Page 139 of Unspoken Lies

Opening my eyes, I clunk the glass down on the counter. I’ll help as long as I’m not expected to forgive and forget.

Burn me once shame on you. Burn me twice, shame on me.

I’m not a sucker, and I’ll be here to protect them from fucking up with her.

RACHELLE

Looking around the back room of the restaurant we’re at, I find I’m not anxious. The place is an adorable little house, and Liliana reserved the entire back room for breakfast. Hugewindows surround us, and the large trees look as if they’re peeking in at the wraparound porch.

I think my medication is finally working completely now. My body isn’t constantly in fight or flight mode, my mood is stabilizing, and this is the best I’ve felt in years.

“What are you thinking about?” Theo asks, leaning in toward me.

The three swinging dicks decided to tag along. I’m feeling so good, I can’t really mind today though. After amazing welcome home sex and sleeping well last night, I’m in a really great mood.

“How cute this place is,” I say honestly.

“Anything else?” Theo croons, making me smirk.

“I’m not looking for the exits or worried about being somewhere I don’t know,” I add. “I just feel happy.”

“Good,” he says, his blue eyes glittering. “What would you say about a walk after this at a nearby park?”

My eyes narrow because I have not had a great track record with them at places like that.

“Don’t look at me like that, Kitten,” he says. “Just a walk. We’re skipping your pool exercises and this is the trade off.”

“Fine,” I grumble

“Can I stab him yet?” Liliana asks, kissing my shoulder. The weather warmed up today. I’m wearing a strapless purple dress with combat boots, and Lili is enjoying the skin I’m showing off.

“Let’s hold off for a bit,” I tease her. “Too many witnesses here.”

“Fine,” she bemoans, kissing me. “Just for you.”

My cheeks hurt due to how much I’m smiling. God, is this how other people feel? They’re able to just enjoy the day without thinking about all the things that could kill them or the voices in their heads tearing them down?

This is so nice.

“Good girl,” she purrs, winking.

The waitress comes over and begins to take our orders.

“Your waffles look really good,” I say tentatively, waiting for her reaction.

“Oh they are!” she exclaims. She introduced herself as Sally, and said she was the owner’s niece. “These are all my grandmother’s recipes. They’re light and airy and covered in fresh fruit. You can even add hazelnut spread if you’re feeling adventurous.”

“That’s what I want, please,” I decide, smiling. I woke up starving this morning, something that’s rare for me. Handing her the menu, I relax against the booth cushion as she leaves to put in our orders.

“Now I want what you ordered, wife,” Jared teases me. They’ve all relaxed all of a sudden around me and I’m not sure what to think. Each one of them seemed on edge over the last two weeks, as if waiting for me to need something or have a breakdown.

Maybe that’s unkind, but I did have a rough two weeks.

The conversation is easy as we chat, though sometimes I use the time to watch them all. Ignacio’s conversational skills are stilted at times, but will even out at others. Wondering why that is, I pay special attention to him.

“Change seats with me,” Lili says, grabbing my waist and moving me over her before I can say a word. “If you crane your neck any more, Baby Girl, you’re going to hurt yourself.”

I guess I wasn’t very stealthy. Ignacio’s arm wraps around my shoulders and he buries his face in my hair. It’s freshly washed, curled, and bouncy today. I even threw on some minimal makeup with Lili’s help.