Arranged love

CROSS

APRIL INSISTED THAT we have dinner at Grave’s and her place to celebrate the girls buying into Kink. We’ve been here for two hours, and it’s awkward as fuck. There’s a big elephant in the room. No one has laughed or told any jokes, for that matter, like our usual Sunday morning breakfasts that we’ve been having ever since she moved in with him.

Bones has just openly stared at his brother. Grave has asked to talk to Titan privately in the other room twice now. And I have to pretend I haven’t been fucking Alexa. I love my friends, but I’m so ready to go home.

We’re all sitting at their formal dining table when April stands from her seat and excuses herself to use the restroom.

Chatter is at a minimum. What little there has been was April trying to get Jasmine and Alexa to talk about their future plans with Kink, but they honestly don’t have any at the moment. Not until they are for sure going to buy in. They leave for New York tomorrow to tour the Kink club there.

We’re silently eating when April re-enters the room. We all look up to just see her standing under the archway. Grave drops his fork to his plate and jumps to his feet. “April? Are you okay?” He looks her over for any obvious injuries, but she seems to be fine.

She has tears in her ice-blue eyes as she stares at him. I can feel the air shift in the room. A weight dropping on all of us. Her pain. Their pain. It’s unimaginable.

The first tear falls, and he steps closer to her. “April …?”

“Are you using again?” she asks him.

He comes to a stop. His lips curve down, and his brow creases. “No.” He squares his shoulders, proud he can answer that question truthfully. I’ve been around him so many times in the past when Bones asked him that, and he lied. “Why would you-?”

“It’s okay,” she interrupts him again, licking her lips. “I mean … it’s not.” She sighs, nervously running her hands through her hair. “But if you are, I’ll help you.”

“April, I’m clean,” he tells her, stepping toward her, but he stops when she takes one back, matching it. His face falls at her retreat, looking like a wounded dog. Grave has always worn his emotions on his face. He doesn’t understand how not to feel.

“So much has happened,” she says and sniffs. “I understand if you have.” Her hands go to her stomach. “The loss of the baby …” She chokes on the word.

He steps into her, and this time, she doesn’t pull away. He wraps his arms around her, bringing her to his chest, and she starts crying. He kisses her hair. “I’m clean. I made you a promise, and I’m not going to break it. Ever.”

I glance down at Bones, who sits there watching his younger brother. He’s probably racking his brain trying to think if there has been a time since Grave was released from rehab that he might have seemed high. I can’t think of one. But I’m also not around him twenty-four seven anymore. Ever since then, he’s been more dedicated at Kingdom and spends all his free time with her.

April gets my attention as she pushes herself away from Grave. She digs into the pocket of her jeans and yanks out a pill bottle. Grave takes a step back, running a hand down his clean-shaven face. “I just found these in one of our guest bathrooms.” She shakes it in front of him, the pills clanking together. “It has your name on it.”

His hands drop to his sides as Bones gets to his feet. “Grave-?”

“I can explain,” he interrupts Bones, but he keeps his eyes on April.

“I googled what it says on the bottle, and the pills inside don’t look the same,” she tells him.

“April … I swear, I haven’t …”

“Don’t!” she shouts, losing what little nerve she has, and her bottom lip begins to tremble. “Grave … please tell me this isn’t because of the baby? Because of me?” Fresh tears run down her cheeks.

“No. No. No.” He rushes to her once again. “They’re not mine.”

“Then whose are they?” she demands, shoving him away. Her emotions are all over the place for more reasons than one. “Huh? Who else would be taking pain pills with your name on the bottle in our house?” She throws the bottle at him.

He lifts his tatted arm that showcases her face on it to shield himself from the bottle. They bounce off his forearm and hit the floor. The lid pops off, and the remainder of the pills scatter across their marble floor. I see Bones looking at the floor. I do the same and quickly count five.

Grave looks down at them, and I watch his shoulders drop in disappointment. That he let her down. Let himself down.

Once an addict, always an addict.

“Grave. Be honest with me.” Her voice cracks again. “Are you using?”

He can’t look her in the eyes. They stay on the floor, staring at the pills that used to give him an escape from this very feeling. Silence fills the large room, putting everyone on edge. While April waits for him to admit he relapsed and needs help. She places her hands over her mouth to quiet her sob, but it’s too late. April spins around and runs out of the formal dining room. The girls all get up from the table and rush after her.

Grave jerks his jacket off the back of the chair he was seated at and starts to leave, but Bones grabs his shoulder, spinning him around. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“Out!” he snaps.

“Grave, I don’t think-”

“I don’t give a fuck what you think!” he shouts and shoves him away. Seconds later, we hear the front door open and close.

Bones chases after him, yelling his name.

I lean back in my seat and run my hand down my face.

“He’s not using,” Titan speaks softly, breaking the silence.

“How do you know?” I ask, looking up at him across the table. He and Grave have become very close since he went off to rehab. Titan was the one who drove him there. And I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t jealous of the relationship they now have.

“Because I’m the one he calls at all hours of the night when he wants a hit but chooses not to take one. Or when he wants to drink an entire bottle in hopes it’ll help him sleep. Those may have had his name on them, but he’s not taking them.” Then he too gets up, following Grave and Bones out the front door and leaving Luca and me alone.

I sit back, remove my Zippo from my pocket, and start flipping it open and closed while I try to think of who could be using them. Here at their house of all places. Who would be over here that we know uses? I’m not at home very often, so I don’t know who comes and goes here. April doesn’t have a lot of girlfriends. Her circle is pretty tight. Jasmine and Emilee don’t use. Neither does Haven. And I know that Alexa doesn’t. Who the fuck …?

My jaw tightens, slamming the lighter shut. I know exactly who it is and why Grave didn’t give them up.

Motherfucker!

I rush out of the house just like the others and jump in my car that’s parked in Grave’s driveway. Squealing the tires, I pull out my cell, dialing a number that I never use, but I still have it. One of those things that’s good to have for a rainy day.

“Cross. Well, this is a surprise,” the man says, answering after the first ring. I can practically hear his smile through my car’s speakers. “What is this three times in the same number of weeks?”

“I need a favor,” I say through gritted teeth, hating that I even had to make this call in the first place. Everything has a price.Content © NôvelDrama.Org 2024.

Turner Mason lets out a low whistle. “Well, you know those cost you, right?”

I refrain from growling. “Yeah.”

“What may I do for you?” he asks happily.

“Ethan Davis. Know where I can find him?”

He gives a soft chuckle. “Well, Cross. It’s your lucky day! He just so happens to be right here.”

I let out a long breath. At least it’ll be worth it. I’d do anything for my best friend and his girlfriend. Not like the Mason brothers can demand my soul. I sold that to the devil years ago. And if everything goes right with Kale, we’ll be business partners.