Page 13 of Beyond Repair, Part Two (Damaged Duet #2)

Kai

" O kay, so don't judge me?—"

Trevor narrows his gaze at me like he thinks I killed someone. "What did you do?"

"I asked Ridge to show me what the nest thing is about in those books Nina reads." Barreling on, I ignore the growing grin on Trev's face. "I'm going to build her a permanent one."

He raises a brow and crosses his arms. "Where? It has to be safe, you know that, right?"

I fucking hate when he acts like this. "Trev, I'm not a damn kid. Stop looking at me like I'm going to fuck something up."

My gut drops when his eyebrows furrow. Fuck, I shouldn't have said anything . "What the hell does that mean? I don't look at you like that."

"Yeah, you do." I sigh and rub the back of my neck. "It's fine, listen can you?—"

"Fuck that. Tell me what you mean."

Damnit . "You’re the alpha man, I get it, but that doesn't mean you need to act like we're lesser."

"Lesser?"

"Kai, maybe you shouldn't—" Henry warns from the kitchen table.

Trevor cuts him off. "No. Tell me what the fuck you mean I make you feel lesser ."

Shit, fuck . I just wanted his help with the nest idea I had.

"Fine, fuck." Shoving my phone in my pocket that had my inspiration board pulled up, I square off with my friend.

"The eyebrow raise makes me feel like you think I'm dumb.

Sometimes your tone of voice sets me on edge.

There's a hovering aspect about you that we all like most of the time, but being head of this family doesn't mean you're better than us. "

"I don't think I'm better than you." Trevor's face is getting red, like he's holding back. The knife beside him on the counter makes me a little anxious, but I don't think he would ever do me bodily harm. At least not while my fiancé is watching us with worry and Nina's upstairs.

"You might never say it, or talk bad about us––me—but your presentation could use a little work when there's literally zero reason for your Dom shit to come out. I was just going to fucking ask you if you could check something on the small door for me."

"Henry," Trevor basically growls and turns to him. My hackles rise immediately as he drags Henry into our stupid fucking argument. "Do I make you feel inferior?"

Henry flushes and fiddles with the napkin between his fingers. "Uh..."

"Leave him out of it," I warn Trevor, stepping between them ever so slightly.

Trevor spins back to me with his jaw clenched. "You said we , Kai. That implies you all feel this way. So I think it's absolutely fucking fair for me to ask my friend if he also thinks I'm a piece of shit."

"I never said you were a piece of shit!" I snap, my knuckles now white around my fists.

"If I make you feel like you say I do, then I most definitely am a piece of shit!" he booms, stepping toward me with all his anger directed at me.

I don't look away from Trevor, even when I notice Henry standing out of the corner of my eye. "Guys. I think you need to cool it. You both?—"

"Do I have to work on my tone, Henry? Am I acting like I'm better than you?" Trevor asks this without glancing away from me either. The questions aren't directed at me, but the urge to answer for Henry is so fucking strong.

"Trev," Henry sighs, sounding tired and making my heart bleed for him. "I do think being aware of the way you say things is important. I also believe we're under a lot of stress right now and emotions are high."

I frown. He's being so logical. Maybe I am stressed...I so badly want to make Nina happy, but more often than not, she's lost in her head. Every time she jumps at our touch or we try to get her attention makes me want to cry like a fucking baby.

"We're all trying to be everything Nina needs while she recovers, not to mention the threat hanging over her head every day. She's been home a week. We need to cut each other some slack and come back together. Alright?"

Trevor's silent for a moment. It's long enough to make me anxious, but still I stand my ground.

"I didn't realize I wasn't with you." With that parting statement, my best friend rams his shoulder into mine and stomps away.

My head falls forward at the slam of the sliding glass door. "Fuck," I groan.

Why the hell did I have to say anything? Sure, what I said was true, but I'm never bothered enough by it to call him out on how he acts. It really is fine. We're all different, and Trevor's energy is a good thing. It's kept us together all these years. He has to know that, right?

Henry curses just as I hear a soft sniffle. Chills skitter down my spine, then I turn. Nina crouches on the stairs looking like a little girl caught eavesdropping when she really shouldn't have.

Ridge leans against the banister beside her, glaring at me like I royally fucked up. I suppose I did .

Nina wipes her face and stands. I watch as she scurries around Ridge and down the back hallway. She's following Trevor, I realize, and it makes me feel worse. She thinks Trev needs consoling, not me. Why would I?

"Idiot," Ridge growls as he bypasses me to grab a Gatorade from the fridge.

My temper flares as I turn on him next. " Me? How the hell am I the idiot? Why would you let her listen to that?"

With a straight look that makes me feel dumber than Trevor ever could, Ridge's words punch me right between the eyes. "Nina may be small and a little fragile, but I'm pretty fucking sure she's survived worse than witnessing an argument. Don't you think?"

Fuck .

"Take the kid gloves off, brother," Ridge adds, moving to the living room to fire up his video game, I bet. "If she's going to be with us forever, she needs to learn how to handle our faults."

That's what she's doing. Repairing my screw up. Damn it. She doesn't need this now.

Looking Henry in the eye, I allow him to see my determination to do better. We are in this together.