Then Kane turns up with Damon and starts pushing a sick-looking Cade. "You going to explain to me why I found you with my boyfriend's cock in your mouth last night?" Mia snaps my attention to her, taking me away from watching the shit show that is Kane and Cade. My brows furrow before realization kicks in, causing my eyes to widen. Damon and Cade? Damn.
"Mia, we were drunk," Damon says, trying to tame the mini beast. Cade shoves past Kane running for the bathroom, holding his mouth. I go to follow, but Kane is already on his heels. "Wasn't too drunk to get it up, though, were you both?" Mia accuses. Damon winces, his cheeks turning a light shade of red. "I'm sorry," he mutters.
"Are you? Do you regret it?" Mia asks, tilting her head, waiting for his answer. He shakes his head, letting out a sigh of defeat. "I regret hurting you, though," his eyes trace over her face, an emotion in his eyes that I am familiar with. Holy shit, he likes her. Right there with ya, buddy. She softens slightly at his words.
Mia and Damon bonded the other night when he helped me take her mind off Kane's return. We played the stupid game of truth or dare, drank, and laughed until Mia passed out. He's an easy guy to get on with.
"Kane, wait!" I hear Cade shout as Kane makes his way back to us, murder on his face, directed at me. Fucking hell. Not in the mood to be hit by this man again, I grab his arm as he swings for me, glaring at him in anger and confusion. What's his problem?
"Kane!" Mia gasps, getting between us, exasperation on her face. I don't blame her. This feels like a scene out of a high school drama. Kane tries to get around Mia, but Cade and Damon grab an arm each to hold him back. "You fucking dare to touch her!" Kane shouts. Okay, so I was expecting this from Cade, but Kane? Complete fucking shock. He doesn't own her. What right does he have?
Mia puts her hands on her hips and opens her mouth, probably to cuss us all out, when Jake steps through the door, looking broody as fuck. He stops and rears back when he sees us all in the hall in various states of fucked up. That's until he spots Damon, and then a rage takes over as he lunges for him. Oh fuck, I forgot to warn Damon that Jake is out for his blood.
Jake grabs him by the scruff of his shirt and has him pinned to the wall in an instant. "You stay the fuck away from her, you hear me!" he shouts as he punches Damon in his stomach, causing him to hunch forward while he coughs and splutters. Damon holds his belly and, breathing heavily, asks, "what the fuck are you talking about?" I look around, seeing if anyone is coming to Damon's rescue. No?
Sighing, I stride over to them, pulling Jake away. Not realizing it's me, he swings an arm out, trying to stop me, and smashes me in the nose in the process. Because my face is pretty banged up, it doesn't take much for my nose to bleed. I feel a pain in my eyes, and the bridge of my nose tingles. I grab it, feeling the blood run through my fingers and down my white t-shirt. Terrible color choice Bray.
Cade still has a hand on Kane's arm, but they are both so engrossed in watching this shit show that they don't seem to notice. Mia is staring, mouth agape in shock, at Jake. Probably because it takes a lot to get Jake angry and aggressive. Jake freezes, his eyes widening when he realizes what he's done. "Fuck Bray, I'm sorry," he rushes out, hovering a hand in front of my face as if he wants to help but doesn't know how. "I'm fine," I mumble, grimacing when I taste blood.
Damon groans and stands up straighter against the wall. "So what have I supposed to of done to get a punch in the gut?" Jake spins in Damon's direction and answers, "Zoe, you fucked her!" Damon shakes his head, and Mia laughs, causing everyone to look at her like she's crazy. After that, everyone seems to start on each other again. Kane spewing insults my way, Jake shouting at Damon, and Cade yelling at Kane.
"Oh, for god's sake, stop!" Mia suddenly calls out, causing a pause. "Everyone needs to take a breath and just stop shouting at each other."
Putting her hands on her slim curvy hips, she says, "Jake, Zoe didn't have sex with Damon. She just said that to make you jealous," Mia tells him, causing him to look at Damon, sending him an apologetic look. "Kane, it's not your place to tell Braylon not to touch me," he goes to protest, but Cade puts a hand on his shoulder, giving it a warning squeeze. I don't miss the shiver that goes through Kane. "Cade, I made out with Braylon, and you can't be mad because what you did was worse," he nods at Mia but gives me a look that tells me this isn't over. "Damon, the next time you want to suck Cade's dick, make sure I'm there to watch at least," that causes all of our mouths to drop open and Kane to growl, "not fucking happening again," which we all ignore.
Jake walks towards the front door, looking back at us all. "Sorry," he mutters and disappears out the door. I look around at everyone, "Ah, could someone get me a gauze or something? I'm kind of still bleeding here."
Mia
"It'snotbroken,"Itell Braylon as I finish cleaning his nose, ignoring the dirty looks Kane and Cade are throwing our way. I wince at the state of his rugged face. He has a second swollen eye to match the one from last night's fight. His nose is swollen, and his beard is red from the blood. I look at his clothes and sigh at them, a lost cause. "Maybe you should use our shower. We can sort you out some clean clothes." Kane scoffs.
Glancing his way, I throw him a glare. "It's okay. I can go home and sort myself out," Braylon winces as he shakes his head. "No, please, just use our shower. I want to make sure the bleeding fully stops before you leave." I plead. I'm not ready for him to leave. Part of this is my fault, and I feel terrible.
While Braylon is in the shower, I leave Cade, Damon, and Kane in the living room, deciding to make us all some lunch. Cade is hungover and needs some food in his system, and I'm starving even after all the drama. I fry up some grilled cheese and throw some chips into a sharing bowl.
Sticking it all on a tray, I carry it into the living room. Cade stands up from the couch, reaching out for the tray, "here, let me help, baby," he says gently, taking the tray from me and setting it on the coffee table. Cade and I have a lot to talk about, but I know we will be okay. We've been through too much together to let this break us.
After Braylon has showered and changed into one of Cade's t-shirts and sweatpants, he makes his way into the living room, where we reside. Passing around the grilled cheese, I tell them, "just so you guys know? I've been put off fighting for life," I shudder. Watching the people I care about fight each other is not something I enjoy. I was suffocating on testosterone earlier. It was madness. How has my life gone from peaceful and easy to manic and complex in one weekend?
Everyone tucks into their food, moaning and groaning at the flavors. I squirm in my seat, the sounds doing something to me. I'm trying to be discreet, but Damon sees me and sends a smirk with a wink my way, making me blush and look away. Fucker.
As I am in the kitchen cleaning up after lunch, I smile to myself when I hear laughter in the living room, making me hopeful that any friendships out there haven't been destroyed by our actions.
"Mia," Braylon comes over to me as I'm putting the last of the dishes into the dishwasher. My pulse fastens, and my stomach flutters at his nearness. I look over my shoulder and see him leaning against one of the units. "Yeah?" I whisper. I close the dishwasher and turn his way. "We should talk about last night," his voice is deep, and the timber sends tingles to places it shouldn't. I look to the door, knowing Cade is only in the other room, and though I'm nowhere near Braylon and we are just talking, I feel like we are doing something wrong.
I look at Braylon again and feel a lump forming in my throat. I don't want to hurt him. I care deeply for him, more than I should. I don't regret our kiss, but it can't happen again if I want to save my relationship with Cade. "I'm sorry," I choke out around the lump.
I feel tears threatening to pool, but I refuse to let them fall, having cried way too much lately. It's draining. He hides his disappointment well, but I still see it in the slump of his shoulders and the downturn of his mouth. "It's not happening again, is it?" I shake my head, "I can't, Cade-"
"I know, sweetheart. I don't want to hurt him either," his smile is sad as he leaves the kitchen. Why did that hurt so much? Part of me wants to run after him, shouting that I want him too, but that can't happen, can it?
When I return to the living room, it's just Cade sitting there, head against the backrest and eyes closed. He opens them when he hears me. "Where did everybody go?" he holds his hand out for me to go over to him. I reach out, and he pulls me down on the couch to sit next to him. "Braylon left without saying anything. Kane and Damon had business at Noxious." Cade looks down at me, eyes warm, when he says, "Mia, last night was a mistake. I was hurting, drank way too much, and-"
"You gave into that desire that has always been there, Cade," I gently cut him off. He closes his eyes and runs a hand down the back of my head, playing with the end of my ponytail. "You don't know how sorry I am, baby," he croaks. I know he is sorry, and I'm sorry too, but the curiosity is killing me.
"How was it with a man?"
"Mia! I-"
