Reject You to Break You (To Reach You Book 2)

Chapter Nineteen: Pixies and Hats

North-

He opens the book and finds nothing. He pursues his lips and puts it aside, opening the second copy. 

Flash drive. In the middle of the book.

Ridge grins, eyeing me smugly. I huff. 

But how the fuck did he know that? How on earth did he find that book, how did he realize there was a second copy with a single glance?

Ridge takes out the flash drive, his lower lip in between his teeth. "We'll check this out at my place, come on," 

"Let's check it out here,"

"No, let's go,"

"And why?"

"Because Harlow is in your room and I'm not checking anything with anyone with us,"

"Fine,"

***

Ridge-

I unlock the door, hearing the commotion almost immediately. I know the cause: Aunt Maybel and Uncle Harris. 

Harris Monroe is dad's younger brother and stayed here all three weeks with Aunt Maybel when he found out about my accident. He's practically one of the brothers when he's around and we all love him. Maybel is intensely sweet and we all love her but sometimes she's a bit too much. She means well though. It's only this loud when they're here. 

"Come on," I gesture to her and she follows me, scowling. 

"Well looky who's here," Uncle Harris hoots, raising his beer in salute with a smirk on his face, he cocks an eyebrow in question, nodding subtly to North. I ignore that, turning to mom. 

"Hey...what's going on?"

"Thanksgiving break hon, we thought we'd stop by," Maybel grins, holding Levi up. 

"Jack's back too?"

"Yeah, both came back last night," I turn around to a grinning Jack, who's eyeing North with question. "Whatever you two have to do, I'm assuming you'll be keeping on your clothes, so you better hide North before my future Mrs. Monroe stops by and thinks otherwise, you two wouldn't hear the end of it," 

True, Tate wouldn't shut up if she came to conclusions, as good-hearted as she may be. But still, I can't help but say, "What makes you think we won't be doing exactly what Tate has in mind?"

North chokes on her water, coughing repeatedly. Jack smirks, shaking his head. "If it were anyone besides North I might consider that Ridge, but knowing exactly who you're mated     with--"

"Ex-mated," North says, glowering with venom. 

"Hon, there ain't no exes in mating!" Cayne calls out, pausing his conversation with Xander. 

"Whatever, Ridge I have homework to get to, can we get this over with?"

I raise my hands in surrender. "I'm going,"

I open my MacBook, well aware of North's impatient glower. I put in the flash drive. 

It's nothing fancy. Just what you'd get at a grocery store, perfect for hiding without attraction suspicion. Jeez, where did I get this kind of thinking?

"It's security camera footage," North says, jerking me out of my thoughts. I glance at the laptop. 

Sure enough, it's dark, a little blurry, and at the bottom, the date, a month and a half ago. It's in front of a house, I can't make out the details because of the darkness. 

There's somebody on the front door, a silhouette of a curvy chick, with a strawberry blond pixie, the hair tousled and layered. I can't make out much more, but she's smoking for sure. And she's with someone. An old man, maybe in his sixties, with a dark hat hiding his face, making me see only nose and under. 

The door opens, and a strip of light illuminates their faces before I see who it is on the door. Eaton is the one who steps aside, letting them in. 

North's face is pale, like worryingly pale. "Do you know where they are?"

She only nods. "That's our house,"