𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 (𝟏𝟖+) 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐓𝐄𝐃 ✓

Chapter 24

I walk up to Charlotte's front door, knocking on it a couple of times before it swings open. After we left the hospital I got a message from Camryn saying that she'd bring Jade with her to Charlotte's place and Victoria would be there as well. Before I left I asked Haruto to pass a message to Julia that we wouldn't bring Jade over to see her but Camryn instead and that I'd call the hospital later to see how she's holding up. 

"What happened to your face?" Victoria asks incredulously when she sees me.

"If you think this looks bad, I had to cover up the other half of my face with makeup because it's currently a lovely shade of black and blue," I answer with a chuckle as I walk inside and lock the door behind me. "I don't want Jade to be more worried than she'll already be when she sees me."

"I heard you were at the hospital because of work but didn't hear anything about you" she comments as I take off my shoes and follow her inside.

"Haruto knew since he took care of this. He wasn't surprised to see me so he must have heard my name when they said an officer was injured," I tell her as we bypass the living room where Jade, Wren, and Oli are doing their homework while Jayden and Justin are playing with their toys. "Please tell me you have coffee," I call out when I see Charlotte and Camryn. The first time the four of us met up I learned Charlotte and Camryn had their own issues to deal with from the time Charlotte and Wren were kidnapped but from my standpoint right now everything seems fine between them. 

"I'm one step ahead of you," Charlotte says as she pushes a big mug of hot coffee towards me.

"You're the best," I tell her as I sit down next to Camryn at the island and wrap my hands around the mug, the heat warming them up.

"What happened to you?" Camryn questions and Charlotte also has a face of concern. I take a sip of my coffee before placing the mug back down.

"I can't go into too much detail but a coworker attacked me and Jade at my apartment a couple of days ago. Long story short, this came from arresting her today," I tell them. "I wonder if it'll leave a scar."

"You don't know how happy I was to see the both of you the next day," Camryn says, her eyebrows pulled downwards from sadness.

"Don't let her calm demeanour fool you, the other half isn't any better than what you're seeing now," Victoria says as she sits down across from us as the other two look back at me.

"My other cheek is very bruised right now and if it wasn't for freaking out the kids, I'd be icing it right now," I answer as I give them a small smile. 

"I'm glad to hear that you're okay but are you still staying at your apartment?" Charlotte questions and I shake my head.

"No, we moved in with Nash," I tell her and all three of them have smirks on their faces as they look at one another before turning back to face me.

"So things are going good for you two?" Victoria teases and I roll my eyes at her words.

"Yes Victoria, things are great between my boyfriend and me," I tell them and I look at them for a couple of seconds before putting my forehead on the island so I'm not looking at them. I'm not embarrassed but it's my first time admitting we're dating aloud and I can't say I hate the feeling passing through me.

"Jax did tell me that there was something about the two of you that seemed to change," Charlotte comments. "I guess this is what it was and you guys finally got your acts together. I didn't even know you two that well but the times I used to visit Victoria in the hospital, I'd just watch you two wondering when you'd get together."

"You guys are cute together, actually all of you and your boyfriends are cute together. I'm the only one who's left out," Camryn says with a pout and we all chuckle when she says that.