Page 2

T hree years later

That was it.

This time she was quitting for real. She was going to go find Maeve and live with her.

She stared down at her phone in shock.

Jenner: Sorry, Immy. Can’t make dinner tonight. Got to take care of some VIPs.

Take care of some VIPs? What did that even mean?

Did it . . . did it mean that he . . .

Nope. Don’t think about it, Immy.

Don’t think about how you got all dressed up because he said that he’d take you to dinner tonight after the concert.

Don’t think about how much you wanted to go out with him.

Getting up, she walked over to the mirror, staring at herself.

She had on a deep emerald dress that brought out the color in her red hair. Hair that she’d curled and pinned back.

Pretty gold earrings dangled from her ears and were her only jewelry. Cat had bought them for her, but she rarely got to wear them.

Her dress had a sweetheart neckline that might just show a touch too much of her chest. But, hey, men liked boobs, right?

She’d put on a wide, tan belt that emphasised her waist. The frayed, scooped end of the dress ended at her knees and she wore a pair of boots that matched the belt.

The whole outfit had cost a fair chunk of change, but it wasn’t like Immy didn’t have healthy accounts. Jenner paid her well. He refused to charge her for rent or utilities. And she’d given some of her savings to Isaiah, who had invested it well.

So, yeah, she’d treated herself.

All for freaking nothing!

A knock on the door had her hopes rising and she rushed to the door, opening it.

Abe stood there, not Jenner, and her heart sank.

“Imms? Everything okay?”

She forced herself to smile. “Of course.”

“Did you check who it was before you opened the door?” he asked.

“Umm. I don’t think I should answer that on the grounds I might incriminate myself.”

“Immy,” he growled. “I fought for you to be allowed your own hotel room when Sampson and Jenner both wanted you to stay with someone else.”

“I’m a grown woman.”

“Who knows better than to open a door without checking who is there first.”

“Well, I don’t have anything to say to that,” she huffed.

He grinned. “Because you know I’m right.”

Urgh. Yes.

He ran his gaze over her, one eyebrow raising. “Looking good, honey. Is that a new dress?”

Some men wouldn’t notice, but Abe was a details sort of guy.

“It is. Do you like it?” she asked shyly.

“You look gorgeous.”

“Thanks.”

“Were you going out?”

“Um, I was supposed to go out for dinner with Jenner. But he’s gotten caught up with some other stuff.”

Abe’s face tightened. “What a dick.”

“Don’t call him that! He has to work. That’s why we’re here.” They were on a short, two-week tour. Tonight was their second-to-last concert.

“Why don’t I take you out for dinner, then?”

Great. Now, Abe felt sorry for her. “I’m fine.”

“Imms, I came here to ask you to go out to dinner with me. Don’t make me eat alone.”

“All right. That sounds good.”

She grabbed her keycard before walking out and down the hallway with him.

“He’s an idiot, you know,” Abe commented in a quiet voice.

“What . . . what do you mean? Who is?”

“Jenner. For not seeing how amazing you are.”

“I don’t know what you mean,” she said, gazing down at her feet. “Jenner is always kind and protective and caring. He’s a good friend.”

“Yeah, but he doesn’t seem to notice that he could have more.”

She sucked in a breath. He knew her feelings for Jenner?

“Any man would be a dumbass not to want you. I’m starting to think he is a dumbass.”

“Me too,” she grumbled. “I mean . . . no, he’s not.”

Abe snorted and grinned. And she found herself grinning back.

“Course he is,” she said. “Who wouldn’t want me? I’m a freaking catch.”

“You sure are.”

They were quiet as he seated them at a table at the hotel restaurant and ordered them both drinks.

“Why have you never just told him how you feel?” Abe asked.

“Because . . . because if he doesn’t feel the same thing that would ruin everything. I would have to leave my job, leave my home, leave you guys.”

He leaned forward, giving her a fierce look. “And what makes you think we’d allow that?”

“I couldn’t stay,” she whispered. Honestly, the rejection might kill her.

Like you’re not feeling constantly rejected time and time again anyway?

Although was it fair to be mad at him when he didn’t even know how she felt about him?

“Then we’d leave together. But you wouldn’t be going on your own.”

“Abe, you’re his manager.” She gave him a shocked look.

“Yep. Doesn’t mean that I have to live in the same house as him. We can go find our own place, just say the word.”

Immy swallowed heavily. She didn’t want that. Right?

Because she couldn’t really imagine not living with Isaiah, Sampson, and Jenner.

Lord. Her head was messed up.

“I got mad the other day and that’s why I told Maeve I was coming to live with her. I don’t really want to leave.”

“It’s okay to get mad sometimes, Immy. It’s healthy,” he told her.

“It’s also okay to smile sometimes, Abe. And to take a break from your work.”

He held up his Scotch. “Touché.”

She had a soda with lime. No alcohol for her because her body didn’t react well to it. But she picked it up and clicked her glass against his.

“Jenner’s father was a real asshole to him, you know,” Abe told her.

She frowned. “I know he wasn’t a good man.”

“Jenner and Sampson hid it well, but you didn’t get to be a Sentinel by being a nice guy.”

“I know.”

Jenner and Sampson had never said much about their father.

“Why have they never said anything about him?” she asked. “At least, they haven’t to me.”

Abe watched her steadily. “Because you’ve always been our bright light, Immy.

You were the one we fought to keep protected from all of this.

You’ve always been sweet, honey. Always seen the best in people.

The rest of us saw shit we couldn’t erase.

That still haunts us.” His gaze grew unfocused.

“That sort of stuff changes you. It can warp you. Make it hard to form relationships, to trust people, to let people in.”

“Are you saying Jenner doesn’t trust me?”

“Not at all,” he said firmly. “Out of everyone, including those in our family, it’s probably you that we all trust the most.”

“Then . . . I don’t understand.”

“I’m just saying that Jenner might be a dumbass, but he also might not see how you feel about him because he’s busy trying to make sure that you’re protected and safe.

And that maybe he doesn’t know how to form a healthy relationship, because he never had anyone to show him.

I’m saying that we all have our demons and they come out in strange ways. ”

Abe closed his eyes for a moment. Immy immediately felt guilty. He had to have other things going on and he didn’t need to be dealing with her stuff as well.

“Abe, you look so tired. You should go and get some rest.”

“Wish I could,” he muttered before swallowing back his drink.

“But sleep seems to be eluding me. I think what I’m trying to say is that if I ever had someone like you, Immy, someone sweet and kind and gorgeous wanting me then I wouldn’t believe it.

And I wouldn’t think I deserved it. You might eventually move on and find someone else but just don’t ever completely give up on him.

On us. You help keep us all together. Cat has Alejandro and she was always the strongest of us.

I’m fucking worried to death about Maeve and so is Sampson.

But if you leave . . . I’m worried about me and Isaiah, but especially Jenner. ”

“I would never leave,” she said, feeling guilty that she’d ever contemplated it.

Abe shook his head. “It’s not fair of me, Immy. You have the right to live your own life. If you get sick of Jenner not waking the fuck up, you should find someone else. And that person might take you away.”

“Abe.” She leaned forward and took his hand in hers. She’d never seen him like this before. He was always so strong. He’d always seemed unaffected by what was going on. But perhaps he was a better actor than all of them. “I’ll always be here. I’ll always be yours.”

“I think I just want everyone together where I can protect you.”

How had she not realized that he felt like this?

“Abe, if you need to talk to me, you can. About anything.”

“Thanks, honey. There’s really nothing to talk about. It’s just with Jenner’s career taking off this past year and all the attention that’s brought . . . I guess I’m just being careful.”

Right.

Sure.

After dinner, he escorted her back to her room. She took off her dress and boots and climbed into her favorite pair of pajamas.

They were gorgeous. A pale pink and white stripe with hummingbirds on them. She removed her makeup and got into bed.

And immediately created herself a nest. She’d done it for years, placing pillows all around herself so she was nestled in and surrounded.

Both Maeve and Cat had asked her if she was a Little. Immy knew she wasn’t . . . she couldn’t be. She just liked pink and squishy things.

She grabbed Snowy, her toy owl, and hugged him tight.

Lots of people who weren’t Littles had toys, didn’t they? And they might like nests if they tried them.

Snuggling down, she closed her eyes.

And had no idea that she sucked on her thumb as she fell asleep.