Bare Yourself (Consumed: Book Two)

by Alex Grayson

  Before he can ask, I say, “I’m good.”

  He gives me a terse nod. “What are you going to do?” he asks, and I know exactly what he’s referring to.

  “Get on the phone first thing in the morning, make a report and show them the letter. See if there’s anything we can do.” Willow turns her head and looks up at me, but I keep my eyes pinned on my dad.

  “Good. Keep me updated.” My dad still may hate my mom, but it was because of her brother and his sick desires, which forced her hand. He’ll want to see justice as bad as me.

  “Will do.”

  And if the police can’t do anything, I can always go another route. Sometimes it pays being friends with a nightclub owner that dabbles in dark shit. I’ve never had the need to ask Lukas for help, and I could be way off base and he’s completely legit, but I get the feeling there is a lot more to the man than I or any of my friends know. And he owes me for helping him with Tera that one night.

  Dad and Samantha walk back into the living room, leaving me and Willow alone again. I tighten my arms around her, dipping down for a kiss.

  “Thank you for being there for me today,” I murmur against her lips.

  “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”

  “I love you, Willow.” I rub my thumbs along her cheeks, glad to no longer see the tears. She’s too beautiful to ever cry sad tears.

  “I love you, too, Tegan.”

  Her words incinerate the last of the darkness filtering through me. This woman is my world, and with her in it, nothing will ever be able to darken it. They may try, but with her by my side, they won’t succeed. She’s all I need to make my world complete.

  Epilogue

  Willow

  Six months later…

  I knock on the white door, then look over at Minnie standing beside me. She shuffles from foot to foot, both nervous and anxious. I’m glad she came along with me today. This is my fifth visit to Bryan. He’s been out of the rehab facility for a couple of months now and is living in a halfway house, and I think, in order for Bryan to really move on, he needs to face the other person he’s hurt with his actions. He’s apologized to me numerous times, until I told him I’d knock his teeth out if he didn’t stop. He hasn’t gotten the chance to apologize to Minnie, and I know it weighs him down. Not only for hurting her when he broke into her house, but cheating on her and pushing her away when he should have leaned on her instead.

  I was worried when I brought the subject up that she wouldn’t go for it. I wouldn’t have blamed her. What Bryan did was unforgivable, but I had to try. I know she’s still hurt, so I think this may do them both some good.

  Logan, on the other hand, was adamant she not come along. It took a lot of sweet talk and cajoling to get him to agree. He wanted to come along as well, but Minnie said it was something she needed to do by herself. He grumbled and still didn’t like it, but with reassurance from me that they won’t be alone, he gave in.

  “Stop being so nervous,” I tell her gently when she lifts her hand to bite her nail. “It’s going to be okay.”

  She drops her hand, but balls it into a fist, like she’s forcing herself not to lift it again.

  “I know.” She lowers her head before lifting her eyes back to mine. “I just don’t know how to act around him anymore. It’s been so long.”

  I reach over and grab her hand. “Just be yourself.”

  Just then, the door opens and Bryan is standing there in dark gray sweatpants and a plain white V-neck shirt. His hair is damp, I guess from a shower. He looks like a whole new person from the one six months ago.

  His eyes meet mine and he smiles. When he notices Minnie standing beside me, the smile leaves his face and is replaced by a pained expression.

  “Minnie,” he breathes hoarsely.

  “Hello, Bryan,” she responds hesitantly.

  I give them a moment to take each other in, before saying, “Can we come in?”

  Bryan jerks, like I just woke him from a daze, and takes a step back, opening the door further. “Yes. Please, come in.”

  I look to Minnie, who seems to still be a nervous wreck, but is trying to pull herself together, and walk in before her. Bryan leads us over to a tan couch, and takes a seat on the edge of a recliner across from it. His eyes immediately go back to Minnie when he sits.

  “How are you doing?” I ask, drawing his attention away from her. I brought her here for a reason, but I don’t want her to feel closed in by his gawking.

  He reluctantly pulls his eyes off her and focuses in on me. “I’m doing great,” he says, smiling. “I’ve got a job interview later this week, and I’ve put in my application for a community college here.”

  I grin big, happy to see him moving forward. “That’s great, Bryan! I’m glad you decided to finish college.”

  He looks down at his laced fingers. “It’s all thanks to you.” He looks up and all I see is immense gratitude.

  “You’re my brother. I’d do anything for you. I’m just so glad to have you back.”

  He nods somberly, then looks back to Minnie.

  “Minnie,” he calls and she looks at him, her throat bobbing. “I’m so sorry for everything I’ve done to you. I never wanted to or meant…” He stops, closes his eyes, shakes his head, then starts again. “I never meant to hurt you. You were one of the last people I ever wanted to hurt.”

  When he moves to get up and go to her, she holds her hand up to stop him.

  “I’m just glad you’re back. Yes, what you did hurt me, and I don’t mean you knocking me down.” At that, the pain on his face blazes bright, but she continues. “Just promise me you’ll never do that again. Promise me you’ll never put another woman through that. Promise me you’ll stay on the right path. That’s all I want, for you to be the sweet and caring Bryan I used to know.”

  His eyes flicker to mine, then back to Minnie. “I swear to you, all that is in my past. I don’t want to be that man anymore.” He pulls in a deep breath, then lets it out slowly. “Is he good to you? Are you happy?”

  Her smile is instant. “He’s very good to me. He loves me and treats me like pure gold, like I’m the best thing in his world.”

  Bryan nods, and I’m pleasantly surprised to see the relief on his face. I know he still has feelings for Minnie, so I figured hearing how happy she was without him would be depressing for him. Not that he would want her unhappy, but I thought it would hurt him.

  “That’s good. I’m glad you found someone perfect for you. And congratulations on having… Luna, right?” Minnie nods. “You deserve all the happiness in the world.” Then he shocks the shit out of me when he looks at me and continues. “I’ve met someone.”

  I know I have to look comical with my jaw hanging open. This is confirmed when Bryan starts laughing. “Close your mouth, Lo, before you catch a fly with it.”

  “When did you meet someone?” I demand to know, then fire off other must-know questions. “Where did you meet her? What’s her name? How serious is it?”

  His eyes go back and forth between Minnie and me, before settling back on me. “She’s one of the volunteer nurses at the rehab facility. Her name is Cassy. We flirted some while I was still there, but nothing came of it. I didn’t want to start a relationship while I was getting better. Not to mention, me being there didn’t make me out to be a great guy. Anyway, the day I was released, she was there, and on a whim, I asked her out. She said yes. We’re taking it slow, but I really like her.”

  I was up and out of my chair before he got the last word out. He stands just in time to catch me, his laugh strangled because of the tight hold I have on his neck.

  “This is such great news, Bryan!” I exclaim, probably a bit too loudly since my mouth is right by his ear. But I don’t care, I’m just so happy. “When can I meet her?”

  His grin is cheeky when he replies, “Actually, I was hoping you and Tegan could come over this weekend. I want to cook you both dinner. Cassy will be here as well.” He looks over my should
er at Minnie. “You and your husband are welcome as well.”

  Minnie smiles kindly at him. “Maybe next time.”

  Her answer doesn’t surprise me. I think it’ll be a while before Minnie feels comfortable enough to be in Bryan’s life again. They have too much of a past for them to slip back into the friendship they used to have, even before they became an item.

  Bryan looks back down at me and he can’t hide the disappointment. I know he just wants things to go back to the way they used to be, but it’s not that simple.

  “Tegan and I would love to come next weekend,” I tell him, the prospect of meeting this Cassy sending excited jitters through me.

  He lifts a brow. “Don’t you need to make sure he’s okay with it first? I know he still doesn’t care for me much.”

  “Don’t you worry about him.” I wink. “I have my ways of talking him into stuff.”

  Bryan releases me and groans. “Not something I need to know about.”

  I laugh, and so does Minnie. We sit for a few more minutes and talk. It almost feels like old times, and it lightens my heart. I can tell Minnie is still leery and Bryan almost acts shy, but they are trying, and I’m grateful for that. It’ll take a while, but I’m getting my tribe back.

  “I have something for you,” I tell him and pull the small box from my purse. Getting up from the couch, I walk over to him. He stands as well.

  He takes the box I hold out to him with a frown. “What is it?”

  I smile. “Open it and see.”

  He removes the lid, then his hand freezes and his eyes fly to mine. Immediate tears pool in his eyes.

  “Is that…?”

  I nod, trying really hard to push back my own tears. “It’s yours. I have the others at the house, but I figured you’d want this one now. I’ll bring them when Tegan and I come for dinner.”

  A tear trickles down his cheek as he takes the old watch that used to be our grandfather’s, then our dad’s. It was always Bryan’s favorite.

  He looks back down at me. “Are you sure?” he asks hoarsely.

  “Yes. It’s time it goes to its rightful owner. They were always yours.”

  “Keep them for me until I get out of here and in my own place?”

  I nod and he drops the box to the recliner behind him. With the watch still in his hand, he engulfs me in a tight hug.

  “Thank you so much, Lo. Thank you for taking care of them for me. I swear I’ll never let anything happen to them.”

  I kiss his cheek when I pull back. “I know you won’t.”

  He wipes his eyes, a grin taking over his face. This right here is the man I always knew Bryan was supposed to be. Having him back is one of the greatest things in life, and I will always cherish it.

  Later that evening, after leaving Bryan’s and having dinner with Minnie at a nice Italian restaurant, I’m just opening the front door when Tegan swoops me off my feet and strides right back outside. I’m living here now permanently; actually, I never left after I came to stay with him when we thought Bryan was a threat.

  I laugh, then lean up to kiss his cheek. “Where are we going?”

  He looks down at me and smiles crookedly. “Somewhere.”

  I look around as he carries me over to his truck. “It’s pretty obvious we’re going somewhere, stud.” I point out. “My question was, where are we going?”

  He smirks and places a kiss on the tip of my nose. “You’ll see.”

  He sets me down, opens the truck door, then picks me back up and deposits me in the truck. Before I can question him further, he closes the door. I watch as he walks around the hood with a secret smile on his face. I can’t help the big grin that takes over mine. This man makes me so incredibly happy.

  As soon as Tegan’s in the truck, he picks up my hand and brings it to his mouth, laying a lingering kiss on the back.

  “What are you up to?” I ask, narrowing my eyes.

  He grins. “Nothing.” He drops my hand long enough to start the truck, then picks it back up again and laces our fingers together. “We’re just going out.”

  Intrigued by his secrecy, I sit back and just let the euphoric feeling of having such a wonderful man take over. I lean my head back, but keep it turned toward him. I love looking at him. Sitting casually with his wrist over the steering wheel, he looks relaxed as he watches the road ahead of him. He’s wearing his signature sunglasses on the top of his head.

  He looks over at me and smiles, making my heart jump. “What are you looking at?” he asks.

  “You,” I reply simply and smile in return. A though comes to mind. Something I’ve never asked him before, but have been curious about. “Why do you wear your sunglasses so much, even when you don’t need them?”

  He looks at me like I’m stupid or something, then swipes them from his head. “Have you seen these glasses? They’re cool as shit. Who wouldn’t want to wear them?”

  I laugh, because that is definitely a Tegan answer. I reach over and snag them from him and put them on. They are pretty cool.

  With them still on, I look over and smile. Even through the dark lenses, I can see his big grin.

  “Told you they were cool as shit,” he says with a wink.

  I laugh again.

  We’ve only been together for a little over seven months, and for the most part, our lives have been wonderful. I have my brother back, and he’s healthy, which meant no terrible surprises for Logan either. Tegan’s still okay with the news about his mom. Come to find out, Bruce was already in prison for molesting four other boys and one girl. His sentence was fifty years without parole. After speaking to the prosecuting attorney over the case, Tegan found out that his mom never told them what Bruce was doing, something both he and his dad already assumed. The question was, why didn’t she? They’ll never know the answer to that.

  We’re on the road for about twenty minutes before he turns into a familiar parking lot.

  “Blackie’s? We’re going to Blackie’s?”

  It’s not that I don’t like going there, on the contrary, it’s one of my favorite places, because it was where our relationship really started, but I assumed we were going somewhere else.

  “Yep” is all he says before climbing from the truck and walking over to my side.

  Instead of grabbing my hand to help me down, he picks me up by the waist then slowly lowers me to the ground. My girly bits stand at attention as I slide down his body. I moan when his hard length nudges between my legs, and it satisfies me immensely when his eyes heat.

  “You don’t play fair,” I whisper breathlessly, gripping his shoulders to hold myself steady.

  “Never said I did, baby,” he replies, leaning down to steal my lips.

  The kiss doesn’t last near long enough for me. I want to strip him bare, climb his body, pull my panties to the side, and sink down on him. He’s been a very naughty influence on me, because I couldn’t care less that there’s people walking the street behind us. If anything, it just heightens my need.

  He lifts his head, and before I can snatch him back to me, he’s grabbing my hand and leading me toward the door. It’s crowded inside, just like it always is on a Friday night, but not suffocatingly so. We stop by the bar, where Tegan orders me an Amaretto Sunrise and himself a beer, before heading over to our usual spot. On our way over, I notice Colt talking heatedly to a redhead, with Lukas Black standing behind her. I haven’t met Tera, Colt’s sister, yet, but I’d bet that’s her. Tegan’s told me a little about the animosity between Colt and Lukas.

  When we make it to the table, the whole gang is there, including Ava’s ever-changing date for the night. Abby sits on a stool, looking worriedly over at Colt and Tera. Nathan’s drinking his beer with his eyes on the dance floor.

  “Yah! Party’s complete!” Ava yells from across the table.

  I take the only seat left, while Tegan does his thing he always does to Abby; picks her up in a tight hug and slings her body back and forth. I can’t help the laugh that slips out at her p
ained expression.

  “Damn it, Tegan,” she wheezes. “You’ve got to stop doing that shit.”

  “Well, come out more so I won’t miss you so much,” he responds, smiling wide when he sets her down.

  “Hey,” a deep voice says from behind us. “Don’t you have your own woman to manhandle?”

  Colt steps up beside Abby and slides his arm around her waist, effectively pulling her from Tegan and into his side.

  “That I do.” Tegan leans down and kisses my lips before pulling back. “And I’ll definitely be manhandling her later.” He tries to slip his hand up my skirt, but I stop him.

  “Hands off, stud.”

  Ava snickers.

  “You won’t be saying that in a few minutes,” he murmurs against my ear, sending shivers down my spine.

  Just then, Justin Timberlake’s “Can’t Stop This Feeling” blasts over the speakers and Ava jumps from her seat.

  “This is my jam!” she screams, grabbing her date’s hand and hauling him to the dance floor.

  I take a sip of my drink and Tegan moves behind my chair. He cages me in with his arms placed on the table in front of me. Next, I feel his lips trailing up my neck and goose bumps appear on my arms. I tilt my head to the side and close my eyes. His hands stay on the table, but I swear I feel them all over me. My imagination starts running wild, and I squirm.

  “Mmm… you smell good.” Tegan’s voice rumbles in my ear, right before he bites down gently on the skin where my neck meets my shoulder. “But you taste even better.”

  My body hums at his praise and a pressure starts to build between my legs. If it wasn’t for us facing Abby and Colt, I would totally shove Tegan’s hand underneath my skirt, even though I just stopped him a few moments ago from doing just that. This man knows just what to do to make me not care about my surroundings. His seduction skills are an art form.

  “Dance with me,” Tegan says, and doesn’t wait for an answer before he’s dragging me out to the dance floor.