Page 14 of Walker

I don’t know how long we lay there together just listening to Michaela outside of the room laughing without a care in the world.

“Ms. Summer, breakfast is ready.” I hear a little voice through the door. I sit up smiling, Michaela is so cute. “Papa Bear, are you in there too? We made you some toast with HONEY.” She puts the emphasis on the honey part.

We all laugh and slide off the bed getting dressed. I decide to find my own pair of sweatpants, I just can’t bring myself to put on the same clothes I had on last night. They feel tainted by everything that has happened.

Michaela jumps off the couch the second we all walk through the door. Lynn has a secret grin on her face as she looks to all three of us.

I suck in my lips and look at everything but her. I don’t want to acknowledge that I slept in the same bed as them, cuddled them last night; that has never happened in my life before.

I have only ever been kissed in my life.

I have grown self-conscious over the fact I’m not experienced like most girls my age, but after what happened with Josh I feared new people for a long time, then I just threw myself into my work.

After Josh was put away, we found journals of his in the guest room where he stayed. They were under the mattress and described the things he had planned for me and wanted to do to me. It’s never left me.

A hand touches my arm, breaking me out of my dark thoughts. Darren is touching my forearm giving me a look. “You okay?” he mouths to me.

I nod, touching his hand on my forearm. We follow Lynn to the dining room where all the food is laid out for us.

Walker pulls out a chair for me and helps Michaela into her seat next to him. “Papa Bear, here is your honey.” She sets a little teddy bear honey jar right in front of him. She covers her mouth, hiding her smile.

“Thank you, sweet girl.” He takes the honey and adds it to his toast taking a huge bite.

She giggles and takes a bite of her bacon. It makes my heart happy to see her doing so well considering what happened to her.

We all focus on Michaela who is talking a hundred miles a minute. Once breakfast is finished, she runs up to her room and we sit on the couch.

“What is the plan now, Summer?” Lynn asks me.

“I think the first thing is I’m going to go to the police station, maybe to help give information on what happened last night, maybe get a restraining order?” I shrug my shoulders, right now it’s like my brain is kind of numb.

“That’s a great idea,” she agrees.

“If someone could give me a ride home to get a change of clothes…” I look at Tristan.

He sits up and takes his keys off the coffee table. “I’m ready when you are,” he tells me.

“I guess now is just as good a time as any.” I stand up and give Lynn a hug squeezing her tight.

She looks at me sad. “You need to talk, I’m here.” She squeezes my arm before letting me go.

I nod. “Thank you.” I smile.

I notice Darren and Walker are following behind me and we’re all still in our pajamas. “Tristan, can you drop me off at home so I can go get my truck? Darren, you will stay with her? I will bring back clothes.”

Wait what?

“Yeah, I’ll stay with her; bring my gun too.”

Bring his gun too?

“Wait, what is happening?” I ask.

They don’t bother answering me until I’m seated in the truck. Walker is in the back with me, Darren up front with Tristan. “Darlin, do you think for a second we will let you out of our sight after what happened last night?”

“I mean, I don’t want to be trouble or a bother.” That is the last thing I want from them or to feel like an obligation.

Darren’s head whips around to look at me so fast. “Did she fucking just say that, Walker?”

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