Warning: Strong Language and Sexual References!
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Jaden pulled off on a back road just a mile outside of town and left his truck to idle and let Ary cry it out. She bawled like a baby. A part of her realized that she was overreacting, but the tears just wouldn't stop. She felt like the only thing she could do was cry.
"So..." Jaden let out a soft whistle between his teeth.
"I don't want to talk about it," she snapped, her voice sounding hoarse from the marathon cry she just had.
"Okay," Jaden nodded. Clearly that wasn't okay, because a few minutes later he spoke again. "Don't worry about anything. Your dad is just upset. He still loves you," he assured her.
"Please, stop talking," Ary begged. She felt the tears threatening to pool over again.
"I'm just-" Jaden began again.
"I will strangle you," she growled at him.
"Okay," he said again, and this time he did shut up.
Jaden talked on his phone off and on to several people over the next hour. Ary just stayed sitting in the passenger seat, staring straight ahead, not really focusing on anything. Her mind was swirling and her thoughts were all over the place.
She needed to check on Maria, but was too afraid to confront her sisters. What would they say about this? Would they sigh in relief to know that the reason why Ary never really fit in with them was because she wasn't actually one of them? There was now a reason for why she was the way she was. Her Aunt Charlotte would be ecstatic to find out that there was no shared blood between them.
Ary was still lost in thought when Rave pulled up behind them in his Camaro. Jaden got out to greet him, but Ary stayed behind. She wasn't so sure calling Rave had been the best idea, but at the time she had really wanted to see him. They both already knew that Garrett was her real father. He'd probably be annoyed with her for overreacting to something that wasn't news to either of them.
Rave came around to the passenger side of Jaden's truck and opened the door. She didn't look at him. She couldn't. If she looked into his steel gray eyes, they would dissolve all of the barriers that she had spent the last hour putting back into place.
"Hey, sweetheart," Rave greeted her, placing a soothing hand on her thigh. His voice was soft and very non-threatening, like he was speaking to a child or an injured animal.
That did it. That sweet, soft hint in his voice was her undoing. He rarely used that voice, and even when he did it was when they were alone, never in front of anyone. It was how she knew she was important to him and the fact that anyone, especially someone like Rave, deemed her important is what got to her.
Without saying a word, Ary leaned over and wrapped her arms around his neck, clinging to him. Rave immediately scooped her into his arms. Holding her close, he walked around the back end of the truck.
"Go find Mason," Rave told Jaden, dismissing the other man.
Ary heard Jaden get into his truck and drive off, but she didn't offer any thanks or farewell. She just kept her face buried in the crook of Rave's neck. It was soothing to be so close to him, to feel the play of muscles in his arms and shoulders as he held her. He was strong. A lot stronger than her.
"What happened?" Rave asked her, as he gently lowered her to her feet. He cupped her face in his hands and ran his thumbs lightly over her puffy cheeks.
"Garrett happened," Ary answered, slowly. She felt a hitch in her words as more tears threatened to spill, but she sniffed them back. She did not need to cry anymore.
Rave's fingers flexed against her skin and a dark mask of anger crossed his features. "What the hell did that bastard do? Did he try to take you again?" he all but growled.
"No, Rave," Ary sighed in exasperation. She was annoyed with him now, and she had no right to be. He was just worried about her.
"Then tell me why Jaden called me in a panic and told me to rush down here. I thought you were dying," he said and his voice sounded strangled, as if he were trying to hold back some emotion.
"It's nothing. It was stupid," she shrugged, glancing down at her feet. It was stupid. Her life hadn't been in danger and it had nothing to do with the Bloodbaths. Why the hell had she bothered Rave with any of this?
"Ary," his voice was soft as he said her name. Gently he took her chin in his hand and tilted her head back so she was forced to look up at him. "Tell me, baby."
"Garrett confronted my dad and told him the truth," Ary sighed out. Her voice sounded mechanical, void of any emotion. It was how she usually protected herself.
"Shit," Rave cursed. "Are you okay?" he asked her.
"Yes. Nothing happened," she practically spat out the words. She just wanted to drop the subject.
"Something clearly did happen," Rave challenged. He wasn't going to let this one go. "What did your dad say about this?"
"He didn't say anything, but the way he looked at me," Ary shook her head as she felt the familiar sting of tears in her eyes. "It was like he hated me." Her lower lip trembled as she spoke.
"Ssh, come here, baby," Rave gathered her into his arms just as another wave of tears hit her. Great. Her body had to practically be drained of water by now.
She cried against Rave's chest until she had nothing left. It wasn't pretty, silent tears either. It was the kind that left her body shaking and had snot dripping from her nose. Rave didn't say anything, though. He just held her, stroking her back, kissing her hair, and whispering sweet nothings in her ear.
"I'm sorry I'm such a mess," she hiccuped, swiping at her tear soaked cheeks as she pushed away from his strong chest. She knew she couldn't look that attractive right now.
"Don't do that," he ordered her.
"Sorry, I'll stop," she said, brushing away at more of her tears. She tried to calm her breathing so she wasn't hiccuping anymore. It was annoying, even to her.
"Not that," he sighed. She gave him a confused look. "Stop shutting me out. You're hurting. This was painful for you and it's painful for me to see you try to push this all back and deal with it all on your own. You're not alone, Ary. You have me." His eyes were swirling with so many unspoken feelings that it made her chest tighten.
"I don't want to lay all my baggage on you," she objected.
"Too late. I've already got your baggage," he grinned at her. She didn't take it as a joke and her face fell. "Hey, now," he moved his hands to push back the hair that fell in her face. "What I'm saying is that I don't care about your baggage. I want you to share these things with me, no matter how stupid you think they are. Okay?" he smiled warmly at her.
"Okay," she nodded her head in agreement.
"And for the record, babe, this is not stupid. Having your family shattered with a secret like this is a big fucking deal. Anyone would be a mess after this," he assured her.
"Leave it to me to screw things up even more," she laughed, without humor.
"This isn't your fault," Rave told her, frowning. "Ary, this is all your mother's doing. She cheated. You are just as much a victim in this as your father is. You were lied to just like he was."
"I know, but-" she started to protest, but he cut her off.
"Stop defending them!" he growled. She frowned at his outburst. "You do not need to make up for your mother's infidelity and if your father gets hung up on something as menial as you not being biologically his then that's his damn problem. You are amazing and deserve so much more than what those bastards are giving you," he said, anger making his voice rough and gravelly.
"You only say that because I give you amazing sex," she laughed, trying to lighten the mood.
"No, I say that because I love you," he said, his face serious.
"W-what?" she stuttered out the word.
Rave was quiet for a moment and Ary was sure she had misheard what he said. Then he lowered his head and kissed her softly on the lips. It was gentle, soft, and not at all hurried with the rush of passion. He took it slow, never deepening the kiss, just letting his lips brush against hers.
When he pulled back he was looking directly into her eyes. "I love you, Arabella Harper," he repeated, slowly.
"You're sure?" she asked, still doubtful. She knew Rave wouldn't lie to her, especially about this, but she just couldn't believe it.
"I'm sure," he nodded, biting back a grin.
"Really?" she asked, tears stinging her eyes. Damn, she was becoming one of those over emotional females that worried too much about what others thought of her.
"Yes," he said, stroking her cheek. "How could I not love you?"
"Pretty easily. Just ask my family how," she replied, bitterly. It would take years of therapy for her to recover from what happened earlier.
"They're fucking idiots," he growled. She flinched at his harsh words. "Sorry." He softened his voice and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "You're amazing, Ary. Don't even compare yourself to them."
"But there has to be a reason they don't like me," she objected, frowning. It just didn't make any sense to her.
"Sometimes there just isn't a reason. Sometimes people are just too damn selfish to see past themselves and look at what's in front of them," he said, quietly.
"Twenty-one years is a long time for everyone to be selfish," Ary pouted. She was being stubborn.
"I love you, okay? I've never been in love before, never even close. I haven't said 'I love you' to anyone since I was a kid. It's a big fucking deal for me, but it wasn't that hard to fall in love with you. It was pretty damn easy, actually. I've never met anyone like you and it blows my mind that your family doesn't see how amazing you are," he told her, trying to make her understand how he saw her and how everyone else should see her.
"You're better at talking about your feelings than I am," Ary frowned at him, finally willing to accept his words as the truth.
"Are you-" Rave searched her face, "-turning this into a competition?"
Ary stared down at the ground. "I didn't expect you to be so eloquent," she grumbled. "At the most I was just expecting an 'I love you, damn it'," she said, trying to imitate his lower voice.
Instead of getting upset, Rave just laughed. He knew her well enough by now that he should have expected her stubborn personality to break through. He honestly wasn't upset by her behavior. If she were joking around and acting tough it meant that she was coming out of her emotional spiral.
"Leave it to you to be the only woman in the world not to like a romantic confession," he laughed. It was exactly what she would do and that was one of the things he loved about her.
"I guess it's my turn, huh?" she reluctantly asked, her face heating up even as she asked the question.
"You don't have to say anything, Ary," he assured her.
Somehow Ary, with her seemingly normal and perfect family, was even more emotionally damaged than him. He knew she would panic and pull away from him if he pushed too far. Not having her in his life at all was far worse than not having her love him. He knew she cared about him and that was enough for him. He was selfish, but not selfish enough to demand things from her that she wasn't ready to give him.
"And let you have all the glory? Yeah right," she snorted, rolling her eyes.
"Ary, this isn't a competition. I didn't tell you I love you because I expected anything in return. I told you because I just had to. I had to tell you how I felt," he shrugged, embarrassed. He wasn't used to sharing his feelings, especially ones so personal.
"And I want to tell you my feelings too. Okay?" she snapped at him.
"Okay," he sighed, giving in.
"Even though you can be a controlling ass most of the time, you're still the most decent guy I've ever met," she started off. Rave had to shake his head. She couldn't just come out and compliment him.
"You've been there for me through everything," she continued her speech. "Even when I push you away or lie to you, you're still there for me. You know me so well that you anticipate my crazy antics. It's...I don't know," she shook her head. "I don't know what this is, but I do know that I love you. I love you, Raven Colt," she said, a goofy grin on her face.
A look of relief crossed Rave's face as he pulled her against him and lowered his mouth to hers. This kiss was filled with passion and longing. Rave devoured her mouth like it was the last kiss they were going to get. He swept his tongue between her parted lips and tasted her sweetness, eliciting a low moan from her.
Ary was certain that Rave would have taken her right there on the hood of his car if not for the sound of sirens approaching them. Even then he was reluctant to let her go. He didn't stop the assault on her mouth until the sirens were right next to them. They pulled apart and Ary groaned out loud when she saw the familiar vehicle.
"Oh no," Ary buried her face against Rave's chest. She did not need to be caught making out with her boyfriend by her uncle.
"Bella," Jack's voice was restrained as he spoke to her through the open window. He didn't even bother to acknowledge Rave.
"Uncle Jack, what's wrong?" Ary asked. She turned away from Rave's body to face her uncle, but she stayed by his side.
"I think you know what's wrong," Jack said, staring directly at her.
Ary tensed up and the hand she had resting lightly against Rave's chest balled into a fist, digging into his skin through the light material of his t-shirt. Rave's arm tightened around her waist. Jack knew. Of course he knew. Her dad probably called him after the altercation with Garrett. She wondered if her uncle hated her now too. How many family members could she afford to lose in one day?
"Baby?" Rave's voice registered in her head at the same time he lightly brushed his thumb beneath her right eye. Ary reached up and touched her own cheek. It was wet with fresh tears. She had been crying again and she didn't even know it. Her face was so numb that she couldn't even feel her own tears.
"Bella, what happened?" Jack was out of his vehicle and standing in front of them in less than five seconds. He was glaring daggers at Rave.
"Nothing," she said, wiping at her tears. He didn't know. She was sure of it now. "What are you talking about, Uncle Jack? What happened?" she asked, trying to get the subject off of her.
"What am I talking about? I'm talking about your damn little gang buddies harassing my nieces!" he shouted at Rave.
"Wait," Ary stepped in between the two men, trying to keep them from attacking each other. "Uncle Jack, what exactly happened?" she asked.
"His friends are out at the house harassing your sisters. One of them attacked Daniel!" Jack was practically shouting now.
"And you're honestly upset about Daniel?" Ary snorted in disbelief.
"No," he admitted, reluctantly. "But I know how these guys are, Bella. They're violent, they're dangerous. They could kill Daniel and hurt your sisters," he told her.
"First of all, I know those guys personally and they would never lay a hand on Mads or Scar," Ary glared at her uncle. "Secondly, I asked them to watch out for Mads and Scar because of Daniel's restraining order being dropped. I'm protecting my family," she stated, firmly.
"By throwing violent gang bangers at them?" he shot back at her.
"No, by throwing people I trust at them. Do I really need to remind you that Rave was the one who helped me with Daniel in the first place? Or that Rave was watching Luke's back when he was over his head with the Bloodbaths? Or how about when I had to deal with a psycho killer because Luke was stupid enough to make a deal with him?" Ary said, jabbing a finger at his chest.
"Bella, I-that's-" Jack sputtered, unable to find the right words.
"I've been cleaning up everyone's messes for as long as I can remember. I know what I'm doing, so why don't you just stay the hell out of my business before I call in a favor and have you charged with interfering with a criminal investigation. I bet you'd love the paperwork and legal red tape that'd go along with that," she threatened him.
Jack kept his mouth shut, but a fight was brewing behind his green eyes. Ary recognized the challenge, and as much as she would have loved to rip into someone, she had more important things to worry about.
"Now that that's settled, we have somewhere to be," she said, walking over to Rave's car. "I suggest you call your brother. He could really use you right now," she told Jack before getting into the Camaro.
"That was really good, baby," Rave told her once they were safely shut in his car. He was looking at her with pride in his eyes.
"Yeah, one near mental breakdown and I'm as good as new," she joked. The smile didn't reach her eyes.
"It'll be okay," Rave assured her. He reached over and gave her knee a quick squeeze before he started the car.
Ary didn't say anything. She knew Rave would try and make it right for her, but she wasn't so sure that any of this would be okay, no matter what anyone did. She tried not to think about her family and instead focused on Rave. He loved her. She knew that she would be okay because she had someone that loved and believed in her. That was enough for her.
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I know the 'L' word is what you all have been waiting for, but honestly I'm more excited about Ary standing up to her Uncle Jack. Who else agrees with me??