Page 81 of Almost

After watching the tapes from the bar, Owen and I aren’t being charged with anything, but we also can’t leave until we’re picked up. Unfortunately, it was a madhouse leaving the bar so neither of the girls are here yet. So now…we wait.

Owen and I are sitting on opposite sides of the holding cell, not speaking to each other. My hand has already started to bruise, but I’m more concerned with how Thalia is.

I watched that guy grab her right before I got back, and I know she handled it just fine, but that doesn’t mean I enjoyed seeing it. Hearing the things they were saying was hard enough and I just…I don’t know. I snapped, and now Owen and I are sitting in jail.

I’ve never been arrested for anything, and to make matters worse, the officer watching over us has spent the entire time staring at Owen and I starstruck. He won’t let us out of our cell, though.

I’m leaning against the wall, trying to distract myself from where we are when Owen finally speaks to me. “Thank you for standing up for Blake,” he says gruffly, almost like it’s painful to say.

“Of course,” I answer automatically. There was never a question about it; Blake is family to me.

Owen sighs, scratching the back of his neck. “I’m worried. I know you think you’re ready, but I’m worried. I can’t help it—seeing you together after all these years is weird. I know you want it to work, and Thalia does as well, but what will happen if you guyscan’tmake it work?”

“I hear you, and it makes sense. All I can do is promise that this time isn’t like last time.”

He gives me a skeptical look. “You can’t promise that. I only hope you learned from last time, and that you’re donewith the secret keeping shit. Lia’s not going to put up with it, and neither will I.”

“I love her,” I say honestly, and Owen gives me the faintest of smiles.

“I know you do,” he admits slowly. “I guess I might need some time to get used to seeing you together again. My brain is trying to play catch-up since it’s still trying to tell me that you’re with Kiera.”

I shake my head, chuckling under my breath. “I’m not going anywhere. She’s it for me, Owen. I was so wrong about Kiera, but everything with Thalia feels right. Take all the time you need, but if it’s not Thalia by my side, I don’t want anyone.”

He falls silent after that, and I take advantage of the time to rest my eyes.

I’m so fucking ready for things to slow down.

CHAPTER THIRTY

Thalia

I CAN TELL that Blake is shaken up based on the way her leg is bouncing restlessly. My hand is throbbing and I think it’s a sign I need to stop punching people. One of these days maybe they’ll stop giving me a reason to hit them.

The Uber took forever to get to the bar after Bash and Owen were taken out with the other two assholes, and I was going out of my mind trying to figure out why they were arrested as well. They didn’t do anything wrong.

Except I guess when the bartender called the cops, he didn’t know who started it, so the cops took all four of them.

All I’ve been able to think about is how many people had their phones out to record Sebastian and Owen being arrested, and what this could mean for them. When I swung at the guy, I didn’t think about the consequences if Sebastian were to get involved, and I should have. It would have been so much easier if they had left us alone.

Blake called the agent they share, explaining the situation to give him the opportunity to get ahead of it. The photos are already circulating online, though.

“Are you okay?” I ask carefully, and she nods distractedly, her hands fidgeting in her lap. “Blake?”

She turns to look at me this time, her eyes rimmed red. “No, Lia, I’m not okay. My husband is sitting in jail for a bar brawl, and I just…” Blake exhales tiredly, quickly wiping away the lone tear slipping down her cheek. “Why didn’t they takenofor an answer?”

“Because some people don’t know how to.” I wish I had a different answer for her, but I don’t. “He didn’t touch you, did he?”

Blake shakes her head quickly, her auburn hair flying around her. “No, but that guy grabbed you. Areyouokay?”

Fake it until you make it.“I think I got him in the nose pretty good. I’m fine; you don’t need to worry about me.” It doesn’t feel like a total lie because I am fine. However, it did bring back glimmers of everything with Louis, my awful ex-boyfriend that tried to assault me during my year abroad in France, but I can deal with those feelings later.

I’m grateful Blake stopped me from hitting the guy tonight a second time, but he deserved it for calling me a bitch, and assuming I belonged to someone. I’m not a piece of property, but that’s the problem with some men. They see you as something to own, instead of someone to be with. Bash has never acted like I owe him anything—not now, and not before.

I am confused about Owen’s attitude tonight. I thought he was completely in favor of us being together again until he snapped at Sebastian tonight. I don’t know what to think about it now.

He’s my brother, and I want him to support me. I know it’s complicated, but it’s not as if I’m going in blind.

“I don’t understand why Owen and Sebastian were arrested. I don’t understand any of it,” Blake admits, exhaling shakily.