on another blonde to lose himself in. I turn slightly and cup his battered face in my hands. He’s going to hurt in the morning and will be lucky if he can even open his left eye.
“This is all my fault, Maverik. What have I done to you?” My thumb circles on his cheek. “I love you so much. I had to leave town so many years ago because of reasons out of my control. I wish I could just tell you, but I can’t.”
I drop my forehead to his and feel the lowest I’ve ever felt in my life. That one night so many years ago ruined so many lives, and I let it all happen.
“Ella?”
I turn to see a female figure standing before me in the dark.
“Yeah.”
“I’m Challis, Merek’s wife. He’s inside settling whatever Maverik got into and then will be right out.”
“Okay.” I nod, nervous she heard too much.
“I’ll go pull the truck up to load the huge lug.”
“Thank you.”
“Hey, Ella.”
“Yeah.”
“I’m sorry about all of this and your mom. Just know this has been hell on Maverik too.”
I drop my head to bury my face, even though the dark is masking it enough. “I should’ve never come back to town.”
“I’m going to kick his damn ass.” The sound of stomping and gravel being kicked up takes over the awkward conversation.
Two dark figures stand before me, and even in the middle of night, I recognize Maverik’s two younger brothers, Marvel and Merek.
“Ella.” Merek nods in my direction as Marvel extends his hand to help me up from the gravel.
“I, uh, I.” My voice is shakier than it has been these last few days home, as I feel like the biggest asshole in front of Maverik’s brothers. There’s one thing about the Slatter brothers, and that fact is they protect each other at all costs.
“Ella, knock it off.” Merek cuts me off. “You’re fine.”
Marvel pulls me up and I do my best to keep Maverik balanced up right as I’m lifted to my feet.
“I should’ve never come home. I’m sorry. I’m just so fucking sorry. As soon as my mother is buried, I’ll be gone.”
I don’t wait for a reaction as I sprint from the parking lot, darting across the road back to my motel. A startling horn honks, and when I look up, I realize that I darted right out in front of a car. My head can’t hit the pillow fast enough.
The musty smell and buzzing lights flooding the tiny room don’t faze me a bit. I reach for the orange bottle of painkillers and take a handful of them while silently thanking my best friend back at home for giving them to me. She knew I’d need them to survive this trip. Maverik’s young face flashes before me, then his older more handsome features do, but before I pass out, I see the Maverik who is in pain and living in hell because of me.
10
Maverik
“ W ake up .” Freezing water splashes in my face and then there’s a kick to the right side of my ribs. The pain ripping through my head is too much to take. I roll over and clench my eyes shut, gripping for my head.
“Maverik Maddox Slatter, get your ass up now.”
Granddad’s voice rings clear in my throbbing head, and I do everything I can to muster enough energy to sit up against a hay bale. I pull down my straw hat and grumble back at him.
“What in the hell are you doing, son?”
He waits for me to answer but only a few more painful moans escape.
“I’ve watched you destroy your life year by year since Ella left town, and I’m done. She’s back in town and needs support. You going to be a coward or step it up?”
“I love her. I’ve never stopped loving her. I want all of her and can’t control myself around her. It’s just like she walked out of my life yesterday.” I let my hat slide to the ground and grip my temples. “I don’t want her to leave but don’t know how to let myself love her again.”
“Maverik, look at me.”
The silence in the barn is deafening as I pick at the straw coating my jeans. It’s more painful than my throbbing headache and dry mouth.
“Look at me,
“This is all my fault, Maverik. What have I done to you?” My thumb circles on his cheek. “I love you so much. I had to leave town so many years ago because of reasons out of my control. I wish I could just tell you, but I can’t.”
I drop my forehead to his and feel the lowest I’ve ever felt in my life. That one night so many years ago ruined so many lives, and I let it all happen.
“Ella?”
I turn to see a female figure standing before me in the dark.
“Yeah.”
“I’m Challis, Merek’s wife. He’s inside settling whatever Maverik got into and then will be right out.”
“Okay.” I nod, nervous she heard too much.
“I’ll go pull the truck up to load the huge lug.”
“Thank you.”
“Hey, Ella.”
“Yeah.”
“I’m sorry about all of this and your mom. Just know this has been hell on Maverik too.”
I drop my head to bury my face, even though the dark is masking it enough. “I should’ve never come back to town.”
“I’m going to kick his damn ass.” The sound of stomping and gravel being kicked up takes over the awkward conversation.
Two dark figures stand before me, and even in the middle of night, I recognize Maverik’s two younger brothers, Marvel and Merek.
“Ella.” Merek nods in my direction as Marvel extends his hand to help me up from the gravel.
“I, uh, I.” My voice is shakier than it has been these last few days home, as I feel like the biggest asshole in front of Maverik’s brothers. There’s one thing about the Slatter brothers, and that fact is they protect each other at all costs.
“Ella, knock it off.” Merek cuts me off. “You’re fine.”
Marvel pulls me up and I do my best to keep Maverik balanced up right as I’m lifted to my feet.
“I should’ve never come home. I’m sorry. I’m just so fucking sorry. As soon as my mother is buried, I’ll be gone.”
I don’t wait for a reaction as I sprint from the parking lot, darting across the road back to my motel. A startling horn honks, and when I look up, I realize that I darted right out in front of a car. My head can’t hit the pillow fast enough.
The musty smell and buzzing lights flooding the tiny room don’t faze me a bit. I reach for the orange bottle of painkillers and take a handful of them while silently thanking my best friend back at home for giving them to me. She knew I’d need them to survive this trip. Maverik’s young face flashes before me, then his older more handsome features do, but before I pass out, I see the Maverik who is in pain and living in hell because of me.
10
Maverik
“ W ake up .” Freezing water splashes in my face and then there’s a kick to the right side of my ribs. The pain ripping through my head is too much to take. I roll over and clench my eyes shut, gripping for my head.
“Maverik Maddox Slatter, get your ass up now.”
Granddad’s voice rings clear in my throbbing head, and I do everything I can to muster enough energy to sit up against a hay bale. I pull down my straw hat and grumble back at him.
“What in the hell are you doing, son?”
He waits for me to answer but only a few more painful moans escape.
“I’ve watched you destroy your life year by year since Ella left town, and I’m done. She’s back in town and needs support. You going to be a coward or step it up?”
“I love her. I’ve never stopped loving her. I want all of her and can’t control myself around her. It’s just like she walked out of my life yesterday.” I let my hat slide to the ground and grip my temples. “I don’t want her to leave but don’t know how to let myself love her again.”
“Maverik, look at me.”
The silence in the barn is deafening as I pick at the straw coating my jeans. It’s more painful than my throbbing headache and dry mouth.
“Look at me,
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