Page 16 of The Monsters Within

We made it to the top of the mountain. But when he turned off the bike, I didn’t move. I couldn’t. Not yet.

His hand rubbed my thigh. Deep breaths helped to calm my racing heart. I squeezed him tight before I let go and climbed off.

He followed me to the edge and wrapped his arms around me, resting his chin on the top of my head. I took a deep, shuddering breath.

Something was wrong with the monsters. They hadn’t woken up. They didn’t hold back the tears, and I made a fool of myself in front of my brother and Sam.

“What happened, baby?”

“I can’t go back.”

“What? Why not?” He turned me in his arms, and the tears started again.

“Did you not see me in there? I was a blubbering mess. Thorne was mad at me. Sam was mad at me.”

“Baby, no one was mad at you.”

I took a step back. “They were frowning at me, Cash.”

“Baby, they were worried about you. Tell me what happened.”

Shaking my head, I walked away. “No, it’s embarrassing.”

“Rosie, emotions are nothing to be embarrassed about.”

I turned a glare on him. My eyes narrowed to slits I could barely see through because of the puffiness from the crying. “Years I spent without a single tear, and now I can’t fucking stop them,” I yelled, my arms stretched out as if to draw his attention to me. Not that I needed to. He hadn’t taken his eyes off me.

“Come here.” He grabbed my hand and dragged me across the space to the rock we often sat against. He sat down and made me sit between his legs, pulling me against his chest. It was like he knew it would be easier to talk if he wasn’t looking at me.

“Tell me what happened. What did Thorne say that upset you?”

“It wasn’t Thorne. It was Sam,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest. I was pouting like a child.

Fuck, I was a child compared to Cash.

“Sam said something to upset you?”

I didn’t miss the disbelief in his question. I should have been offended that he didn’t believe me. But he had a good reason. She didn’t upset me.

“Not exactly.” Turning in his lap, I laid my legs over his and pressed my cheek to his chest. I wanted to be held. I wanted to feel safe. Cash did that.

“They talked about me,” I began quietly. “Thorne told her about me. He told Charlie about me.”

“Does that bother you?”

I shook my head. It didn’t bother me. It made me feel guilty. But I couldn’t tell Cash that. I couldn’t explain that I hadn’t told anyone about Thorne, other than Val and the Nyght Nymphs. But I didn’t talk to them about him.

I did at first. Until the monsters told me not to. “Did you know she was naming one of the babies Rose?” I asked him, still unable to look at him.

He laughed out a sigh, and I stiffened. “Relax, baby. I think I understand now. But why don’t you tell me everything?”

“Thorne calls her Momma.”

“He does. She has become a mom to him. She isn’t much older than you, believe it or not. She’s twenty-eight or twenty-nine.”

I sat forward and turned to look at him. He had to be lying. There was no way she was that young.

“It’s true. Sam met Jack when we were still in Arkansas. The night before we left, actually. She got pregnant with Charlie and then booked. It was only a few months ago that Jack found out he had a daughter.”