Page 19 of Love Me
Knox stopped walking. “I’d keep going.”
Jacob didn’t even slow down in putting distance between them. He just kept walking backward.
“I don’t think I need to tell you what will happen if you come near her again,” Knox said loud enough for Jacob to hear.
Almost to the end of the aisle, Jacob spun on his heel. His feet wobbled, almost causing him to fall, and he dropped the jar of cinnamon he had been holding.
It wasn’t until Jacob was out of sight that Knox turned and came to me. He brought his hand up to my cheek. “Are you all right?”
I nodded.
“Let’s go home,” he said, ushering me toward the cart.
I resisted and went back over to the spice wall. I finally got my own jar of cinnamon because I refused to pick up the one Jacob had dropped. Then we headed for the checkout counters.
5
That night,after having dinner with the guys, I returned home. It felt foreign climbing into my own bed and my house was too quiet. I had stayed with the guys for the past four nights. Ever since the awful dinner where Logan had found out the guys knew the truth about me.
Thinking about my uncle reminded me that I should call him. I needed to tell him about what had happened with Jacob today. I went to reach for my phone off my nightstand, steeling myself for what I knew was going to be an uncomfortable call.
The sound of my front door opening, followed by the alarm beeping, made me freeze.
Colt’s voice carried through the house. “Just us, babe.”
The tension in my body eased instantly. I should have known they’d follow me over here. It hadn’t been talked about, but I knew the guys didn’t want me staying at my house alone. After everything that had happened with the sheriff and then Logan, I didn’t blame them, and it made me feel comfortable having them here as well. I was sure they’d prefer I spend every night at their place. I’d done it enough times that I had a drawer of clothes in each of Creed’s and Colt’s dressers, a few of my dresses were hanging in Keelan’s closet, and I had a shelf for my toiletries in the twins’ bathroom. I had things at their place that I needed, but those things were within their space. Not that I didn’t want to be with them—it was just nice to be inmyspace, surrounded bymythings that represented me, for once.
The alarm stopped beeping, an indication that they’d used the code to turn it off.
“Don’t forget to rearm it,” I said loudly.
“Already did,” Creed said as they both appeared in the hall, heading toward my room.
I scooted into the middle of the mattress as they stripped down to their boxers and climbed into bed on either side of me. As soon as they slipped under the blankets, Creed pulled me to him and spooned me from behind.
Lying on his side, facing me, Colt scooted closer. “Are you doing okay?”
I assumed he was talking about Jacob. “I’m okay.”
“You were quiet at dinner,” he said.
I thought back to dinner. As Knox had explained what had happened at the grocery store, I remembered feeling angry. Mostly with myself, because I had let myself contemplate what I could do differently so I wouldn’t attract monsters. Change what I wore? Shave my head? Figure out whatsave meeyes were and how to stop making them? Then I’d realized how wrong it was to think like that. I shouldn’t have to change.
“I was processing,” I said.
“Are you going to tell your uncle?” Creed asked with a hint of irritation.
“I was about to call him.” I let out a yawn. With the two of them here, lying next to me, the foreignness I’d been feeling began to ease and my body started to relax. The more relaxed I became, the more tired I felt. I hadn’t been looking forward to calling Logan to begin with. Just thinking about it now sounded exhausting. “I’ll just do it tomorrow after the mud run.”
“Can I ask you for something?” Creed’s words were hesitant.
“Of course.”
“If you meet with him again, can one of us be with you when you do? Or at least tell us that you’re meeting up with him?” There was worry in his voice.
“Okay,” I said and snuggled into the pillows. A chunk of hair curtained my face and I tried to blow it out of the way.
Colt brushed my hair behind my ear. His eyes were fixed on my head for a moment before he smiled. “I know what you should be for Halloween.”
