Broken Souls

Chapter 21 - Bailey

I woke up and noticed the other side of the bed was empty. When I checked the time, it was 10:00 am. I got out of bed and headed to the bathroom to take a shower and put on some proper clothes. After what happened last night, I decided I wouldn't be leaving the house today. Instead, I planned to relax and read my book. I'm not sure what the guys have planned for the day, but I need some time to clear my thoughts.

I finished up in the bathroom and stepped out to get dressed. As I exited, I accidentally bumped into Logan, who, to my shock, was shirtless, showing off everything. And oh my God, this man could make me fall apart, his toned body on display damn. Staring at him like the i***t I am, he pulled my attention back to his face, "you can always take a photo?" Feeling a blush creeping up, I ignored him and walked past to get dressed. He chuckled at my awkwardness, putting on my underwear. I glanced back at him, "Can you please leave? I want to get dressed." He tilted his head. "Why? It’s not like I haven’t seen you naked." Looking down, I hesitated but decided to speak. "I know, it’s just... I-I don’t like the scars. They’re a constant reminder of what happened, and I don’t want you to see them, even though you have once. It still doesn’t make it any easier." Still avoiding eye contact and feeling ashamed, he walked towards me. Placing his fingers under my chin, lifting my head so I could look at him. "Never hide from me. Do you know what I think when I see your scars?" Looking into his eyes, I shook my head, feeling a lump in my throat. "That you my sweet Angel has been to hell and came back a warrior, and that makes you f*****g incredible." Moving his hands to where I was gripping the towel, he pulled it away, making it drop. "You are perfect, and your body is going to drive me insane," he whispered in my ear, making a shiver run down my spine.

He didn't do anything more, which I appreciated; he simply kept his hands on my waist. "Get dressed, and I'll be waiting for you with a cup of coffee." I smiled at him, "You really know the way to my heart." He gave me a kiss and walked out the door.

I walked out holding my book and saw Logan sitting on the couch watching TV. I sat down and casually draped my legs over him. We sat there in silence as I read my book until the guys burst into the room, diverting my attention. "Are you coming with us?" Justin asked with a smile. "Go where?" tilting my head at him.

"It's Sunday, and we usually go on rides," shaking my head since I've never ridden on a bike and find it too dangerous. "You guys go have fun; I'll stay here finishing this book. And honestly, I don’t think hopping on a death machine is a great idea."

They all got dressed in their gear, and Logan walked up to me, looking incredibly breathtaking. “Are you going to be okay?”. Rolling my eyes at him, “Seriously, the worst that could happen is me stubbing my toe. Go and enjoy yourself.” He still looked worried. “Stop stressing so much. I’ll be right here on the couch when you get back, I promise.” He stared at me for a moment. “Okay, I’m going against my better judgment here, but under no circumstances do you leave the house.” I assured him I’d stay inside, and he relaxed his shoulders a bit.

Once they were ready, he kissed me goodbye, and they left, with the sound of him locking the door behind them. I got up to make more coffee and grabbed a blanket. After settling back on the couch with my book, I began to feel sleepy after a few hours and decided to close my eyes for a short nap.

I’m not sure how long I’d been asleep, but when I woke up, it was dark outside. Seeing that they still hadn’t returned, I sent Logan a message:

“Hey, are you still okay? It’s late and you’re not back yet.”

After 20 minutes without a reply, I began pacing back and forth, feeling a strange sense of worry, something I haven’t felt for someone else—something I hadn't experienced in five years. The last time I felt this way was on the day my parents died. As panic surged through me, the front door opened, and they all walked in. Overcome by a sudden surge of anger, I started screaming at them, leaving them stunned and rooted to the spot. Before any of them could respond, I turned and walked to the room slamming door behind me.

I was sitting on the bed with my legs crossed when I heard a knock at the door. I didn’t respond, not wanting to engage with anyone. Logan opened the door and poked his head in, “Angel, is it safe to come in?” I looked down to my hands in my lap, “It’s your room, so I don’t see why you’re knocking.” I’m sure he could hear the annoyance in my voice.

He walked in, inhaling a deep breath, and sat down on the bed in front of me. "Can you please look at me?". I lifted my gaze to him. "I’m sorry, we didn’t mean to upset you or make you worry. I only saw your message when we got back. Can you forgive me?" He offered a small smile, and I felt awful for having yelled at them.

"I’m sorry for raising my voice at all of you; I shouldn't have reacted that way." As tears began to stream down my face, he gently wiped them away with his thumb. "I just panicked. I've never felt like this, not after my parents died, I never had to worry about anyone or anything other than just surviving. I didn't intend to lose my temper."

I glanced at him and noticed the sadness in his eyes. “I like your wild side, and I promise I won’t do that again. I’ll make you a promise: whenever we go on rides and you’re not with me, I’ll update you at least every hour. We can also use a tracking app on our phones so you can feel more comfortable. How does that sound?”

"Would you do that for me?" pulling me into a hug. I wrapped my arms around him tightly, "I’d do anything for you." We sat together in silence for a while, "I should go and apologize to the guys."

We got up and went into the living room to join everyone. I apologized, and they accepted my apology and offered their own. I realize that it's usually just the four of them, but just as they care about me, I care about them too.

Brian and I made dinner, and we all gathered at the dining table eating and chatting. After the meal, I cleaned up afterwards and joined them. And we decided to put a movie on. Once the movie was over, we headed to the bedroom. It was really hot, so I decided to sleep in hotpants and a t-shirt. Just as I pulled the shirt over my head, Logan came out of the bathroom and froze. "God, Angel, do you know what you are doing to me.?" I laughed and climbed onto the bed, gesturing for him to join me. I couldn’t take my eyes off him—his body was perfect, and those tattoos were mesmerizing .

I laid my head on his chest, holding him close. “Oh, I wanted to ask you about something. What did you mean the other day when you said Julian wasn’t the only one worried about his balls?” I burst into laughter just thinking about his reaction and the poor cashier—I'm sure she’ll never be the same again. “Well, when I was about to pay for my clothes, Julian gave the cashier a card. I threatened him that I’d kick him in the balls if he didn’t take it back, but he informed me it was your’s. So technically, I should be threatening you instead.” He couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of what I’d just said.

We were lying in a comfortable silence which felt so peaceful, "So, tell me something no one knows about you." I was caught off guard. “Are you serious?" Like I said, I want to know everything about you," he said asif it was nothing. "Well, I don’t have any secrets. My life has been pretty ordinary. I’m 26 years old, grew up in Florida, went to a decent school, and had loving parents who were both lawyers with busy schedules but always made time for me. I had one boyfriend when I was fourteen, but it only lasted about three months. My education was always my priority, so I ended it. My only friends were books—I spent hours in the library reading. The only thing no one knows is just something that never happened."

“What do you mean?” he asked, unsure how to explain. I assumed he must have encountered this situation often. “I’ve never had s*x,” I confessed. His face showed shock, as if I had just disclosed a major secret. “I simply never had an interest in it, and by the time I was ready, life took its course, and here we are.” I told him like it was nothing, “So, are you saying you’re a virgin?”

I shrugged nonchalantly and nodded. “Is that strange?” I asked, beginning to feel insecure about my lack of life experience. “It’s not strange, I was just surprised, that’s all.”