Page 11 of Agony of Our Regret (Sorcerer’s Society #11)

ELEVEN

I wasn’t expecting to see Gavin in the meeting room at the end of the day. Wes, Noah’s dad, added the event to my calendar and I only noticed Michael, Sky’s dad, as the other attendee.

“Hi.” I offered a small smile and sat at the conference table.

The door opened and I spun in the chair to see Luca frowning. He sat next to me and squeezed my thigh.

I stared back at him, “You were supposed to be on a mission.”

He nodded and looked at Wes, “I’m assuming that’s what this meeting is about?”

“Yes.” Wes waved to Michael. “We were notified twenty-minutes before your team was supposed to leave the mission was compromised.”

I leaned forward, “What does that mean?”

“It wasn’t safe to send out our members,” Michael explained. “A member on Gavin’s team realized the mission details had been accessed by an unauthorized user. That was enough for us to cancel.”

“We don’t know who accessed it?” Gavin asked. “Was it from inside our network?”

“That is what we’re still digging into.” Wes finally sat.

“Okay.” I glanced around the table as the nervous ball in my stomach grew. “Why are we here?”

It couldn’t be good. That was the only thing I was certain of.

“With the potential of your accident being a targeted attack,” Wes began, but I put up my hand.

“What?” I looked between Gavin and Luca. “You said you had suspicions, but I haven’t heard anything about it in weeks.”

With everything else going on in our lives, I pushed it out of my mind. I assumed no news was good news.

“It’s something we’re still investigating,” Michael assured.

“Have you found anything?” Luca asked.

“Evidence of someone attempting to access information, but failing,” he answered vaguely.”

“That’s it?” Gavin questioned.

“Yes,” Wes sighed. “I would tell you all if we had more. I’m only telling you this to let you know I, personally not officially from the Society, believe Avalon’s accident was planned. I also believe Luca’s team was a target.”

Michael agreed. “We’re telling you this to remind you to be careful. Be aware of your surroundings and trust your gut.”

I put my hand over my stomach, sick at the thought there was someone out there actively trying to hurt my family.

“If you’d like security,” Wes began, but Luca stopped him.

“Do you really think that’s necessary?”

Wes hesitated, glancing down to where my hand rested, “I tend to lean to the side of caution.”

“I can protect myself,” I reminded Luca. “Unless there’s a direct threat, let’s hold off.”

Right now, we were speculating, and having guards hovering over us would make me feel a hundred times worse.

Gavin shook his head. “From a distance.”

“What?” I blurted.

“We don’t need anyone walking with us, but having an extra set of ears and eyes? What would it hurt?” He was looking at me.

“We won’t know they’re even there.” Luca seemed to be on board.

I focused on Wes. “I won’t see them?”

He nodded. “Not unless they have to step in.”

How was this my life? I closed my eyes and agreed. It wouldn’t change our lives or daily activity, and hopefully I’d never even see them. I’d be a fool to turn down extra protection not only for myself, but for Lemon.

“Did they plan this?” Gavin whispered.

We stepped out of the elevator to see Sky waiting at our door with bags in his hands.

“Probably.” They were living together, so it made sense they discussed who would show up and when. Especially, if Vince said we let him in and talked to him.

It wasn’t like what we said the night before was confidential. I’d say it to Noah and Sky as well, and I wanted to be the one to do it.

I probably should have called them and asked them to come instead of leaving them thinking I still wanted space.

I couldn’t have it both ways.

Sky lifted his bags. “I bring food.”

Luca crossed his arms. “What part of ‘take a few days’ didn’t make it into your head?”

“Vince came last night,” Sky argued.

“Yeah, and that was a strike against him,” Luca muttered, as he unlocked the door and let us in.

“I’ll take one, too, then. My dad told me about what’s going on. I wanted to come check on you guys.” Sky marched past him into the kitchen like he’d been there before. He sat the bags on the counter and looked around. “Wow, nice place.”

“We like it.” Gavin eyed him up and down. “What did you bring?”

“Well, I was going to get Ave the General Tso’s she likes, but then I remembered it was pretty spicy. Mom said spicy foods can either be a craving or a trigger in pregnancy. Dad said he saw you guys eating teriyaki bowls recently, so I went that route.”

He pulled out four bowls and began pulling open drawers until he found forks.

Luca and Gavin didn’t budge at first, but when I grabbed silverware and one of the bowls, they followed. Sky’s tense shoulders relaxed.

I kicked off my shoes on the way to the couch, sat, and curled my legs under me before stabbing a carrot with my fork.

The guys sat around me. Sky took the same chair Vince had the night before. We ate in silence for a few minutes before Luca cracked. I thought he’d hold out the longest, but his patience evaporated.

“If you spoke to your dad then you know we have security and everything is fine for now, so what is this?”

Sky shrugged. “I wanted to see with my own eyes.”

Luca glared. “Vince came, so now you’re free to show up without warning and expect to be let in? What if we had plans? What if we went out after work and didn’t come home for hours?”

Sky fought back a smile, and I narrowed my eyes. “I have my ways.”

“You asked my mom.” Gavin sounded surprised. “I thought it was odd she asked what we were doing tonight without inviting us to something. She doesn’t normally check in like that.”

I fought back a smirk. “Of course you did.”

Sky shrugged. “Tessa is an ally. Always has been.”

“Whatever.” Luca let out a frustrated sigh. “At least you know better than to show up empty-handed, but seriously, what do you want?”

Sky finally turned serious. “To be forgiven. To remind you all that I always planned on being here. Yes, I took some time off, but I just graduated. I haven’t taken a break since the summer after our junior year in high school.”

“Neither have I,” Gavin shot back. “I went to school year-round just like you did.”

“I didn’t even get to go to school. I’ve been working this whole time,” Luca added.

Sky lowered his fork. “And if you have the chance to explore and relax for a little while, would you?”

Gavin stayed quiet, but Luca relented. “Yeah, I guess. But not for months.”

Sky let out a heavy sigh. “I didn’t plan to stay gone for so long, but I didn’t want to leave without Noah. Ave couldn’t stay. She needed to go to Vince and be with you guys, but there was something off about him. It scared me. You felt it right? When we were in the Philippines?”

He turned to me, waiting. I had felt it. I worried about Noah the moment I saw him. He was there, I could touch him, but he wasn’t present, not like he was before.

“Felt what?” Gavin asked.

“He was so distant. Even sitting in the same room talking, he was a million miles away.” Sky explained.

I nodded. “He was detached. He was there, but not really.”

“Yeah, like he’d been dissociating for so long he didn’t remember who he was.” Sky frowned. “I couldn’t leave him. I don’t think either of you would have if you’d been there.”

He stirred his food before continuing.

“It took about two weeks, if not more, for him to start coming back. Having someone around who really knew him and called him on shit helped. He has control over his visions now. I’m surprised he let the one come through at your parents' house,” Sky said, looking at Luca.

“Why do think he did?” I asked.

“He must have sensed it was about you or one of you guys. Anyway, I told him he had no reason to stay away any longer. He accomplished what he set out to do, and it was time to stop being selfish. He has an amazing ability that can help people if he’d only stop running. I reminded him he had his family, plus you guys, waiting for him. He kept insisting he had one more spot to show me. Then another. Then another. He was delaying, but I didn’t know why. I told him last week I was coming back, with or without him. If the call hadn’t come from the Society, I was returning anyway. It was perfect timing to convince him to come with me without arguments.”

“He said he was ready to be here and even get a job. How did that switch happen so fast?” Luca asked.

“You’ll have to ask him. It happened somewhere over the Pacific. When we left Hong Kong, he was still bummed and not talking, but by the time we landed in Los Angeles, he mentioned a team his dad told him about and how ready he was to start this next chapter.” Sky smirked. “I slept most of the flight, but apparently, he was having some life-changing conversations with himself.”

“Maybe the job was something he knew about before,” Gavin pointed out.

“Maybe,” Sky said. “He wasn’t ready to talk to me about it. I guess admitting it out loud was too much, but he knew he wanted to come home, too.”

I still needed to hear Noah’s side of things, but it felt good that he might have wanted to return before he was forced.

“Ave, Sweets.” Sky smiled, “I’m so sorry I was gone for so long.” He sat his bowl on the coffee table before kneeling in front of me. He took my hands in his and stared at them. “I never wanted to hurt you or make you feel like I didn’t care. I wanted to be there for Noah and make sure he came back to us.”

I lifted our hands and kissed the back of his. “I know.”

His eyes met mine. “I love you so much. I hate that I did anything to make you doubt that.”

It might have been the hormones or a fear of facing life without him. Maybe I was just being stupid because I missed him, or I wanted him around to punish him.

Whatever the reasons, I wanted the walls between us gone.

“I love you, Skyler.”

He finally smiled, his eyes lighting up. “I love you, too. So damn much.”

He rose and dropped a brief a kiss on my forehead before turning to the guys. “I’m sorry. I’m in. All in. I want this family just as much, if not more, than I did when we were sixteen.”

Gavin didn’t miss a beat. “Yeah, I know.”

“I forgive you. If anything, I’m jealous you got that time with Noah. I’ve missed both of you,” Luca admitted.

Sky moved back to the chair. “It’s felt like my heart’s been beating out of my body for years. Being here, it’s starting to heal.”

I smiled. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you say something so serious.”

He blushed, another first. “I am capable.”

We stared at each other, and I felt something in my chest shift. A piece of my heart clicking back into place.

“I missed you,” I whispered, my voice huskier than a moment ago.

He leaned toward me. “I’ve miss you.”

Gavin cleared his throat. “Luca, remember that noise the car was making?”

Luca narrowed his eyes. “What?”

“The one I couldn’t find. Will you go down with me? We can take it for a drive and see if you hear it.”

Luca hesitated, but reversed course and agreed quickly. “Right, yeah.”

I swiveled my gaze around the room. “Where are you going? We’re eating.”

Gavin and Luca stood, and Gavin waved at me.

“We’ll be back in a little while. Let me know if you want us to stop and get anything on the way home.”

“Toothpaste.” Luca snapped his fingers. “We’re out, and I forgot to get some.”

“Right.” Gavin pointed at him.

They grabbed the keys and fled out the door.I grinned, realizing the point of their act.

“That was weird.” Sky stared as the lock clicked into place from the outside.

“They make themselves scarce when they’re giving the other time alone with me.”

“Alone time?” He turned to face me, then his eyes widened. “Sweets, I wasn’t expecting anything.”

“Well, I am.” I stood and grabbed his hand, tugging him to follow me to the bedroom. “And Gavin is a perceptive one.”

He chuckled as I stopped next to the bed and pushed down my skirt. “Oh, you’re like ready now?”

I giggled. “I’ve waited a long time, Sky.”

His eyes dropped to my stomach. “Is it okay?”

“To have sex?” I grinned as his cheeks reddened. “It’s fine.” I stepped forward and played with the hem of my shirt. “In fact, I’m pretty sure it’s bad to deny pregnant women. Dangerous even.”

“Well, I don’t want that,” He wagged his brows as he quickly undressed before lifting my shirt and tossing it across the room.

I ran my hands over his chest, fascinated by the sparse hair and broad muscles. He was all man now, and I couldn’t wait to get to know every inch of him all over again. The night of his graduation, we’d rushed, too frantic to savor one another.

He reached around and unclasped my bra. I lowered my arms to let it fall to the ground while his eyes roamed over me. “How do you get more beautiful every day?”

I grinned and lifted on my toes to kiss him. His hands explored my skin, running up and down my back before pushing my underwear to join the rest of our clothes.

I pressed my chest against his, craving the sensation against my overly sensitive nipples. He groaned and walked us down the hall to the bed. I pulled away to lie back. He tugged off his boxers before crawling over me. He kissed a trail up from my knee to my belly.

“I can’t believe our baby is in here.” He lay his head down and closed his eyes. “Can you feel it…him…her…the baby…moving?”

“Not yet.” I ran my hands through his hair, loving how long and thick it was.”I’ve been calling it Lemon, but the baby is probably bigger than that now.”

“Hi, Lemon.” His lips moved across my skin. “I can’t wait to meet you.”

I grinned as he whispered more that I couldn’t hear. Then he kissed the bump and continued up my torso until his mouth found my breast.

“Oh, damn,” I moaned.

He cupped the other and gently pinched my nipple as he bit and flicked with his tongue.

I arched my back and rubbed my legs. It was too good.

Sex had been nothing short of amazing lately. The changes and hormones that came with pregnancy heightened every sensation. It almost made all the nausea worth it.

I dug my fingers against his scalp and thrust my hips, rubbing against his erection. “I need you now.”

He didn’t lift his mouth, lavishing my peak as he reached down to align his cock with my entrance. As he slid in, I sucked a breath, fighting the orgasm rising already in my core. I wanted to draw it out for as long as possible, but he found the perfect tempo. I came apart around him.

He released my breast and kissed me, swallowing my moans, but not slowing down.

“Fucking hell, Avalon. You’re so amazing,” he whispered, as he pounded into me.

I wrapped my hands around his shoulders, holding on as I climbed again. He picked up his pace, and I saw stars.

“Sky!” I screamed as I came again, and his movements became jerky. He panted against my throat as he found his release.

“Goddammit. I’m never leaving you again.” He kissed me, and I cupped his cheeks, keeping him there as I deepened it, not caring that he was crushing me or that we were in danger of making a mess.

“Never again,” I demanded, when we broke apart.

“I love you so much.” He stared into my eyes. “You are my whole world.”

“I love you.”

He grinned, then slowly pulled out. He hurried to the bathroom and returned with a towel to clean up.

After we got dressed and crawled back into bed together, I laid my head on his chest. “You know, when Noah told us about his vision of you being pregnant, I thought I’d have to wait forever for it to come true.”

“Forever for a sixteen-year-old could be a week,” I laughed.

“Yeah, I thought we were going to be, like, twenty-five at least.” He made it sound like that was ancient. “I was so excited. I knew having a life with you, a family with you, was all I wanted.”

“His visions don’t always happen the way we think, though.”

“Yeah, but I knew this one would.” He ran his hand over my back.

I pressed closer, eyes locked on his. “You know how people assume you’ve done more than you really have?”

He slowly grinned. “Are you teasing me?”

I smiled wider at the memory of the very first time we skinny-dipped. “I think you guys might assume I’m calmer about this than I really am.”

“This as in having a baby?”

“I’m a little terrified,” I admitted.

“Sweets.” He kissed my forehead. “I am too.”

“You are?”

“Just because I’m excited doesn’t mean I’m not completely freaking out.”

That was a good point.

“But the six of us are pretty smart individually. Together, we should be able to figure things out.” He grinned. “None of us, especially you, are doing this alone. We can’t help much with the delivery part, but we’ll all raise our little Lemon together. If one of us struggles, there are five of us to step in. That’s the beauty of us. Where one of us might not be great at getting the baby to fall asleep, another might be a wizard. I might throw up changing poopy diapers—probably not I’m pretty great at most things—but who knows.” He winked. “Luca or Vince could be just fine with it. We’ll all take turns and make sure our baby is loved and spoiled.”

I closed my eyes and relaxed against him. I’d told myself most of that already, but hearing it come from him hit differently. “Thank you.”

“We got this, Sweets.”