Blackbourne/Toma team

Chapter 8

Ingrid POV

This could not be happening. Them being here. I thought I saw Brandon on my way to work, but recently I have been 'seeing' them all over the place. In my dreams, at work, out in public. They just never left my mind. Now they were here, at my place of work begging me to take them back. I just didn't understand why.

Why do they want me back? Do they want to take me away just to kill me after what I've seen and know? To be completely honest I was scared to death, pun intended.

When North kissed me, I just could not do anything, my body reacted on muscle memory, and I let him do what he so desperately wanted to do. To be honest after I pushed him away and demanded him to let me down, I felt cold and empty. Why do I feel guilty for pushing them to leave me alone?

North had yet to take his eyes off me. He had been crying that much was evident, but why. He looked so different, so much so that if I passed him on the street, I might not recognize him. His hair was long reaching his shoulders, his beard was thick and connected to his hair on the sides. He was bigger, so much bigger. It looked like he lived at the gym. But his smell, his smell was the same. He smelled like motor oil and sweat mixed in with the cologne which smelled of musk with a hint of citrus that Gabe had made him. I have missed his smell.

I looked around at the other men that now took up the otherwise big office, but now felt small and tense. They all looked different. Most of them had grown some sort of beard except Kota and Gabe, even Owen had some sort of stubble going on. Corey looked exhausted, his eyes had lost all their brightness. He had big bags under his eyes, unkept long and slightly greasy hair, probably from running his hands one to many times through it.

When Sean first came in here, I didn't dear take a good look at him to afraid I would give up who I was and afraid I would lose all control off my body and run to him. Sean also looked tired, but at the same time that was not something new. I was used to him working long hours back when we were together. He would come home from the hospital get some food and then he would have me as a dessert, giving him often just a few hours' sleep before getting back to work. Now though he looked really tired, but his eyes looked at me with love and hope. He was smiling at me, hoping I would come back to them.

Axel and Owen somewhat looked to be in the same state, both had hints of bags under their eyes and had grown out their hair. While we were together Axel had shoulder length heir, cutting it with the help of Gabe once every other month. Now his hair was long, reaching a little over his mid back. Owens hair was always kept short and professionally styled at all times. He liked to take care of himself, whether that was with shaving, getting a haircut, skin care or taking a shower in the morning and night. Now his hair reached his ears and he had not shaved in at least a week. He still adored a suit, a dark gray suit that looked fresh out of the dry cleaners.

Nathan looked somewhat the same, a little bigger all over and broader over the shoulders. His hair was kept in almost the same style as when we were together. He looked handsome. His face was almost more defined with the short beard he had going on. One thing was different, he was wearing all black. He never wore all black, he said he needed a little color in his life. I always bought him ties in weird patterns and shirts in different colors, so why the black attire.

Kota and Gabe were the once who looked most like themselves except the sadness in their eyes. They looked at me almost like someone would do if they didn't believe what they were seeing. Maybe that was the truth, they didn't believe I was here and that they had managed to track me down. Luckily Gabe was wearing his perfectly styled outfit. Dark washed denim jeans pared with a light green long sleaved t-shirt. Kota was wearing chinos with a white short, sleaved polo shirt.