Page 24 of Volatile King (The Kings of Wayward Academy #6)
R en
Last week had been rough. On Wednesday, I met with my speech therapist, who was intense, but the doctor who had come to assess me was worse.
They explained their plan to get me back on track, and it was…
daunting. My days were full, and no one was cutting me any slack.
Mind you I would’ve bee pissed if they were.
Liam had insisted that I needed normalcy.
So every weekday morning, I was up at six to work out.
Then I showered, ate breakfast, and at nine o’clock the therapist arrived for an hour.
I had been so exhausted on the first day that I had napped for an hour.
Ella had worked with me on my ALS over lunch.
Then it had been homework from the therapist, and trying to keep up with lessons from Wayward.
Brain fatigue was real. I hadn’t been able to keep my eyes open through dinner and had fallen asleep at the table.
The guys were still on rotation like they had been at the hospital. I told them not to worry, but they wouldn’t listen. They insisted that one of them was with me twenty-four hours a day. I officially didn’t remember what it was like to be by myself.
The other new experience was trying to type. My speech problems and uncoordinated motor skills had ruined my ability. Reading was slow, but at least my comprehension was normal. I’d taken so many things for granted, and now even the smallest of tasks was affected.
“Hey, what are ya thinkin’ about?”
I shrugged.
Myles got up from the table that sat across from my desk and walked over. I sighed as he massaged my shoulders and was tempted to cover my screen.
“Shattered to Survivor: The Memoir of a Broken Girl. What is this?”
The title was at the top, but the rest of the page was blank.
“My…sto…ry.”
Myles wrapped his arms around me and kissed my neck. “I think it’s great that ya wanna write yer story, Snowflake. But yer not broken.”
“Feel…broken.”
He kneeled beside me and placed his hand on my leg. Myles looked at me with his heart on his sleeve and love oozing out of him. I cupped his face and fell into the warmth of his amber eyes.
“Not…now only.” I licked my lips, trying to arrange the words in my brain. “My…whole…st…story.”
Myles glanced at the screen. “Yer wantin’ to tell everything from the time you were born ‘til now?”
I nodded, a little embarrassed that I wanted to write about myself when there was this massive world and so many things I could talk about.
“I think it’s a great idea.”
“Do…you?”
“Aye, I do. And I think that eventually yer gonna be able to fill in all the missin’ pieces.”
I smiled and glanced at the screen.
“No…far.”
“Maybe yer needin’ to start with what ya can remember. Like all the moments ya want to talk about are scenes in a play. I can help ya write them down, and you can move them around into proper order.”
I hugged him hard. “Thank…you.”
When Myles escaped the chokehold I had on his neck, he kissed me. It was the first intimate kiss I’d shared since the hospital with Nash. Myles had always made me feel completely safe while sending nervous tingles through my body.
“Mmm, ya still taste the same. Just as sweet as I remember.” He moved the loose strands from my messy bun away from my face and gazed at me.
“I want to tell ya somethin’, but I’m not going to tell ya the whole story now.
” I tilted my head and stared at him. That was very cryptic.
“There’s no need to worry about Owen.” Myles rubbed the back of his neck.
“I killed him. Well, technically, Nash pulled the trigger, but he’s dead. ”
The happiness bubbling inside of me over a death should have bothered me, but when it came to Owen, it was a totally different story.
“How?”
“I’m not ready to talk about all of that yet. But I wanted ya to know that the threat of him comin’ here, sneakin’ in, or hurtin’ us…over. Yer safe, Snowflake.”
Rubbing my chest, I smiled before signing. I am so happy for you. I hated that he ever hurt you.
“I know, and I wanted to give ya some good news.”
When Myles smiled, he lit up entire rooms and made panties fly through the air. He was so sexy.
Knock, knock.
I looked over at the closed bedroom door confused who that could be. The guys just walked in.
“I have another surprise for ya,” Myles said, pushing himself up and walking across the room. When he opened the door, I nearly squealed.
Ivy stood on the other side with Chantry, Ella, Kaylani, and Fiona.
They rushed in, everyone giggling and talking at once.
“Oh…my…God,” I managed to get out before I was wrapped up in a massive hug.
“You look incredible. I’m so happy you’re okay,” Kaylani said, pulling back from the hug.
“Git out of da way. Yer always hoggin’ da spotlight,” Fiona grumbled, practically hip-checking Kaylani. She rocked me from side to side, her hug like that of a bear. “Yer banned from scarin’ the shite out of us again. I’d call ya a right twat if I didn’t love ya so damn much.”
I laughed.
“Safe…you…here?”
“Aye, I came wit Kaylani, Nathaniel, and a small army of guards. They kept me face covered like they’d kidnapped me,” she said, and Kaylani rolled her eyes.
“No, we did not. She exaggerates.”
“We do have one more surprise guest,” Ivy said, grabbing my shoulder and spinning me. She pointed at a laptop that she’d just set up.
“There’s my bestie,” Lizzy screeched. I hadn’t spoken to Lizzy since she confessed that she was pregnant. Impending motherhood agreed with her. She was glowing.
I walked over to the screen, signed as I spoke, and tried to get out what I wanted to say.
“You…beautiful.”
She did a little turn in front of the camera.
At only twelve weeks, there was the tiniest of baby bumps starting.
But it was great to see her smiling and laughing.
As I looked around the room, it was a reminder that we had all struggled.
It didn’t matter what form it came in, just that we overcame it.
And that, as much of an island as I felt at times, it wasn’t true.
There were always others there to hold out a hand and help lift me back up.
The moment had tears of joy sliding down my cheeks as my chest filled with hope. This was what having girlfriends should look like. I was blessed.
Myles stood by the door with a grin on his handsome face. I waved him over, but he shook his head.
“Nah…I saw what they have planned. I’m not stickin’ around for the glitter polish or for them ta frost me tips,” he said, laughing as he slipped out.
“He’s not wrong. You should see what we have,” Chantry said, holding up multiple bags.
“And wait until you see what Ella has been cooking all day. The meal and desserts for later look divine,” Ivy said, making Ella blush.
They were quickly setting things up and taking control. Lizzy, in all her video chat glory, was placed where she could see everything happening. She was pulling out her supplies to do the same thing on her end.
Kaylani set out sparkly tiaras, while Chantry lined the table with an assortment of makeup, gem face art, nail polish, temporary tattoos, tarot cards, and so much more.
“Oh, and I have this fun game for us to play. We get to make drink names for everyone. We can even include the guys. I was thinking The Shiver Shot for Theo,” Lizzy said, winking at me and making me blush.
“Mine is non-alcoholic, of course, but eek, I’ve needed this, Boo.
I’m not happy you got hurt, but we really needed this. I’m so excited to chill with everyone.”
“Me too,” Ivy said. “And I can’t wait to tell you about Sabastian. He is so freaking sweet and has been so protective since…um…since we almost got into an accident,” she said, and everyone went quiet.
“Oh, a new boy toy? Do tell,” Kaylani jumped in, and the laughter and giggles erupted all over again.
I would’ve sworn that wasn’t what Ivy was going to say, but I didn’t push. I didn’t want to ruin this moment.
“Girls,” I said, breaking up the happy chatter. I waited until everyone was looking at me. “Thank you,” I said and sighed. “Thank…you…you…my family.”
“Aww…don’t make us cry,” Kaylani said, hugging me again. “I’ve missed you so much, cuz. I can’t wait to fill you in on all that you’ve missed in Cali.”
Today was perfect and exactly what I needed. Leave it to Myles to know exactly what to do to make me feel better.