Page 10 of The Fight For Survival

Me:That's a situation I'm not ready to face yet, Bray. Right now, we just need answers to why he left. This is more for Mia than for me.

I switch my phone to silent, not wanting to get into it with him right now.

Kane stops at the exit glancing at me over his shoulder. Gone is his attitude to be replaced by a nervous energy. So he fucking should be nervous. We have a lot to air out. "My car is still here, so I'll drive. Let's go," I say, striding past him and heading to my car. "But I have my keys now. I've just gotten them from Damon," Kane stalks over and steps in front of me to get my attention. I don't want to look at him right now, but it's so hard to peel my eyes off him. Adulthood looks good on him.

"Jesus fucking christ, you are being difficult," I sigh in frustration. "You are just going to have to leave it here then. I'm not letting you out of my sight. Who knows you won't run again?" I snark in his face, causing the muscle to jump in his jaw.

"You're being unreasonable," he mutters.

"I think I've been a fucking gentleman compared to the treatment you really deserve. Now get in the damn car," I move past him getting in the driver's side. A few seconds later, the passenger side door opens, and Kane joins me. "Directions?" Once he tells me where to go, I start the car and head to his apartment.

The drive to the rented apartment is filled with uncomfortable silence. Kane keeps giving me nervous sideways glances and fidgeting in his seat. I let him sit and wallow, refusing to talk to him until we get to his place. I need to calm down, and I know talking to him now would not help me to do that.

Drumming my fingers on the steering wheel, I contemplate what I will say to the man sitting beside me. I never planned for this reunion. I thought the more time that went by, the less likely we would ever see Kane again.

As I drive, I peek at him from the corner of my eye, expecting to find the passenger seat empty. My mind playing tricks on me, conjuring up Kane's image because this can't really be real, right? Fives years ago, this man ripped my fucking heart out, and yes, I'm angry, but pushing through that anger is elation. I always longed for Kane to come back into my life. I just didn't think he ever would.

Pulling into the drive, I shut off the engine, release my seatbelt and exit the car. We are still silent as Kane unlocks the front door. Once Kane lets us into his apartment, I shrug off my jacket, throw it on the couch, and stand with my arms crossed over my chest. Kane didn't bother changing before we left, so he is still in his fighting gear, and even though I am super fucking pissed at him, I can't help but think he looks good.

I thought he was the best-looking boy I had ever seen when we were young, but now with his dark glossy hair, blue eyes, and strong jawline with the perfect amount of stubble scattered across it, he looks like a god. His body has changed immensely. Tall, with a fighter's physique, all lean, sculpted, and defined, so goddamn hot. Fuck, I need to stop this. As I open my mouth to speak, I feel my phone vibrate in my back pocket.

Braylon:We're at yours, Cade. You good?

Me:I'm fine. How is she?

Braylon:In shock, I think. She's downing the shots faster than I can pour them.

Me:Just look after her.

Braylon:Always.

I put my phone away in my pocket and looked up at Kane. He has his arms crossed over his chest, but where my previous stance was one of anger, his looks more like a defensive posture.

"So let's start with the big question, shall we?" I grunt, walking over and standing directly in front of him, so there is only a small amount of space separating us. I can smell his intoxicating scent of spice from the cologne he has always worn, with a hint of his natural musk making my mouth water. "Why the hell did you just disappear and not even tell us you were leaving? Do you know what you put us through, what you did to Mia? It took memonthsto get her to even smile."

The gate that holds my anger is rattling, threatening to break. "We looked for you for weeks, asked your Dad, though Mia was reluctant to do that, and he wasn't much help anyway." I ball my hands up, feeling all the anger I pushed down and locked away to support Mia come rising to the surface. Five years of pent-up emotions trying to break free.

"Mia was so depressed, Kane, and I didn't think I could ever hate you, but watching her fall apart? Our beautiful, strong girl fell apart to the point where we had to force-feed her. God, I hated you for causing her so much hurt." I close my eyes to the image of my girl so broken. I never thought the Kane I knew back then could ever hurt us. He was the glue to our little family.

We would meet at our hangout every morning and discuss our plans for the day. Whether it be school or on the weekend, we would usually either hang out at the cabin, go watch a movie or just goof around town.

When Kane didn't turn up for our morning meeting, I thought maybe he was sick. We messaged him, and it didn't send. So I phoned him, and his phone was off. I told Mia we should go to his house, and though she refused at first for reasons I don't know, we went and checked on him.

His father had answered the door with a misshapen nose, two black eyes, and a scowl on his stern face. I asked where Kane was, and he told us that Kane had beaten him up and left. I couldn't believe that Kane would do something like that, but the state of his father's face couldn't lie.

Every morning for a week, we waited for Kane, and as each day passed without a word from him, our hearts broke a little bit more. And now, five years later, he is standing before me.

Mia

Thefollowingday,Iwake to a warm hard body wrapped around me. I smile, turning in Cade's arms to find Braylon sleeping peacefully in his place. My eyes widen in shock. What the hell? I take a minute to appreciate him up close and uninterrupted. His dark blond hair, a few shades darker than Cade's, is loose around his face. His lush lashes are resting on his cheekbones.

Why are men so lucky with their eyelash length?

Tracing my eyes over his face, I take in his straight nose to his full lips, surrounded by his long, well-kept beard. I wonder what it would feel like against my lips.Stop it.A flutter in my belly tells me I should stop looking at his rugged face. His appearance makes him look sinful. Forbidden.

I don't remember much from last night once the alcohol hit my bloodstream, but little tidbits sneak through my mind. Braylon and Damon stayed with me all night, letting me cry and snot all over them. We played truth or dare, the memory making a giggle slip free. Damon's dare was to streak down the street of my neighborhood. And he did it! Oh, how I wish I could remember what he looked like naked.

No, you don't, Mia!