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CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

DRAKE

W e’d ended up having dinner at Swan’s parents’ place with my folks. The mums watched me and Swan with obvious glee while our dads eyed us as if we were a science experiment. And Nicky was just bummed his dad didn’t beat my arse for wanting to be in his sister’s world.

It wasn’t until after dinner when we sat in the living room that Nicky walked into the room and stood in front of me with his arms crossed. “Can we talk?”

Everyone grew quiet.

I nodded. Nicky went to wait by the stairs while I brushed my lips over Swan’s temple before I stood from the couch we’d been sitting on.

As I walked up the stairs after Swan’s brother, I noticed the mothers flying to Swan’s side to drill her with questions.

“Hey,” I called. When the two hens looked to me, I added, “Don’t pester. If Swan doesn’t want to share, listen, yeah?”

The women grinned and nodded, though Deanna threw in a snort. My dad and Griz tipped their chin up at me before they went back to talking. I winked at Swan, loving the red on her cheeks, and then I finished climbing the stairs to reach Nicky. He took me down the hall to his room.

Walking in, I took a seat at his desk as he shut the door, leaning against it with his arms crossed over his chest.

“What’s up?”

“I respect you. Look up to you.”

I cocked a brow, confused yet glad he felt that way. I smiled. “Thanks, Nicky.”

He nodded, jaw clenching as he looked away from me. “But my sister has been through a lot.” He glanced back, and I caught his misty gaze before he moved it to the floor. “The pain she’s been in over the past year…. I wasn’t sure she’d find who she used to be before what happened. Yeah, she’s always been shy, but she used to be happy. Smiling. Teasing. Loving. That went away.” His jaw clenched. “I don’t want it to go again. Not when I see she’s getting back to how she was. I know you’ve helped, but I’m worried you can break her again and?—”

Standing, I clipped, “Not happenin’.” I made my way over to him, stopping just in front to grip his shoulder. “You can trust me to take care of your sister. If I had the power to make sure she never goes through somethin’ like that again, I’d use it. She’s suffered enough, and I’ll do everythin’ I can to make sure that if anythin’ crushin’ happens again, I’ll be there to support her in every damn way.” I squeezed his shoulder as his bottom lip trembled, but he thinned them. “She’s it for me, Nickolas. She’s the one I want to marry. I won’t hurt her. I’ll look after her. Promise you that.”

He wiped his nose with the back of his hand as he cleared his throat. “Yeah. Okay. Just make sure you do take care of her.”

“I will. Now you gotta promise me that you’ll keep that information to yourself. Your sister and me are just startin’ out. I ain’t lookin’ to rush anythin’ until I’ve made sure she feels strongly about me.”

He nodded. “I won’t say anythin’.”

“Thanks.” I tugged him into a quick hug and told him, “Good to see you’ve got your sister’s back.” Reminded me of myself when it came to Ruby.

When I stepped back, he shrugged. “I didn’t know what Dad had already said to you, but… after what happened to her, I felt I needed to have my say too.”

“Glad you did, Nicky.”

His jaw clenched again. “Can you call me Nick instead?”

“Yeah, course. I’ll spread the word with the brothers.”

“That’d be good, Dragon.”

“You ever need anythin’, you can come to me. If you wanna shoot the shit about school, girls, and stuff you don’t want to share with your parents, you reach out. I’m always willin’ to listen.”

“Okay, Dragon.”

“Grab your phone and put my number in.”

He nodded and went to his desk to pick up his phone. I rattled off my number for him to add.

We made our way back downstairs, and when I reached the bottom step, I smiled over at Swan, who was nodding at something her mum whispered.

Dad showed me his phone. “Rain’s comin’ in, and it’s gonna be heavy. You need to get your ride locked up.”

Shit. I wasn’t ready to leave. But I fucking hated riding in the rain.

“Will do,” I told Dad since the risk wasn’t only about my ride; my tattoo equipment was strapped to it too. Turning to Swan, I said, “Birdy, walk me out?”

As I said goodbye to everyone, Swan waited for me. I took her hand as soon as I was close and opened the front door.

Outside, I glanced up at the night sky as lightning flashed off in the distance. Swan sneezed, and it was the cutest one I’d heard.

“Bless you.”

“Thanks. And thank you for staying for dinner. I was sure Mum and Zara were close to pulling out a notepad to take notes on how we acted towards each other.”

Chuckling, I released her hand to straighten my bike before I threw my leg over my ride. I grabbed her hand to tug her close. “They’ll get used to seein’ us together.”

“Yeah,” she said softly with a smile, staring down at our hands.

“Give me your eyes, Birdy.” When she looked up, I added, “Gonna call you tomorrow after you finish at the library.” She’d told me over lunch it was her Sunday on. She did one every second month. “Work out when we’re seein’ each other next.”

“I’d like that.”

“Need your mouth before I go, darlin’.”

She scraped her top teeth over her bottom lip as she leaned in and met me for a brush of our mouths, which soon turned into something more as we opened up to each other.

Cupping the back of her head with one hand, I gripped her hip with the other while she slid her hands up my chest to thread her fingers around the back of my neck.

I didn’t want to go. I wanted to go inside with her and sleep beside her in her bed.

Slowly, I glided my hand from her hip down to grip her sweet arse. She let out a whimper into my mouth, fingers digging into me as she pressed closer. I pulled my hand back up to her hip and squeezed.

She took a step back, breathing heavily. Her hand went to her chest. Christ. I wanted to stay and see what other reactions I could get from her. Instead, I placed my helmet on and flipped up the visor. Winking, I said, “Talk soon.”

“Can you text me when you get home so I know you’re safe?” She worried her bottom lip.

“You got it, Birdy. Head back to the door.”

She smiled, and a blush hit her cheeks as she blew me a kiss before turning and racing back to the porch.

Cute.

I started my ride and waited for her to look back and wave before I pulled out onto the road and took off.

Tomorrow couldn’t come fast enough.

* * *

Swan

Zara and Talon left not long after Drake did, which was probably good since it started pouring. I stood at my bedroom window looking out, only to jolt when the thunder boomed.

Laughing at myself, I shut my curtains and faced my bed.

I wished Drake had stayed. But it would have been awkward. I wouldn’t have been able to completely relax. Not when we’d already been watched like we were under the microscope.

However, since our relationship was likely a surprise to everyone—to our mothers, at least—I suspected seeing us together was something to get used to.

Especially Drake being as attentive as he was towards me.

He wasn’t only sweet but charming too. And I couldn’t wait to see him again.

I quickly got ready for bed and then climbed in, leaning against the headboard, holding my phone to my lap. I read over his text that he got home safely and both of us saying goodnight. I liked seeing the x he placed after it. Even that small letter had me filling with a rush of fondness.

Drake and I were in a relationship.

Dating.

My smiled slipped when I thought of Lockland.

Placing my phone to the bed, I pulled my legs up and wrapped my arms around them. I dropped my forehead to my knees, closing my eyes.

Are you okay with me dating?

Is it wrong of me to have this happiness?

I miss you, Lockland. So damn much.

You’ll always be my first love, my best friend, and you’ll have my heart.

But now I need to give it to someone else. Just the part you didn’t take with you.

Please forgive me for living.

Forgive me for loving someone else.

Forgive me for wanting more.

A knock sounded. I lifted my head and wiped the tears away, sniffing. Clearing my throat, I called, “Come in.”

Mum stepped through. She took one look at me and shut the door, rushing over to my side, sitting at my hip on my bed. She took my hand in hers. “What’s wrong? Did Drake do something? I can go kick him in the balls. No, I can get your dad to?—”

“Mum.” I shook my head and blew out a breath. “I was just having a moment.”

“A moment?”

I pressed a hand to my chest and confessed, “I have so much happiness inside me for Drake and me… but the guilt is still there. It’s just not as thick or suffocating as it was, and knowing that the guilt isn’t so consuming makes me feel terrible sometimes.” Tears welled. “Do you truly think Lockland will be okay with me moving on?”

“Yes. Completely. Because I know that if something happened to me, I would want your dad to be happy, and if he found someone who could help with that, then I would want him to move on.”

I let out a watery snort. “Really?”

“Oh, I forgot to add that I would haunt their arses and make sure she trips over everything, but I’d still be okay with it if she could make him find happiness again.”

With a sad smile, I nodded and wiped at my face.

“Can I ask what you meant earlier when Dragon said your dad already knew… it was something about a tattoo.”

My cheeks heated, and I placed my hands against them. “Mum.”

“What?”

“I happened to see Drake topless and saw he had a tattoo.”

“Topless, hey,” she teased.

“Yeah, but we haven’t done anything.”

“You’ll know when you’re ready for the next step. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. What was the tattoo? Your cheeks are on fire.”

Groaning, I laughed and straightened out the bedcover on my lap. “It’s of a beautiful black swan.”

Her eyes widened. “You’re fucking with me.”

“I’m not.”

“Swan, it’s a swan!” she stated the obvious.

“I know .” I rounded my gaze at her.

“When did he get it? Did he do it for you?” Mum asked.

“Questions I’ve asked but I’ve yet to get an answer to. He said he’d tell me eventually.”

“Wow, sweetheart.”

“It’s the biggest wow indeed.”

“You two are cute together. How he dished up your dinner?—”

I rolled my eyes. “Dad and Talon do that too.”

“Which means he’s been brought up right and I know he’ll take care of my girl. But he also looks at you like he can’t believe his luck that he has you close. That you’re his.”

“Honestly, I feel the same way. I can’t believe I get to have him as mine. We’ve been friends for so long, and our families are close. But this… raw feeling I have for him came out of nowhere, and it’s strong,” I whispered the last part. “I’m pretty sure I already love him.”

Mum smiled. “It’s understandable, Swan. Like you said, you two have always been in each other’s lives since babies. You know him. How good he is. How kind. But you’ve always had Lockland on your mind. You saw no one else, and that’s fine. But now your world has shifted, and you’ve seen the possibility of something special with Dragon. I always thought he was into you but wouldn’t do anything about it because of our families. But I think he knew that your heart belonged to Lockland. Until now.”

Until now.

I’d always been attracted to Drake, but in the last couple of months, that had grown into something more. Something big.

I love him.

But I wasn’t at the stage where I was ready to confess yet.

I sneezed and sniffed.

“You’ve sneezed a few times. You’re not getting sick, are you?”

I shrugged. “I’ve been tired, but I feel fine.” I hoped I wasn’t getting ill. That would interrupt my time with Drake.

Mum gave me a hug and wished me sweet dreams with a smirk before she left. I reached over to turn off the lamp on my bedside table and then slid down the bed.

I glanced to the space beside me, imagining Drake there. I enjoyed how he’d held me all night at the mansion. I couldn’t wait to see him tomorrow.