’s going to continue to go with his gut. I don’t trust any of our fathers as far as I can throw them, especially not where Lennon is concerned.
Duke takes one heavy breath, then another. “No, not at all. She’s been acclimating well to classes and the brotherhood. We’re good to go. I’ll let you know if anything comes up. Gotta go.” He leans in and jabs the End Call button.
I give both of them a grim look. “I guess we’ll see if that bites us in the ass later.”
SEVEN
BEAR
I watchthe minutes tick by as we edge closer and closer to the time Mason and I need to leave. We’re due to arrive at the warehouse where all my old man’s dirty fights take place no later than 10 p.m. It’s far enough on the outskirts of town that it mostly goes unnoticed, except by the people who are in the know and are approved to be there. It also doesn’t hurt that my father has an in with the police department. Strangely, there are never any patrol cars in the area on Sunday nights. Ever.
I stop next to Mason, who’s sitting on the arm of one of the couches, on my way through the living room. I nudge his arm, then point one finger upward. “I’ve gotta shower and change. I’ll meet you down here in twenty.”
He nods. Looking down at his own attire, he huffs out a laugh. He has smeared charcoal down the front of his shirt. “Looks like I’d better fuckin’ change, too.” Mason glances at Duke. “Text if you need anything tonight. I can always come home.”
“We’ll be fine,” Duke grits, staring off at nothing in particular. Something’s got him distracted, which isn’t what we need. He said he wanted to be the one to stay with Lennon, so I hope to hell he shakes this mood. There’s a chance he’s beginning to spiral about the impending anniversary of Juliette’s death tomorrow. Mason and I have been watching for it to happen, and Duke’s definitely been a little out of whack the last few days as we expected him to be, but nothing major. So. Either he’s going to be okay this year, or he’s going to crash hard tomorrow. I guess we’ll fucking find out as we continue to live through the aftermath of Juliette’s death with him.
But Juliette isn’t the girl he needs to focus on right now, and I’m about to open my mouth and point it out to him when Lennon’s screams reach our ears plain as day all the way from the second floor. Duke, Mason, and I freeze in place, eyes wildly staring at each other as the heavy slam of a door sounds. My heart lurches, and everything seems to stop for a moment, like we’re in a vacuum. A void.
And then, like I’ve been slapped upside the head, it all comes roaring back. Duke growls out “What the fuck,” and we’re off in the next second, plowing through the living room. In our mad dash, I plant one foot on the couch cushion and leap over the back while Duke hurdles the coffee table. Mason knocks into Kai and Brendan coming out of the den and shoves them out of the way.
“What the fuck’s going on?”
“Holy shit, where’s the fire?”
None of us stop for even a second to answer their questions.
We take the stairs two at a time, my mind pushing me faster than my body would normally ever allow me to go. I charge down the hallway in front of Mason and Duke, throwing the door open to her room.
Lennon stands stock-still, staring at the bathroom door on the far side of her room like she’s in a motherfucking trance. As my heart pounds in my ears, I approach her. “Lennon, what the—?” But I don’t finish because I can’t tell if she even knows I’m here. Duke and Mason enter the room a second later, coming to a rather jarring stop because what’s before us is definitely… odd.
A moment later, Lennon snaps out of it, draws in a deep breath, and pivots to face us. Her face is pale and the light in her eyes has dimmed. “Someone’s been in my room.”
Perplexed doesn’t begin to describe my confusion.
“How do you know, Kintsukuroi?” Mason steps forward, reaching for her, but she shakes her head.
I looked that fucking word up once it became clear Mason wasn’t going to drop the habit of using it for Lennon. Kintsukuroi is the Japanese art of repairing pottery by mending it with gold. Within our imperfections and our flaws lies the potential for beauty and strength. Once the broken pieces are put back together, we are sturdier and more beautiful than we were before the damage was inflicted. I can see why Mason’s chosen that in reference to her.
I give myself a stern shake, focusing on Lennon again, only to find her brow furrowing as she backs up a step.
“No.” The plea is clear in her eyes as she stares at us, for all the world looking like she’s about to completely break down. “You wouldn’t have done that. Would you?”
The truth slams into my gut. Lennon doesn’t want to believe that we’d do whatever has upset her… but she’s also nervous as hell that we have. It makes my heart plummet to my feet.
Mason looks at her with wounded eyes. “I didn’t do anything. Promise. The last time I was in your room, you were with me. We all were.”
Her lips press together tightly. Her chest is rising and falling way too fast. She needs someone to calm her down, and it kills me that she doesn’t seem to know if she can trust us.
Duke rubs one hand over his jaw, eyeing her. “Stella Bella… what are we talking about?”
Their blue eyes connect—his wary, hers fearful. “Duke. Tell me you didn’t do it.”
“Do what?” he grits, but he’s frowning, and I can read him well enough to be positive he doesn’t have a clue what she’s talking about either.
