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Chapter Eighteen
Logan doesn’t stay long,just overnight and then heads back with Dean. Both Liv and Beth are a disaster when they go, but they’re holding it together, not wanting to upset the other women who haven’t had a chance to see their guys.
“Do you think he’s okay?” Piper asks for the seventh time. She’s taking the news about Jem being hurt hard and has been twitchy all morning. From the bags under her eyes, she didn’t get much sleep last night either.
“Logan said he was,” Sofia tells her, her voice soft. “If Lo said he was then he is.”
We’ve all gathered in the common room this morning, taking over the corner of the room that has unofficially become ours. All the girls are here, while Mum decided to spend her morning with Sammy’s gran, Jeanne, in her room, taking care of the little ones.
Charlie is, I notice, sitting at the bar with King, his attention sliding in our direction every so often.
“Jem will be fine,”I sign, offering a smile of reassurance. I’m not sure if Piper can understand me yet, though I know she’s having BSL lessons with Liv, Paige, Cami and Chloe. She must do, because she gives me a thin smile. I’m also not sure if I believe my words. My brothers have been known to lie to us in the past to stop us fretting over things.
“I can’t stop worrying about him.”
Paige reaches over Chloe to grab Piper’s hand. “He’ll be fine, honey. Try not to worry.” She nibbles at her bottom lip, which gives away how concerned she herself is.
Piper fiddles absently with the handle of her coffee mug, an almost haunted look in her brown eyes.
“I know it’s dangerous,” she says, “but I wish we were there with them. I hate being so far away.”
A murmur of ascent goes around the table. I agree with it too. I hate not knowing if everyone is okay.
Silence descends for a moment, while everyone stays locked in their own thoughts, their own fears. The air feels charged, thick with an unnatural tension that seems to leech any happiness out of the air.
“In other news,” Sofia says, breaking through the stalemate and silence, “I heard a rumour that my dear older sister has been claimed by Dane Lock.”
My mouth goes dry at her words and irritation flares through me that she wants to do this with an audience. Then again, I’m surprised it’s been kept secret this long. Probably, my only saving grace was the fact it was Liv and Beth who found out and neither of them are massive gossips. If Jamie and Sammy had found out first, everyone would have known in a matter of minutes.
“You’re with Dane?” Jamie demands.
“When did this happen?” Sammy questions.
Voices assault me and I can barely hear what everyone is asking of me. I put a hand up and everyone silences.
“One at a time,” I sign and Sofia translates. I glance at my sister. “Yes, I’ve been claimed by Dane.”
Sammy gasps at my revelation. “What the fuck, woman?”
“How do you get claimed by a hot guy and fail to mention it to anyone?” Jamie huffs.
How about because it’s no one’s business…
I don’t sign this, even though I think it.
“Things happened so fast,” I sign, and this is not a lie. Things between us have moved at warp speed, faster than any relationship I’ve ever been in before. “There wasn’t time to sit and update everyone.”
“How long have you two been an item?” Cami asks.
Inwardly, I cringe. This is not a question I want to answer, but it’s better to just get things out in the open.
“Since November—at Beth’s wedding.” I stick with the story Dane has perpetuated. It’s true anyway.
Gasps of surprise go around the table. It feels good to finally offload this all onto someone, even if it is a group of someones. All eyes are pinned to me as I sign. It’s a weird feeling, being the centre of attention. I wouldn’t say I’m usually on the sidelines, but I’m not ever the source of gossip. I’m not sure I’m entirely comfortable with it.
“You sneaky bitch,” Sammy says around a grin. “I would never have guessed you and Mr Hot Stuff were hooking up.”
“How did you keep that a secret for so long with this nosey bunch?” Piper lifts her coffee mug and takes a small sip.
