Chapter Forty-One
Nick
“Um, I’m pretty sure your room is two doors down, little bird.” I was sitting up in bed, returning some emails from Bleu in regard to Revival Ink. He was actually doing a stellar job taking care of things in my absence.
Now, it was after midnight, and Evie and I had said goodnight thirty minutes ago. And yet here she was, wearing one of my stolen t-shirts with her hair piled on top of her head, her legs bare.
“Shhh.” She put her finger to her lips then turned off my light and climbed into bed beside me. “I’m tired of sleeping without you next to me.”
I set my phone on the nightstand, wrapping her in my arms and inhaling the mouthwatering orange scent of her hair. “I’m over it too.” I pulled the blankets over us, resting my chin on top of her head. “Your family is great, by the way.”
“I’m sorry I was MIA for so long.” She kissed my chest, making my dick stir to life.
“Don’t apologize for that. You haven’t seen them in a long time.” She’d disappeared almost as soon as we’d arrived at the compound. I knew she wanted to talk to her sister, and then I’d seen her take Crue inside for a while. When she came back out she was with Beau and her dad. Right now, here, was really the first time we’d been alone since we’d arrived at the compound. “Is everything okay? With your cousins and stuff?”
“Crue is in a bad place. Beau and I tried to convince him to come clean to his parents. That way, he wouldn’t have to pretend anymore.”
“He didn’t want to?” By the tone of her voice, almost defeated, I was assuming he hadn’t heeded her advice.
“No.” Her hand trailed up my chest, resting over my heart. “And then my dad overheard Beau and I discussing how we need to start letting our parents into the loop.”
I winced. “What did he say?”
“He basically started to cry, begging us to let them in.” She sighed. “Our parents, I don’t think they’re necessarily as clueless as we think they are. It’s more that they trusted us, and they don’t want to believe that we would betray them. That we’d all betray them.”
“Can you blame them?” I let my palm land on her ass, smacking her lightly. “Who wants to think their kids are capable of all the things you guys have done?”
She nipped at my flesh. “We aren’t that bad.”
“There are ten of you, Evie.” I chuckled quietly so we didn’t wake up her parents. This type of lie, the one that let me sleep next to the girl I loved? It was okay. Call me a hypocrite. I didn’t care. “Between the stories you’ve told me, what I’ve seen you go through, and the little tidbits I overhead from Jett and Marley? I think you guys have covered a lot of ground in your short years as the Devil’s Spawn.”
“Are we scaring you off?” I could hear the smile in her voice, like she was challenging me.
“Not a chance, little bird.” I rolled us over, coming to rest between her fucking perfect thighs. “But I can tell you right now, we’re only have one kid. Two at the most. We don’t need to be outnumbered.”
Her smile grew, the light from the moon slanting across her face. “We’re having kids?”
“Of course.” I kissed her, tangling my tongue with hers.
She pulled back, humor in her dark eyes. “I think you’re missing a few steps there, Nicky.”
I pursed my lips, wrinkling my forehead like I was thinking about her statement. “We met, we fell in love, you moved in, I saved your life, and you gave mine meaning. I think that pretty much—”
“I didn’t move in.” She shook her head.
“Oh you didn’t?” I dipped down, trailing wet kisses down her neck, sucking lightly at her collarbone. “Move in with me, little bird.” I couldn’t even wrap my mind around any other outcome. I’d lost her, more than once if we were being honest. I didn’t want to spend any more time apart than absolutely necessary. “What do you say?”
“I say…yes.”
I grinned so big, I felt like my face was going to crack in half. “I love you, Evie James.”
“I love you, Nick Barrens.”
I captured her lips with mine, swallowing her whimpers.
***
I opened my eyes then closed them immediately. The sun was streaming in through the sheer curtains in Evie’s parents’ guest room. It was bright. I rolled over, throwing my arm out but coming up empty. You’d think I’d be used to waking up to find my girl gone, but each time disappointment flooded my system. I knew this time she couldn’t have gone far, but still, a completely silent morning quickie would have been nice.
I sat up, smiling when I noticed the note on her pillow.
Nicky,
Woke up early to go on a run with my mom and I didn’t want to wake you.
I’ll be back soon.
All my love, in a completely obsessed way
Evie
I lay back down, resting my hands behind my head, thinking about my girl.
Fate brought Evie to me, twice. The first time I’d let her go without a fight. I wouldn’t make that mistake again. I wanted her with me, always.
Last night she’d agreed to move in with me, and that was enough for now. I’d stand beside her, and I’d help her heal. I’d be a shoulder to cry on, and a hand to hold. I’d tattoo her skin when she was feeling restless, and I’d make her moan beneath me when she was feeling raw.
She could fill me with green smoothies and I’d fill her with laughter.
Evie James was my little bird, and I was her safe place.
We could survive anything as long as we were together.