Page 50 of Forged By Shadows
“You…How…Meg!” I come to my senses and throw myself at my best friend. She catches me in a crushing hug. My heart breaks then, as her telltale vanilla and honey shampoo clears my mind and I realize just how much I’ve missed my best friend. How much I’ve needed her. It suddenly makes sense that it wasn’t the manor I was feeling so heartbroken about not seeing - it was her. Meg is home to me. Standing back, I take in her cute pumpkin skater dress and the suitcase on the bed beyond her shoulder. “How the hell did you get here?!”
“I got the call last night to say our fall break plans have been relocated, and I was flown in this morning.” Linking our arms, she walks us inside the room. It’s huge, infused with deep purples and golds, complete with the promised balcony and more than big enough for the two of us to share. I look back to the hallway but Huxley has already disappeared. “Apparently, you’re not allowed to isolate yourself from the world anymore. You need company at all times.”
“Huxley said that?” I smirk to myself, dropping onto the bed. Meg stays standing, her face incredulous.
“No, Wyatt did.”
Chapter Thirty Five
Ismile at Meg for the hundredth time as we get ready for dinner. I still can’t believe she’s here at Huxley’s home. Hell, I can’t believe I’m really here. A uniformed butler brought my bags up to our room a while ago, and not just the one from the plane. Apparently, while we were in the air, Huxley had his driver heading in the opposite direction to pack up our belongings from Waversea and bring them here.
“I couldn’t pass up the chance to join in this crazy adventure you’ve got yourself on.” I try to hide my smirk but her hold on my hair doesn’t give me anywhere to go. I’m sitting at the vanity table in the expansive en-suite bathroom as Meg braids my hair down the back of my head and over my shoulder.
I’ve caught Meg up on most of what I’ve been up to lately. The ball, the note for Mr. XO, my awkward dinner with Nixon and the sex club. Divulging anything non-emotional and non-confusing is easy. It’s the rest I’m struggling to put into words. I wouldn’t even know how to explain that I drunkenly invaded Wyatt’s hotel room and hugged him. Meg would think I’ve lost my damn mind, and I’d be inclined to agree.
“You’re oddly quiet,” Meg raises a brow. “Before we head down, it would be helpful to know where your head is at. Spill the tea, Aves. Is Huxley officially your new man?” We share a knowing, mischievous look.
“Well, I mean, they’re all holding my attention. It would be detrimental to select just one,” I bite down on my bottom lip and my cheeks flame for the second time today. Meg’s hands still, her blue eyes flying to mine in the mirror.
“Slut!” She grins wide. “I love this new you. You’re so confident.”
“For the record, none of this was orchestrated by me. It’s all on them. They seem sort of obsessed with sharing me. Except for Wyatt, obviously.”
“Obviously,” Meg echoes. I drop my gaze to my lap. The more I think about Wyatt, the more blurred the lines become. My memory is tricking me, creating emotions and seeing expressions that weren’t there. I never thought I would prefer him hating me for the sake of it. It was safer that way, but at least Meg is here now to keep me from doing anything stupid.
Finishing my braid with hairspray to keep the fly-aways in place, I join Meg by the door in a pair of dark, skinny jeans. There was much debate on what we should wear to dinner, and settled on causal. Up top, I have a simple white t-shirt beneath a pale pink blazer. Meg opted for a black jumpsuit. Then sparked the shoe debate and ultimately, I’m not ready to be slip-sliding around in bed socks. Pushing my feet into a pair of ankle-boots in the same blush pink, we make our way to the bottom level. I can hear Garrett’s laugh and decide if I follow that, I’ll either find the kitchen or the dining room.
Everyone is already seated when we approach the vast mahogany table. Despite the six other chairs down the far end, the guys have all opted to sit close together. A space has been left either side of Huxley at the head of the table. I automatically walk to the one between him and Dax, putting Wyatt out of my eyeline on Dax’s other side. Meg sits beside Axel with Garrett on the end. He’s the only one already eating.
“Wine?” Huxley offers. I nod, basking in his relaxed smile. The ends of his blond hair are curled more than usual, as if he’s taken the time to dry and style it. A black t-shirt hugs his chest and biceps, the swirl of black ink dancing across his arms. Even his breathing seems more focused than I remember, a steady rise and fall of his chest distracting me from the menu being placed in my hands. He’s so at ease here, not a care in the world as he asks the butler to fill my glass. A true King of his castle.
“A menu?” Meg snorts, peering at me over hers. “Is this a home or a five star restaurant?” Huxley’s brown eyes slide from me to Meg, a hint of amusement in his half-shrug.
“I don’t stay here often so I called in a chef to feed us for the next week. He brought his own team and a whole range of menus.”
“Thank fuck for disgustingly rich friends,” Garrett says around a mouthful of soup and bread. A few murmured laughs sound around the table, one radiating from Huxley himself. Everyone falls into a comfortable silence to glance over the food choices, but I can’t stop myself from frowning behind the laminated card. If we weren’t here, would Huxley be sitting alone? Is that why he doesn’t stay here often and prefers to spend his time at Waversea?
Once we’ve placed our orders with a pretty, young waitress dressed in black and white, Meg decides one glass of wine is enough to start voicing every question she has burning inside.
“So, the Shadowed Souls, huh?” She says to no one in particular. “What makes each one of you worthy of the ink and title?” I gasp at Meg’s audacity and kick her beneath the table.
“Megan! You can’t ask that outright!”
“Maybe you can’t,” she rolls her eyes and crosses her arms. “I don’t think anyone really cares what I do and as the only member of your chosen family present, it’s my job to vet these guys out. See who’s worthy of you.”
“Can’t argue with that,” Dax tilts his head towards me. I can’t share his smile, my eyebrows are too busy pinching together.
“You really don’t have to indulge her,” I warn. A large, warm hand slides over my thigh in an effort to reassure me it’s okay. Dax turns his attention to Meg.
“I was raised by the most incredible woman, but I don’t have a single memory where she wasn’t sick. Everything we had went on her healthcare, and ultimately her funeral. I already had my scholarship before she passed, and Wyatt pulled some strings for me to board at the school rather than be lost in the care system. He’s been covering any shortfalls in my funding ever since so I can stay at Waversea.”
My breath is held in my chest, my jaw beginning to ache as I hold back the desire to cry. I didn’t know any of that, but words are useless when everyone is present. Instead, I place my hand on Dax’s beneath the table. He automatically links our fingers. Even when his heart is bleeding, Dax refuses to let his small smile drop away. Meg thanks Dax for his honesty, and turns her eyes on Huxley. He huffs a laugh, widening his legs to touch my knee.
“I became emancipated from my parents when I discovered they were stealing from me.” My eyebrows hit my hairline and after a moment of surprise, Huxley seems to remember I’ve been rather sheltered. “I was a child model and played a few small parts in various shows and movies.” Further down the table, Garrett coughs the word ‘modest’ into his fist. Huxley ignores him again, keeping his attention on me.
“Anyway, I won this residence in court since it was my money that paid for it. Wyatt helped me along the way, lent me your family lawyer when I didn’t have access to my own. Without him, I would have been stonewalled every step of the way.”
I barely have time to register as the other two chip in their stories in quick succession, starting with Axel.
