He glances at Aziah before bringing his eyes back to Mae. “I’m sure they wouldn’t be proud of the other things I’ve done,” he mutters cryptically.
Mae’s eyes soften. “They would understand.”
I watch as something exchanges between them. It leaves me more than curious. I want to ask what he’s talking about, but decide to leave it for another time.
Little feet patter on the floor, and a moment later, Elijah comes wobbling in as fast as his little legs will allow him. A smile breaks out on Mae’s face when he heads our way, making her look ten years younger. He completely bypasses Trouble, heading straight into Mae’s waiting arms. I sit back and laugh when Elijah pulls his pacifier from his mouth and tries to shove it in Mae’s.
I glance over at Aziah, and my smile fades when I find his intensely dark eyes centered on me. His gaze holds me captive, and I’m not sure I ever want him to let me go.
CHAPTER EIGHT
EMO
“SHE TURNED OUT TO BE a beautiful woman,” Judge comments, crossing his arms over his chest.
All four of us stare out the windows to the backyard. Rella, Remi, Eden, and Ellie are out back with Elijah, Maisy, Judge and Ellie’s daughter, and Thea, JW’s little sister. They’re setting up a girls-only picnic. Remi said Elijah doesn’t count because he’s just a baby.
I grunt, because beautiful isn’t the word to describe Rella. Stunning, gorgeous, mesmerizing, magnificent, devastating, alluring, graceful. She’s all of those things wrapped into one. Times a thousand.
“How is she holding up?” JW asks.
“The better person to ask would be Emo. He’s been her constant since she got here. Doesn’t let her out of his sight.”
I shoot Trouble a scowl, but keep my mouth shut because he speaks the truth. For the last twenty-four years, Rella’s just been a painful memory. She’s haunted my dreams and has filled my conscience with guilt. The guilt still festers, even more so now that I know what she’s been through. But I’ve felt more since she arrived. I was empty before, just a desolate black hole of nothingness with no way to climb out of the dark abyss. Now, for the first time since we found her on that gazebo all those years ago, there’s a light in the darkness. It’s small and at times dims, but it’s beautiful and constant.
Now that Rella’s here, I’m not sure I can go back to a world where she’s not alive. Keeping her in my sight guarantees nothing will happen to her.
“What are you thinking, Emo?”
I glance over at Trouble and find his eyes cast down. I follow his gaze, and my jaw tightens when I realize I’ve pulled the key out of my pocket and I’m fisting it. There’s no sting of pain, so it hasn’t broken the skin yet.
I shove the key back in my pocket, let it go, and pull my hand back out. I ignore the looks from the others and direct my eyes back out the window.
“Have you found Marco and Gabriela yet?” I ask.
From the corner of my eye, I see JW take a pull from his beer before tossing the empty bottle in the trash a few feet away.
“No, but I’ve got some feelers out. We should hear something soon.”
“I don’t care what you have to do, I want them found.”
I don’t need to feel the vibes coming off Trouble’s body to know he wants the same thing. We all do, but no one more than Trouble and me.
“Neither of you answered my question. How’s Rella doing? Physically, she looks fine, but how’s her mental state?”
“As you already know, she has issues with people getting too close. If they do, she shuts down. Emo is the only one who has gotten within touching distance.” I ignore the question in his tone, and after a moment, he continues. “Of course, I wouldn’t expect anything less from someone who’s been through what she has.”
“She won’t even let Remi get close?”
“No. She hasn’t had the best experience with women either, so it comes as no surprise.”
I grind my teeth together. Women can be just as disgustingly twisted as men.
JW continues. “She met Layla through an online support group, right? Has she actually spoken to a professional?”
Trouble blows out a sigh and rests his shoulder against the window frame, slouching his shoulders and gazing out the window at his sister.
“She said she tried a couple of times, but both times resulted in episodes when she walked into the crowded office. She never left the house much because she feared being around people and worried she’d break down. I want to suggest she speak with Luke, but I already know what the answer will be. I’m going to call and ask if he can make a few trips out here to Malus.”