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“Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” he mutters before stalking out of the kitchen and then, a few seconds later, the house, without a backward glance.
The front door slams, but no one moves. It’s like no one believes that he’s actually gone. That he would put up that little of a fight for his own children. I can’t say I’m surprised, though. Wayne Nash’s reputation has always been the most important thing to him. There’s nothing else in the world I could threaten him with that would get me the results I need.
After at least twenty seconds have passed and he doesn’t return, the tension finally breaks. Huxley races toward me, and I drop to my knees and open my arms for him. A couple of seconds later, Ryker joins, and then finally Garrett.
We spend the longest time huddled together on the kitchen floor as we all process what just happened.
“I can’t believe you hit him,” Huxley finally says.
The reminder of what was happening when we first walked in makes my jaw clench.
“I’d do it a million times over to stop him hurting either of you. Ryker,” I say, waiting for my youngest brother to look up at me.
His eyes are full of tears, his cheeks stained and his bottom lip trembling. Seeing him so broken, so scared rips me to pieces. All I want is to fix it all. I’d give anything to take it all away from him. “Did he hurt you, bud?”
He shakes his head.
“You got here in time,” Huxley says for him.
I nod, grateful that I was able to do something right.
Sensing my thoughts, Garrett reaches out and squeezes my shoulder.
Our eyes meet over the boys’ heads, and the words I was fighting to hold back last night come tumbling free.
“I love you. I love you so much.”
He freezes, his breath catching as he blinks back the tears that are pooling on his lashes.
The way he took hold of my brothers, supported them when I couldn’t. The way he supports me just by being here. It’s everything to me.
A half-sob, half-laugh erupts out of him. “I love you too, Cooper.”
“I knew it,” Huxley hisses. “Didn’t I tell you Garrett was Coop’s boyfriend?”
The faintest of smiles appears on Ryker’s face.
“We love you too, don’t we, Ryker.”
“Yeah,” he squeaks. “Love you, too.”
Fucking hell. These three are going to be the death of me.
“So, what do you say about coming to LA and living with me?” I ask, meeting each of their eyes. “With us?” I ask, ensuring that Garrett knows I’m asking him the same question.
It’s fucking crazy. We’ve been seeing each other for only a few weeks, and I’ve just taken guardianship of my little brothers. He’d be insane to agree to this. But at the same time, I don’t think there’s a chance in hell of him saying no.
This, whatever this is, is right.
I’ve felt it since that first kiss on New Year’s Eve, and I feel it even more potently with every kiss since.
“When do we leave?”
Laughter follows Huxley’s question.
“Well, we need to get you guys packed, and then I think I promised you lunch. Did you decide where you wanted to go?”
Huxley and Ryker share a look. “Yep, there’s a new place across town that does wings that are meant to be the best. Everyone at s-school has been, but us.” Huxley’s hesitation as he says school is the moment I think it hits him.
