Page 36 of Venom
“How are you feeling, sweetheart?” I ask as she takes a seat, Viper sitting on the table before her, grabbing her hands.
“Okay,” she whispers, and I reply, “Good, you look like you’ve gained some weight as well.”
Lake twitches her nose and replies, “You know you should never tell a woman she looks like she’s gained weight, especially a pregnant one at that, it’s very dangerous, Venom.”
I grin as Viper chuckles bringing her hands up to his lips, kissing them.
“True, but with you…” My words trail off, and she sighs and admits, “Their cinnamon buns are to die for, okay, and I’m craving them every day.”
I nod with a smile while Viper asks quietly, “Have you had any other cravings?” and I wince, seeing the heartbreak in his eyes.
Her cheeks heat, and he raises a brow, and she sighs, then relents, “Fine, your cologne…”
I snort as Viper grins widely and stands, pulling her up. She looks at him with confusion, but she soon melts when he takes her seat and pulls her onto his lap.
Lake instantly places her face into his neck, and I smile softly, again, wishing Raya were in my arms.
What they have is what I want, and while I know they’ll make it, I don’t know Raya and I will.
Lake asks, “Did you draw the short straw to come with Jaylen?” After a few seconds of embracing Viper. I know I can’t lie to her, she’s been through too much and by the look she gives me, I know she knows, and I groan, “Fine, what is it that Raya is keeping from me, from everyone? And what is her connection with the Hyenas?”
I maintain eye contact with Lake, showing her I come in peace, and that I want Raya and she looks at me intently.
She knows Raya feels guilty for not being there for her, and I know she could stick to girl code, especially considering Raya has cut Ivy out of her life at the moment for not telling her about Angel. She was blindsided, all because I wanted to speak to her first.
“What is it you want to know?” she asks while Viper stays quiet, and she states, “Because there is only so much I will tell you, I won’t break her trust.”
So much fucking respect fills me for her right now.
I nod and ask, “What can you tell me?” hoping and fucking praying it’s enough to open the doorway for me.
Lake smirks, which doesn’t help me one bit as she says, “That she has been madly in love with you since she was like eight years old and that her sleeping with you was probably something she had always wanted.”
Wait what?
Shock shoots through me, shock and absolute stupidity as I choke, “What…?”
Every time Raya wouldn’t make eye contact with me, the quietness over the years… Fuck.
“Why do you think she was always weird whenever you were around, brother?” Viper says like it was well known and I glare at him and snap, “You knew and didn’t tell me!”
“Everyone knew and everyone tried to tell you, but you refused to listen. Instead, you had it in your head she was off because she was using Ives,” he reminds me, and I scowl at the fucker.
“Venom,” Lake says, gaining my attention, saving her man as I look at her, and she says, “the more you treated her like crap because her family had money, the more you pushed her away. There is so much you don’t know about her, about her family, and I can’t tell you because I won’t break her trust, but what I will tell you is if you are expecting a baby with someone else, she’ll want nothing to do with you.”
Fuck’s sake, of course the girls are in the know. She must have explained why she needs space.
My jaw ticks because I know I can’t explain the situation without the old ladies getting themselves locked up, and I look down and lie, “I don’t even know if there even is a baby yet.”
“It doesn’t matter,” she whispers, “She’s pulled back and it would take a lot more than a message from me, the woman who has distanced herself from her, to get her to talk to you.”
Ah, Lake, she’s not the only one who distanced themselves, Raya did as well.
I sigh and remind her, “It wasn’t your fault, sweetheart, you have depression, and not one of those girls questioned your distance like they should have.”
“It’s not their fault either,” she replies, reminding me why Raya distanced herself, and I huff as I look at Viper and ask, “Is she always this stubborn?”
He snorts, “Pretty much, the woman refused for me to buy her lunch every time we went out in between her shifts. So I'd end up putting the money in her purse without her realizing,” and she gently pinches him, and I grin widely.
