Buried (Heavy Hearts Book 3), page 22
“Sorry,” Garrett whispers, offering me a small smile, and I give him one back. “It’s Britney’s birthday tomorrow, and she asked if you would come over for dinner and cake?”
“Oh.” I can’t hide my surprise, but quickly replace it with a smile. Britney is one of Garrett’s little sisters. “Yes. I would love to.”
Garrett instantly smiles, looking relieved while I feel anything but because I know Ayden will have a problem with this. He will be annoyed, but that’s okay. He can be annoyed all he wants because I’m still going. Garrett is my friend and has done a lot for me, so I can make time to go to his sister’s birthday dinner.
“Great! She will be so happy.” Garrett chuckles, and I smile back at how his face lights up when he talks about his little sister. Then his face drops, and he’s back to looking nervously over my head again.
Turning, I see Ayden has made it back to my side and is glaring daggers at Garrett, who avoids his eyes. It’s weird to see Garrett like that. He’s usually so Alpha male, but for some reason, he’s cowering.
Has Ayden said something to him?
He better not have!
When we walk through my front door five minutes later, we are engulfed by the delicious scent of cooking food. Not just any food. It’s a roast. I’d know that smell anywhere. Not because it was cooked for me often as a child, but because it was a smell my mouth would water over when I visited my friend’s houses over the years. The fact that my house smells like this right now has my nose in the air as it leads me to the kitchen to find my mum chatting away to Officer Reynolds as she cooks. I stop abruptly when I see the older officer sitting at the kitchen counter wearing plain clothes. What is he doing here, and why is he out of uniform?
Ayden knocks into me from behind with an oomph and grabs onto my shoulders to keep me upright when I nearly tumble forward, our clash gaining the attention of Officer Reynolds and my mum.
“Oh good. You’re home. Burt was just keeping me company while you were at school.” When my mum flashes me a fake smile, I frown and tilt my head, taking in the scene.
Burt? She’s on a first-name basis with Officer Reynolds now? What is happening here? I could almost be fooled to think that everything is normal if it weren’t for my mum’s forced smile.
“Has something happened?” I ask, and my mum’s dark eyes flit behind me to where the guys are standing. Whatever is happening, she doesn’t want to speak in front of my friends.
I’m about to turn around and ask the guys for some privacy when Marcus speaks.
“We’ll get started on our homework in the living room.”
I hear the quiet agreements from Shaun and Simon as the shuffling feet of the five guys exits the room, leaving Ayden and me in the kitchen.
Officer Reynold’s, or should I call him Burt now, clears his throat as he takes us in. “Your mother had a visitor today.”
“What?” I screech, my eyes flying to meet hers in concern. If there is a police officer sitting in my kitchen because my mum had a visitor today, then it can’t be good. “Mike?” I ask.
“No. Your father.” My mum’s shoulders drop. It’s the first time in days that I’ve seen any hint of the woman she was before she went to rehab. She almost looks like she wants to curl into herself and hide.
Don’t give up, mum!
I want to say those words to her, but I don’t. Not with the present company.
“Max was here?” I need confirmation because even though she said it was my dad, I don’t see him as my dad anymore. “He was in the house? How did he get inside the house?” My heart is racing at the idea of him being in this space again. The last time I saw him here, he was rifling through all the cupboards, trying to find the file, and Muz protected me from him, keeping his gun trained on my dad…. I mean Max, the whole time.
Muz!
Ugh! Now I’m thinking about him again. I hope he’s going to be okay!
Mum nods. “Yes, he was in the house. Maxwell came looking for some of his.… belongings.”
“But how did he get in the house, Mum? Tell me you didn’t let him in?”
“Not willingly, Lexi!” My mum hisses at my tone, which I probably deserve.
“Your father found your mother in the backyard while she was hanging the washing out. Your mother tried to stop him from getting inside, but he overpowered her.” Burt explains.
“Did he hurt you?” Ayden asks my mum, concern lacing his tone as he comes to stand beside me, his fingers finding mine by our sides.
“Nothing I couldn’t handle.” My mum answers, jutting her chin up as she rubs at her wrist.
Frowning, I move around the kitchen counter to stand before my mum and look down at her wrist. “Show me.” My voice is a whisper, and hearing it, my mum sighs and tugs up the sleeve on her sweater to reveal a dark purple bruise spanning her thin wrist. It’s a familiar sight, the handprint clear, just like it was on my upper arm after I sprung my dad with his mistress.
“It doesn’t hurt.” My mum’s voice is soft as she hides her wrist away again, and I want to call Bull Shit. I don’t, though. She doesn’t need my crap or anyone else’s right now.
“What else did he do?” I keep my eyes trained on my mum, hoping I can read her in case she tries to sugar coat it for me.
“He shoved me around a little. He was too preoccupied with trying to locate what he came looking for. He didn’t even notice when I picked up my phone and dialled 000. It was only when he heard car doors close outside that he realised we had company, and he took off the same way Mike did the other night. Over the back fence.”
“You need to put cops near the house over the back where they keep sneaking past.” Ayden hisses at Burt, who nods.
“Already onto it, young man. Our drive-bys will include the street behind here.” Burt sits taller on the bar stool, proud of that arrangement.
“Drive-bys? They aren’t doing shit!” Ayden hisses, taking a step towards Burt. “You need to have officers stationed there. And outside this house too!”
“I’m sorry,” Burt offers, looking at each of us, “We just don’t have the resources in Fox Pines to place officers on guard, and as much as we’d like to spend our shifts just driving around this area, we can’t. The south end keeps our officers extremely busy.”
The south end of Fox Pines is well known for its less than savoury citizens. It’s also where the junkie house was that caught fire, where they found some of Mike’s belongings.
“Burt, it’s fine. We understand.” My mum gives Burt a warm smile, which he returns.
“What I’d like to know is how did Max know mum was out in the backyard. How did he know when to spring?” I expect my question to surprise my mum, but when she stays neutral, I realise she has already thought of the same thing.
“We are looking into that as well, Lexi. There’s a possibility that he might be staying nearby or has someone watching the house somehow. He indicated to your mother that he knew she was in the house alone.”
My eyes meet Ayden’s across the small space, and I know we are thinking the same thing. Tasha would have let Mike know I was at school, and Mike would have told my dad. It still doesn’t explain how dad knew mum was in the backyard. Maybe it was just a fluke. Perhaps he came snooping for a way in and found her.
“The important thing is that I’m okay. Burt has kept me company for the afternoon while you have been at school.” My mum rolls her shoulders back in a show of confidence, and I can tell it’s not forced. Seeing her confidence return has me relieved. I’m so scared she will fall back into that helpless woman that turned to drugs to ease her pain. I know we have a long road ahead of us, so I need to know she will have what it takes to handle the tough situations when they come up. I know if she can do that, then she will get through anything else this life of ours throws at us. I guess, in a way, I feel like knowing she can do it means I can too.
When my mum turns to the oven to peer in at the roast cooking, I understand that it’s her way of ending the conversation. I can’t remember the last time she cooked anything in the kitchen that takes longer than 15 minutes to prepare, cook, and serve. Shit, if it weren’t for the hint of stress in her expression, I’d think she was happy.
“I have enough food for your friends to stay for dinner, Lexi. I’ll let you know when it’s ready.” Shooting me a smile over her shoulder, my mum begins wiping down the bench top, returning her attention to Burt, who smiles warmly at her.
O. K. This is getting awkward.
“Lex.” Ayden’s voice drags my critical eyes from whatever is going on between my mum and Burt, and I’m helpless not to smile at his knowing smirk. He doesn’t have to say anything else to me, my body just naturally knowing I need to be close to him again, my feet moving on their own accord towards him.
Arm in arm, we wander to the front living room to find the others, where we join them for a homework session before it turns into a fight over the PlayStation controllers. The guys manage to keep my mind off Muz and Rhys most of the time. Marcus is still quiet and has been avoiding eye contact with me for the most part. I want to talk to him about Rhys, but he probably blames me for her cutting and running. Jesus, was it even any of my business? Probably not, but I couldn’t just sit back and watch Marcus keep getting hurt.
When my mum announces that dinner is nearly ready and Burt leaves quietly, Shaun goes to the kitchen to flirt with my mum again, and Ayden and Marcus keep an eye on him while they set the table. I take that opportunity to send Muz a text message.
Lexi West
Are you still harassing the nurses?
I don’t know why I send him that message. I guess I want to interact with him, as if that simple act will reassure me he’s okay. When he doesn’t reply after a few minutes of staring at my phone, willing it to chime, I slip it back into my pocket and call for Jared, Simon and Garrett to join us in the kitchen.
Dinner is divine. My mum is a good cook! Who knew? The meal is also hilarious with the guys telling mum stories about a camping trip they went on last summer, as well as some of the pranks that take place in the boys change rooms at footy. I stay relatively quiet while they re-tell their experiences, and there are a few times I can’t help but laugh until it hurts at their shenanigans.
I realise now that this is what having a family is really like. Dinner’s together, storytelling, sharing laughs, holding each other close when things are tough. I really had no idea how powerful a family unit can make me feel. It’s like I can do anything because they are by my side.
A little after dinner, once the dishes are washed and put away, Marcus, Shaun and Garrett say their goodbyes, leaving mum and me in the capable hands of Ayden, Jared and Simon for the night.
Mum bows out early and heads to bed, leaving us to watch Maze Runner in the front living room. At first, it’s hard for me to concentrate on the movie because all I can think about is the fact that Muz hasn’t responded to my text. He’s probably too sick to even look at his phone. I’m an idiot for sending him the message. I’m the last person he’d want to talk to since I’m the reason he’s so sick.
As usual, Ayden notices that I’m struggling with something and takes it upon himself to distract me. We are on the floor leaning against the back couch, while Jared is on the side couch, and Simon is on the floor in front of us, laying on his tummy with his head in his hands. Shifting his legs under the fleece blanket covering us, Ayden turns his head and whispers in my ear.
“I want to make you come.”
My smirk spreads slowly as I turn to him with raised brows and whisper back, “That’s random. Where did that idea come from?”
His eyes darken, dropping to my lips and then back to my eyes before leaning in close, his warm breath feathering across my skin.
“I can’t keep my eyes off you, Lexi, and my hands,” he slides his hand up my bare leg, “are itching to touch you. I want to feel you come undone under my fingers.”
An instant flush travels up my body, and I feel warmth dampen between my legs.
Leaning back to my ear, Ayden nips at my lobe before whispering, “Fuck yes, Lexi, there’s that blush. I want to watch your beautiful face as you come.”
Well fuck, how can I say no to that. I shift my legs, about to stand, when Ayden’s hand tightens on my thigh, holding me back.
“No, Lex. You don’t understand.” Ayden draws closer, pushing his lips against my ear. “I want to make you come, right here, right now.”
My breath falters, and I turn my frown to him, “In case you haven’t noticed,” I whisper, “Jared and Simon are here in the room with us.”
That’s when I see it. His eyes. Those beautiful, captivating ocean eyes are smouldering with heat, and I swear I see the devil dancing in them. A moment later, a slow evil grin spreads across his face. And it’s fucking hot and sinful, and all for me.
“You’d better be quiet then, beautiful.”
An O forms from my mouth while my eyes widen. He’s fucking serious right now. He wants to make me come right now in this room while Jared and Simon are only a few feet away. What…
I can’t think as his fingers slide the rest of the way up my thigh to graze over the top of my pink bunny shorts, right where I ache the most. A moan travels up my throat, ready to escape, but I squeeze my throat shut and bite my lip as one part of my brain focuses on staying quiet, and the other focuses on the intense pleasure that pulses deep inside me.
It’s hard, but I try to keep my eyes open, my paranoia screaming at me as I glance from Jared to Simon and to the TV. If either of the boys turn around, they will see the pleasure written all over my face. I just know it. My hips lift a little, having a mind of their own as they greedily seek more, and Ayden doesn’t hold back. With skilled fingers, he rubs gentle circles over my fabric covered clit, applying the perfect amount of pressure to torture me and turn me into a withering ball of need. The friction of his pressure and the fabric barrier quickly builds into a blinding pleasure that crashes through me unexpectedly, wave after wave rolling through me as I hold my breath and shove my wrist into my mouth, clamping down until I taste blood.
I don’t know if I make noise because, for a few moments, I lose my ability to hear, and my eyes dart to Jared and Simon to see that everything seems undisturbed.
“That was so fucking hot,” Ayden whispers before nipping at my ear, followed by slipping his hand down the front of my pink bunny shorts. I’m about to ask him what he’s doing, but my words falter as I watch the concentration on his face as he slides two fingers between my folds, spreading my wetness around before he pulls his hand free and slides the two fingers into his mouth.
I have to bite my lip again to stop myself from groaning at the sight. Especially when he slowly drags his fingers out and licks his lips before saying “fucking delectable.”
Holy shit.
Slapping a peck on my cheek, Ayden stands while all I can do is sit nearly limp in an orgasm coma and watch as he leaves the room, his very obvious and seriously hard arousal tenting his pants.
Where is he taking that? It’s mine!
The thought has me moving a moment later, and I ignore Jared’s curious gaze as I leave the room in search of my guy. Hearing a door click shut upstairs, I creep up the staircase in my usual creak free way, glancing at the three closed doors on the landing. My bedroom door is open, Mike’s door, the new one, is closed, as are the bathroom and the toilet. Ayden could have gone into the bathroom, and if that’s the case, I won’t be joining him. But the toilet door was open the last time I saw it, so I decide to head there.
Butterflies dance inside me as my nerves kick in, but the horn bag in me is a determined little bitch, so I twist the doorknob, pushing it open to slip inside. A part of me knew what Ayden would be doing in here, but I don’t think I was quite prepared for the sight of him holding himself up on the wall with one hand while his other hand pumps his cock with such force that I’m sure it must hurt. Even his face looks pained.
The moment I click the door shut behind me, Ayden freezes mid-pump, his blue eyes flying open, meeting mine. I can tell he’s about to stop, which I really don’t want, so I quickly drop to my knees in front of him and peer up at him through my dark lashes.
“Fuck,” his growl is drawn out, but he’s too far gone to refuse me and instead drops his hand from the wall to gently fist in my blonde waves. “You should have stayed downstairs, beautiful.”
I shake my head, eyeing his hard length bobbing before me, and I lick my lips, “I want you in my mouth.”
“Lex,” the gravel in his tone is deep and primal, and I fucking love it. I also love the way his eyes are nearly black as he presses his engorged head to my lips.
With my eyes still locked on his, I part my lips and accept him into my mouth as far as I can manage. His eyes flick from mine to where I swallow him into my mouth, and he bites his bottom lip as he slowly drags his cock back out. This time when he slides back in, I stick my tongue out, helping him to sink deeper, my throat opening to accommodate him. A muffled moan escapes me as he pulls out again, and then his return back in is quicker this time as he becomes a little more frenzied and builds speed.
My eyes meet his again, and I take in his expression, recognising the uncertainty. He’s holding back on me again. He still thinks I’m fragile and doesn’t want to do anything to upset me or trigger me. Sure, I’m fragile, just not when it comes to wanting everything he has to offer, so when he slides out again, I let his length pop free before I glare at him.
“Lex?” Dark brows draw together as his eyes dance between mine. “You want me to stop?”
“No,” I shake my head, “I want you to fuck my mouth Ayden.”
This time, his brows reach his hairline.
“Stop holding back and give me all you’ve got. Fuck my mouth.”
For a long, drawn-out moment, I think he’s going to tell me to stand up and end this now, but to my surprise, his eyes darken even more, and his hand tightens in my hair.
