Page 14 of Revived (Lucky Ones #1)

I’m lost in Flynn’s game when I feel Sully at my back.

He gently wraps his arms around my waist, his chest pressed to my back.

Instinctually I lean back into his grasp and let him hold me up.

This silent comfort that we have together is what my Papa always told me to look for in a partner.

Someone who’s the strong structure in the middle of a raging storm.

His chin meets my shoulder and his lips graze my neck as he whispers in a low husky voice, “You look beautiful tonight, Elena.” I can feel his smile as he discreetly nips the skin on my neck.

“Thank you. You look very handsome tonight, Sullivan. But you know, I’ve gotta admit I like the jeans and TVFD shirts better.” I quietly tease.

He hates being paraded around in a suit.

He always has. Flynn finds comfort in the wardrobe they’ve worn on and off for most of their lives.

He loves dressing up for game days for that reason alone.

Not Sully though, he finds comfort in his broken in jeans or tactical pants, t-shirts, and either tennis shoes or his station boots.

He’s a simple man born into a life he doesn’t quite fit into. It’s one of the reasons he left.

“Yeah, I’ve got to be honest. I like the spandex shorts and my old track hoodie on you the best. I love dressed up Elena; she’s sexy, but dressed down Elle is downright breathtaking.”

“Sully. Come here we need to talk about your nephew and his petulance for giving his Ma and I a heart attack already.” Kieran calls from across the suite.

Sully groans into my neck which sends a mixture of goosebumps and fire down my spine until it settles into my core. Dammit I never stood a chance against this man.

“Go, I’m fine here.” I laugh as I pry his hands from around me.

He pouts before pressing a sweet kiss to the back of my head and then my back is cool and he’s gone.

Once again reminding me how quickly he can be gone if we give way to this temptation.

I’m lost in my head when Rowan comes up beside me.

He doesn’t say anything for a long while, just stands beside me and watches his brother put in work during the second period.

Finally he sighs before addressing me. “You know I owe everything to you, right?” His eyes never leave the rink, never stray from watching his brother take a shot at a not-so-good goalie and score.

He clenches his fist and smirks but aside from that acts completely unphased as his brothers cheer around us.

Taking a page out of his book, I don’t turn either. “Why would you owe me anything?”

“Want the obvious or less obvious answer?”

“Both.”

I can see his upturned lips from the corner of my eyes while he settles his hands into his pockets and rocks back slightly on his heels .

“Well, let’s start with the obvious first. We both know that bullet three years ago was meant for him.

If you and subsequently Annie, wouldn’t have jumped in front of it he would be dead.

Zero doubt about it. Now, before you start cussing me out; if I could go back to that day I’d do about a thousand things differently.

You guys would have never been in that position in the first place, but you were and your decision, though most would argue was impulsive and foolish, was brave.

It undoubtedly saved him, and for that I’ll never be able to repay you. ”

I try my hardest to blink away the tears burning at the back of my eyes from even hearing him talk about that day. “And the less obvious?”

“For just you being you, and being around them as much as you were. See as much as I worried about them, probably as much as your Papa worries about you, I never had to truly worry that they were in real danger because of their actions.”

“Now that was an ignorant thing to do. You want to talk about my impulsive and foolish decisions… I learned from the best.”

He chuckles, “Okay, fair. But tell me Elle, do you think any of the guys would ever put you in danger? Like a real situation where you would question your safety for even a millisecond?”

I don’t even have to think about it, “I don’t have to think, I know they never have and never will.”

“And you’ve been with them almost every single day since Kindergarten, correct?”

I roll my eyes, though his are still on the ice so I doubt he sees “Preschool, but you know that already. Get to the point, Roe. I’m growing bored of this.”

“You just made my point. Those boys would cut their own hearts out of their chest before they ever put you in any sort of compromising situation.” He puts up his hand when I open my mouth to argue.

“I’m not saying you guys didn’t feel the thrill of a supposed danger, but you all were never in real danger.

They would never allow that. I’m so certain of it that I’d bet my life on it.

So, where I worried about a world of things when it came to the two of them, I never had to worry about them getting killed in the streets for being idiotic teenagers. I have you to thank for that.”

He stuns me into silence, which just for the record is not easy to do. He’s not wrong though, they would never put me in real danger, and I’ve always known that. I just never realized that it eased his mind like that.

After a few long moments I turn to him and smile brightly, “You didn’t let them lose themselves to their grief.

You also didn’t push them into the life you were forced to live.

You stepped in and became a full time parent at the ripe old age of twenty-five.

As a twenty-five year old now, I couldn’t imagine taking care of three teenagers and becoming the head of an organization overnight.

Hell, I couldn’t do that with years of preparation.

Sullivan is the man he is today because of you, Clara, Declan, Kieran, and Mac.

And I will never be able to thank you enough for that. ”

In a completely out of character move for us, I turn and wrap my arms around Rowan’s middle, the same way I hug my Papa.

He hugs me back the same way I imagine he hugs his children.

After a few quick moments we pull apart and turn back to the window like that entire moment didn’t just happen. But it did and I’m thankful for that.