Page 74 of Double Dare
“Yeah, so far. I’m sure we’ll mess it up a few times, but we’re learning as we go. They love each other, so we’ll get through it.”
“They love you, too,” Rayne says.
“I know. I still feel selfish.”
Rayne shakes her head at me. “Sometimes we have no control over the things we get out of life. Stop feeling guilty for finding the path less traveled, honey. You’re doing great at it.”
Rayne’s approval honestly means everything to me. I take the coffee she holds out for me and try not to get emotional. “Thank you. Is that what you wanted to talk about?”
“Nope. I’m here to talk about that anytime, but this is about Freya.”
“Oh?”
“Something is going on between Hardin and Freya, and neither of them will talk to me about it. Frey asked if you were here earlier, so I was hoping maybe she was looking to confide in you. Are you up for that?”
“Yes, of course. You should have told me!”
“She’s still here.” Rayne nods to the front door, indicating the porch where all the deep conversations happen in this family. “Wanna try talking to her?”
I throw on a coat, grab a pack of smokes even though I’m trying to quit, bring my coffee, and shove my feet into some random boots, heading out front. As soon as I see Freya, I know something is up. Freya is the definition of badass. She’s tough, funny, deep and sure of herself, but right now, she’s scared of something. I sit down beside her, zipping up my coat.
“Coffee?”
“No.”
“Smoke?”
“No, thanks.”
“Booze?”
“Nope.”
“Freya…”
“Fuck!” she cries out, a tear falling down her cheek. She tries to hide behind her long brown hair, so I let her. No one likes to be stared at when they’re sad. She spends so much time trying to be strong for everyone in her family, and right now, I’ll give her the comfort of breaking down in private. I sip my coffee and let her know I’m here if she needs anything.
As her tears dry and turn to fear again, I look at her. “Wanna get out of here?”
“I can’t go home right now,” she says. “I don’t want my family knowing something’s up.”
“We can just go for a drive.”
Freya nods. “Yeah. That’d be good.”
“Hang on. Let me get my keys.” And a pair of boots that fit.
Hardin comes at me as soon as I walk in the door. “What the fuck is happening, Lakes? Is she okay? Did I do something?” The sheer panic in his expression is a dead giveaway that he loves her, and the pain at her shutting him out is evident in his eyes.
“Let me go find out. I’ll bring her back,” I promise.
Hardin clears his throat, grabbing my shoulders. “Just…fuck, just make sure she’s okay, yeah?”
“I’ve got her.” I give him a hug. “We’ll be back.”
Chapter 29
I didn’t mean to fall asleep, but as soon as I closed my eyes, I knew I wouldn’t be able to get back up again. Laken isn’t the only one who's been tired lately. I’m training this new guy for a fight on New Year’s Day, so we’ve been hitting the gym hard, sometimes twice a day for hours at a time. It’s been exhausting, but it feels good, too.