unconditional (BOOK #2) [TO BE PUBLISHED]

Chapter 73 - Russell POV

Chapter 73 – Russell POV

I knew all my siblings well, we were all tight nit and watchful of each other, whether that was because of Declan saving us, or just the way our parents raised up, we were. I couldn't be the one that would tear all of that away, but I was thinking that I would be. My parents when it came to Dana, Amara, and Darren warned us all that we were family, that no matter what if one of us was to break up, we had to be prepared that we would be in each other's life even after we were through. They were parents to all of us, so we should really think of what we were doing, the relationship we started.

Darren and Dana took that to heart, pacing their selves; but after Darren and Amara's parents died she and I just rushed head first, well sex first. She had lost her parents and though her grief was greater I lost what I considered my second pair of parents. We found solace in one another physically, and eventually the emotionally grew; until it all fell apart when she and I lost our baby.

She ran. I knew she was grieving, but – but so was I.

Now... it was falling apart once again, where ever Angel was, I knew that Gabriel said I had to pick between Amara and her, but I was hoping that Catalena and Declan would place them all close by. I knew I over stepped my bounds in giving them the option to follow me, but even if I didn't want Amara romantically, I wanted my parents around. I wanted my brothers and sisters, together, I felt that we could weather any storm, we weren't rich and by what I found when looking up the Gavino name, the people that had Angel were.

None of us had a business to say we couldn't move my parents were teachers, Rebecca a tattoo artist, Vanessa – Nessa – a pediatrician, McKenna graduated at Harvard, on scholarship, while working and my parents, all of us helping out when we could. I myself was mechanic and avid restorer, Thayer, a business degree from Northwestern, Dana worked in a daycare before Cody's diagnoses and Darren did construction work... so in truth we could – they – could be close. I hoped.

But I digress. I knew my siblings, so as I turned away to walk towards McKenna, I was shocked to my core, "I'm coming with you," she blurted out, what's strange about that? McKenna was a planner. It took hours for her to make decisions, when she got the scholarship to Harvard, full ride and all she thought it over endlessly, stressing her to the point of having one or two panic-attacks, this I thought she'd ponder for days, not minutes. All the flags went up, I smirked at her.

"What?" she shrugged, her blue eyes avoiding mine, while she turned ridiculously red blushing, her short hair covering her face when she became preoccupied with the ground.

"You tell me..." I smirked; crossing my hands against my chest waiting, teasing her, "One of the guys that came here..." she trailed off, "I can't explain it," she said shyly, shrugging her shoulders. "He looked at me the way you gaze at Angel," she whispered lifting her head, watching me warily as my brows scrunched together.

"I – I don't watch her anyway..." I denied, because I didn't... right? She snorted, but not rudely, "Yes you do... it's why Amara doesn't want Angel around when she's around, it hurts her Russell," she explained, like one would to a toddler. It was my turn to snort and roll my eyes like a child.

"You might say you love Amara," humor left my face, eye glaring at her words, "but you don't even have to say those words with Angel. You look at her and its pure love, adoration, you're always touching her. In a room with everyone, you focus on her alone. You're a different man with her Russ, you said you love Angel, well the way you look at her... the man. Jack, he looked at me that way," she lowered her voice towards the end. Something she did now as an adult, afraid and saying something hard to admit.

And I had no response; McKenna was the most observant, after my mother. Her words made me ponder my actions, Amara's as well.

If McKenna was spot on with her remark... why would Amara put up with that? Though now I see that she didn't, she never wanted Angel around, and there was the reason alone. She claimed Angel was savage, a bad influence but that was a façade, one that I hate to admit and filled with shame made me see Angel the way she described. I had hurt her – Angel – I knew that now, not intentionally, never that, but I hurt her, repeatedly.