Page 170 of If You Claim Me

Callie stands to rush over to say hi to Connor, but then turns back to me, which breaks my already shattered heart even more. She’s seen me crying over Connor. Now she doesn’t know what to think. But I nod to her, and she runs the rest of the way to him.

He opens his arms, and she throws hers around him.

“Why isn’t Callie mad at him?” Everly rubs her face on my arm, like a cat looking for comfort.

“They have a different relationship.”

“Does it make you upset that she’s hugging him?” There’s real longing in her voice that matches what’s in my heart.

“No, it doesn’t make me upset.” He’s always felt like an island. I’d rather not contribute to that. “You should go talk to him.”

“Why doesn’t he come over here and talk to you?” She presses her cheek harder against my arm.

“He probably wants to be respectful.” That’s easier to swallow than him truly being incapable of doing so. “Lexi is my friend, but Connor is also friends with the team and Roman and Lexi,” I explain. “It’s complicated for us, but it doesn’t have to be complicated for you.”

“Why can’t things just go back to the way they were?”

“I wish it was that simple, sweetheart.” I lean my cheek against the top of her head. “Go say hi. He’s been asking about you.”

“He has?”

“Yup. He asked Lexi how you’re doing, so now you can tell him yourself.”

“I’m mad at him, though.”

“You can be upset and still want to talk to him.”

She rolls her bottom lip between her teeth. “Will you be upset?”

“No, not at all. It would make me feel better if you went over there, actually, because I know you’re missing him and he’s missing you, and there’s no need to keep feeling that way when you’re both right here.”

“Okay.” She drags herself out of the chair, but looks over her shoulder at me twice as she crosses to him.

Victor watches her from the other side of the waiting room where he’s playing cards with Dallas and Flip. He’ll be less likely to approach Connor out of loyalty to me.

All of Lexi’s closest people, who are also the ones most upset with Connor, are here. It says a lot that he’s willing to brave the angry masses to show his face.

Rix drops into the chair next to mine. “How you doing?”

“My heart is pretty beat up,” I admit.

“Have you talked at all?”

I shake my head.

“Maybe today should be the day.”

“Maybe.” My chest constricts as Everly’s hands start flailing while she explains something to Connor.

Victor is the stoic one who keeps his emotions on lock, while Everly lets all of hers out. Everly feels very much like her parents have broken up, and it’s the same for me. I turned four pieces into a whole in my head, and I’m drifting between sad and angry at the loss.

“I just don’t get why you haven’t talked! How can you solve anything if you don’t? You can’t make me feel like I finally have a family and then take it all away! It’s not fair!” Everly bursts into tears, and Connor wraps his arms around her.

She sags into him, sobbing against his chest. My poor glued-together heart threatens to turn into pieces again. Connor glances at me over her shoulder and the sadness in his eyes almost does me in.

He holds her while she cries.

Like a father would.