Gifted Connections 4

“Leo’s on his way with two more vehicles,” Troy stated looking up from his phone. “Jace, you can use one and the other one will be for the rest of you if you need it. I’ll take the first shift. We’ll grab some snacks, food, and drinks on the way,” Troy said as he stood up. “I’m going to change out of this, and I’ll be back in fifteen minutes.”

“Would you like to get changed, too?” Jace asked Drake standing up. “What ophthalmologist are you going to? We should probably get going.”

“It’s saved in my phone,” Drake claimed. “And that would be great.”

“Do you need help going to your room?” Jace inquired.

Drake grimaced. “It’ll probably be a good idea.”

“I think I’m going to go take a nap,” Noah commented. “I wish you could stay,” he murmured in my ear.

“Stay here,” I told him as I stroked his wavy hair back off his face.

“Really?” he asked. “I like that idea. This pillow smells like you,” he mumbled into my pillow.

I laughed, trying not to let him hear my worry. He never napped. He wasn’t like Jaxson, who liked the occasional nap. I got up and walked over to Drake. I kissed his cheek after I reached out for his arms.

“We’re going fix this,” I promised him.

“You are,” he encircled me in a tight hug. Lifting me gently so he could kiss me more soundly.

“No pressure,” I joked uneasily.

“He’s going to be as enamored with you as we are,” Drake reassured me before turning to grab Jace’s outstretched arm.

I bit my lip. I wasn’t going to remind him that I had struggled with my connections the first time around. If time hadn’t been taken away from us, who knows how long it would have been for me to make my relationships with Noah and Troy. Noah needed that one-on-one time that the time shift had given us, and I had inadvertently chased Troy’s demons away when I had contacted Judge Myers about his foster brother. We didn’t have that much time this time around.

I didn’t want to have any level of intimacy with Lincoln, but I had no other choice. I needed to get our gifts back. Time was against us once more. Noah and Drake were physically feeling the effects, and who knew if—or when—the other guys were going to start suffering.

Jace gave me a kiss on the cheek and squeezed of my hand before he left. I sighed, feeling like the weight of the world was on my shoulders. I wandered over to the numerous boxes and bags of clothes piled up near my closet. I didn’t even know where to start. I hadn’t even gone through it all, but I didn’t think the clothes I had bought was going to suffice.

“Well, Jax, we should let Noah get his sleep. Want to go downstairs and see what restaurants are available?” Remy stood with a stretch.

“I want to get changed, too, but yeah, definitely. Did you have a sandwich at the party?” Jaxson asked as he walked over to me and started to sift through the clothing as well.

Remy snorted. “No, but I saw she went all out and got us bologna, tuna fish, and peanut butter and jelly.”

“You’re kidding me,” I stated in shock. I hadn’t eaten there. I hadn’t even gone into the kitchens to see what Jen had for us. “I saw the servers coming back in with a lot of untouched food; crab cakes, salads, filet mignons, and so much more. What did they do with all the waste?”

“Dumped it,” Noah mumbled from the bed with his eyes closed. “I heard her tell the staff that they better not filch any of it and to dump any leftovers or untouched food.”

“What a piece of work,” I seethed, feeling my blood boil once more. “I’m sure there are plenty of shelters that would have loved to take it from them or at least feed the staff that she treated like dogs.”

Jaxson snorted. “Exactly.”

He handed me a pair of blush-pink shorts and a cute long-sleeve sheer blouse with matching lining. It looked more conservative than some of the pieces I had already run across, so I smiled at him and took it. It was pink, not one of my favorite colors to wear, but it was appropriate for a possible meeting with Lincoln.

Remy stepped in front of me and started to carefully remove my blazer. His eyes were guarded, and I knew he was still struggling, but his need to protect his brothers were stronger. “When’s the last time you checked your dressing? Did you take your antibiotic?”

“I took my antibiotic this morning,” I told him. “I don’t have to take another one for a little while yet, but the dressing should be changed.”

I knew Remy needed to fuss over me, so I wasn’t going to admonish him for it. If caring for me helped alleviate his own anxiety and worry, I wasn’t going to stop him.

He walked into my bathroom and came back with the bag the hospital had given me. “Take a seat,” he instructed me after he helped me remove my top.

I sat down as he told me. Then my phone went off.

“It’s Tink?” Jaxson said in both a question and statement.