her seat. “Look around, Arbour. You’re not the only person who’s obsessed with her, you’re just the only one too blind to see how far all three of you have fallen.”
She looks around at each of us again and then stands, her phone in her hand. “I have some calls to make. I’ll wait over by the door for you, Ash.”
He doesn’t say a word, just watches her with that same protective intensity he always does.
I can’t help but start the fight with him. I can’t risk Lips with his games. “I’m fucking serious, Ash, if you hurt her—“
His eyes snap to mine as he leans forward in his seat, his tone scathing as he says, “From where I’m sitting, you’re the only one who hurt her today and if you do it again, I’ll beat the shit out of you without hesitating. You want to know how serious I am about her? I’ll tear this family apart for her if I have to… it’s the only one I’ve ever had, but it’s not a real family without her. I’ve spent fucking months fighting it, but this is just the way it is.”
Morrison nods and adds, “She’s ours. She has been from the second she walked through those doors. So either get on board or leave, because if she’s decided she wants us to share then that’s what’s happening.”
I blow out a breath and glance over at the doors again, almost convinced someone is going to come running through them to ruin this for us all because… fuck I want this. I want it so fucking badly. “I’m not arguing, I don’t give a fuck about sharing her, I’m just saying I don’t want to go into this thinking we’re all in and you’re just thinking it’s casual.”
Morrison gets up and slings his bag over his shoulder. “No one thinks this is casual, dickhead. Anyway, we’re late to class. Get your shit and get moving, because she’s out there on her own right now and I don’t give a fuck if she’s the Wolf, someone needs to watch her back while Joey is out there in withdrawals.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Blaise
I don’t even make it to my first class for the day before Avery texts the group message.
Lips isn’t going to class, her leg is bad. I’ll go sit with her after my exams.
I smirk and immediately change directions, because I’m the only one who’s finished all of my exams and can skip classes without Avery having to run damage control.
Don’t worry, I’ll go watch out for her.
I shove my phone in my pocket so I don’t have to see the bickering and bullshit from the others about me getting to be the one to be with her. Fuck, I don’t know if they’ll be assholes about it now we’ve sorted shit out but I’m too goddamn excited about having her to myself for a while to give a fuck.
Even if she is in pain and all we do is sit around together, I’m so fucking pathetic for her that I don’t give a fuck.
I stop by my room first to change out of my uniform into an old Vanth shirt and some sweatpants, shit I’ll be comfortable sleeping over in the girls’ room in, because I’m not leaving Lips again until the summer break starts or Avery kills me. Whichever one happens first.
My bet is on my grisly death, because Avery’s cleaning standards are fucking ridiculous.
When I get to the girls’ room, I knock but there’s no answer. That freaks me the fuck out, and I have to coordinate a key pickup from Avery to get in there. Avery is also freaked about Lips not answering her messages, so she meets me at the staircase with a frown.
“Message me the second you get in there. She messaged and said she was taking pain meds and passing out so she should be fine and if I didn’t have Ms. Kierstone I’d just come with you—“
“Avery, relax, she’ll just be asleep and I’ll study or something while I keep an eye on her. I’ll text you, just calm down.”
She nods and takes a breath before she stalks back down to class, her phone in her hands as she texts Ash her exact whereabouts at all times. Next year will be different. Without Joey, Hannaford is going to be a piece of fucking cake and having two peaceful years with Lips here and no daily death threats sounds fucking amazing.
When I get the door open