Mended

3

Izzy's POV

Dread settled in the pit of my stomach as my knuckles rapped against the door. Behind me, my brothers' unwavering presences failed to offer me the comfort they should have as the three of us stood outside of Ethan's apartment.

Ever since we'd left my place, the anxiety had amplified in its severity. It shifted from a simple, minuscule feeling to a physical ache descending deep down inside of my stomach. My hands turned clammy from sweat as I waited for the door to open. My mind ran at a million miles a minute, a plethora of scenarios flashing through my mind as I thought about how Ethan would react.

I jumped when a hand clamped down on my shoulder, and spun around to face Elijah. He gazed down at me, his eyes clear of any emotion. "You'll be okay," he murmured gently, squeezing my shoulder. I stepped closer to him, scanning his eyes for reassurance. "I know you're scared, but you did what was best for him. He'll realize that eventually."

I swallowed hard, momentarily glancing at Kaiden before returning my attention to Elijah. "Promise?" I whispered.

Elijah nodded. "I promise," he said calmly, his smoke grey gaze as hard as steel. "Ethan loves you more than anything. He might be pissed at first, but he'll get over it."

I released a deep breath and nodded. Behind me, the door whipped open and I turned around to see Caleb standing there, looking as relaxed as ever as he raked a hand through his unruly, ebony hair.

I watched his demeanor change in the matter of seconds.

He'd started to smile when he saw me, but that changed the moment his sharp grey gaze drifted to the men standing behind me. His smile faltered as shock flashed across his features, his hand slipping away from the doorknob.

Kaiden didn't waste a second before he was moving forward, plastering a smile on his face like nothing was out of the ordinary. "Hey, little man," he said, chuckling as he pulled Caleb into a hug.

Despite everything, I found myself grinning when he ruffled Caleb's hair and leaned forward, acting as if he was going to drop a kiss on his hair. That quickly snapped Caleb out of the surprised trance he'd fallen into, which I believed was Kaiden's intent.

"Dude," he grunted, shoving Kaiden away from him. Kaiden stumbled away a step, his gaze alight with amusement as he watched Caleb push him away. "What the fuck?"

Elijah moved forward while Caleb had his attention on Kaiden. A small laugh slipped from my lips when Elijah slung his arm around Caleb's neck.

"Quit it," Caleb snapped, trying to pry Elijah off of him. His eyes flashed with irritation as Elijah tightened his arm around him. "I swear to God, Elijah, if you don't get off me right fucking now—"

"It's okay, Caleb," Elijah drawled, ruffling his hair. Caleb cringed and tried moving away, but Elijah kept his hold strong around him. "I know you secretly missed my affection. Nothing to be ashamed of."

Caleb cursed as he finally managed to rip himself out of Elijah's grip, his blazing glare finding my brother's. Elijah's lips twitched as he moved further inside the apartment, glancing around as if he'd find Ethan out here. I noticed how his gaze lingered on the red solo cups carelessly scattered amongst the countertops.

"What are you two doing here?" Caleb asked, the surprise returning as he watched Elijah and Kaiden. I took the opportunity to shuffle forward and wrap my arms around his waist, squeezing once in an embrace.

Caleb slipped his arm around my shoulder and let me cling to his side. He knew that not only was this my way of saying hello, but also my way of reminding myself that his strength was back and he was doing better than ever. It was my way of reminding myself that he was here and healthy, and he'd survived despite all the odds.