Four Mates & A Tribrid

Chapter 28

"What did he say?" Caspian asked from the archway of the living room, causing a small scream to escape from me. He looked so serious, almost like he was preparing to kick Daxon's ass for me.

My hands shook as I glanced at the time. Three minutes have already passed. Shit. I glanced back at Caspian. "He said he's ten minutes away. I didn't expect him to be here that soon. What am I even going to say?" I squeaked.

Caspian's brows smoothed out as a happy smile stretched across his face. "That's good. I was hoping he would take the hint and follow me anyways. He-"

"I'm going to take a shower," I cut him off as I grabbed my bag off of the floor.

Caspian opened and closed his mouth as he followed me. "Right now? Can you not wait, oh I don't know, until after everything is sorted out?"

I dropped my bag in the small bathroom, choosing to take the guest bathroom rather than venture out to Caspian's adjoining bathroom in his bedroom. I shook my head at Caspian's question as I turned the water on. "I just need a minute, okay?" I asked, turning my pleading eyes to him.

His eyes softened. "Alright, shortcake," he said before cradling my face in his hands and touching his lips to mine. The kiss was over before it started and I had half the mind of dragging him into the shower with me.

But the sound of tires running over gravel drew my thoughts away from that idea as Caspian shut the door and left. I took deep breaths, trying to calm my erratic heartbeat as I stripped off my clothes, leaving them in a pile by the door.

Warm water greeted me as I shut the shower curtain, all the while, trapping the heat inside with me. A shower wasn't the worst idea since I was still dirty from battle training earlier. My mind couldn't help thinking back to Colt and what he said to me.

"You intrigued me and what we did was great, but it'll never work between us. I'm not the kind of guy you would want, so whether you realize it or not, I'm doing you a favor." The memory burned me to my core. I actually felt hatred towards him. Who the hell did he think he was to assume what I'd want?

I basically told him as much when I called him a self-pitying coward. Although the insult hurt me to say, I didn't regret it. Someone had to stand up to him, and if it wasn't going to be the others, then it would have to be me.

I slumped against the tiled wall of the shower, letting the material cool me down. How did I even get here? One moment, I was home, surrounded by people that were either scared of me or envious of me because of who my family was. And then the next minute, I'm surrounded by four handsome, yet scarred men who comfort me, challenge me, and even sometimes, scare me.

Where did it all go wrong? I let them leave the woods that night. I left two of them behind. Two who would have my back anytime I needed them. All because the other two had basically rejected me? I could have been in the arms of two lovers, being comforted, and yet, I let my trauma get the best of me.

I was done though. I wasn't going to push them away any longer. And I'm not going to let Harley and Colt give up on us. I had to make them understand that I want them...that we wanted them.

I was pulled from my thoughts as I heard the bathroom door open. I stilled, listening as the door shut again before footsteps came closer and closer to the shower. I grabbed a shampoo bottle, to do what, I don't know.

I could hear my breathing as the footsteps stopped before someone sat on the closed toilet seat. A sigh escaped the person's mouth before they spoke. "I could have waited outside until you were ready to talk to me. No need to take a shower as an excuse."

My stomach fluttered at Daxon's playful voice. "So you barged into the bathroom just to tell me that?" I responded in a teasing tone.

He huffed a laugh. "No, I just wanted to talk without having to look at your face."