"You're nothing short of my everything." – Ralph Block
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Chapter 68
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Maggie

"Norris," I heard a call from my side, followed up with, "Wake up, baby."

Just as I started to stir, I felt a set of familiar kisses being pressed to my face. The same lips continued on until they ended against mine.

Slowly, my eyes parted to the best sight of my life. Luke's handsome face was in my view, fingers lightly stroking over my cheek.

A small smile trailed over his lips at me. "Sleep good, Norris?"

"Mhm." I rubbed at my eyes with the back of my hand. "How long was I out for?"

"Three or four hours," he answered, craning his neck to kiss my forehead. Against the skin, he chuckled, teasing, "With those snores of yours, it's a miracle I didn't crash the car, angel. Damn near gave me a heart attack with the first one."

My gaze slid into a glare. "Stop lying."

He snickered, his expression full of humor. "Wish I was." I could read right through his bullshit. "I thought we had a flat or some shit when I heard them."

As soon as I tried to shift, I was stopped by the thick blanket sitting on top of me. I noticed that there was a pillow behind my head, as well.

I had drifted off minutes into the ride. The blanket and pillow weren't there when I first went to sleep, so I knew that Luke had stopped somewhere to grab it all from the trunk and placed it on me himself.

The thought placed my heart in his fist. Instead of words, I undid my seatbelt to get to him. As soon as I was close enough, I wrapped him in a hug.

Luke accepted it, immediately, stroking the back of my head. "What was this for?"

I shrugged, shutting my eyes to embrace the ripples of bliss. Being in his arms was the most homely thing in the world to me. "Just for being mine."

Chuckling, he kissed the corner of my neck he was in. As soon as we separated, he was getting out, then going to the trunk to get our bags.

As I turned my gaze forward, every other sense faded into the background, leaving only my astonishment. The mountain house was just as breathtaking as the pictures Luke had shown me.

The grand house stood amidst tall, flourishing trees that had clearly been carefully tended to over the years. They enveloped us like protective guardians against the outside world. Despite their towering presence, the snow-capped mountains loomed even higher, ensuring their dominance in the landscape.

From my vantage point, the Swiss Chalet house appeared to boast three floors, each one gracefully settled over the snowy wonderland. Beneath the rooftops, adorned with thick blankets of snow, the fine wooden craftsmanship shone through. The abundant, spotless, floor-to-ceiling windows offered a tantalizing view of the warm illumination within. The only stone elements were the chimney and the front steps.

At the entrance, two staircases faced each other, extending from the base to the top floor where they led to a sprawling wooden balcony. This wraparound balcony seemed to encircle the entire house without end. It was furnished with several comfortable pieces, large enough to accommodate all of us with ease.

Luke had said that the floors on the inside were heated, as well as there being a large, toasty fire-pit behind the house, which the girls and I were most excited for. We all planned on trying different types of s'mores, and other recipes, too.

There was also a skiing lodge nearby that we all planned on trying. I didn't even know how to ski, but I'd figure it out, injuries or not. I didn't plan on just sitting inside of the house the entire time, and the girls didn't, either.

Luke came to my side with the bags behind him. As soon as he had my door pulled open, he helped me out. Butterflies roared in my stomach as he kissed the side of my head.

"Don't slap me for saying this, but I can't help myself," he teased, kissing me on the lips this time. "You always look cute as shit when you just woke up, Norris, you know that?"

My skin flushed red, but I passed it off with an eye roll. "Are you trying to bribe me, Luke?"

Chuckling, his blue eyes shone back at me as if I were the most special thing they ever laid eyes on. "Just me being honest as can be." His gaze softened over. "I didn't even think it was possible, but I honestly end up falling for you even more, every single time I get another glimpse of you, baby." At the crimson in my cheeks, he flashed a grin, then turned to face the house as if he hadn't toyed with my ability to just breathe. "Come on, angel. Let's go check it out."

I edged past my thickened mush of blood to nod. The anticipation rode right into my line of excitement.

I glanced around the spacious driveway first, which only our car was parked in. "Where's everyone else?"

"Raven and Levi are gonna be a few minutes behind, because Raven got hungry," he told me, "Kade and Kimberly are still at the grocery store. I've already sent them a list of your favorites for when you want snacks and shit like that."

My heart thumped in awe at him. How dare he say he fell a bit more for me every single day when he literally made me question whether my heart was in the right chest or not? With the way he had it reacting, it might as well take up a full-time residence in his.

With a smile, I snatched my suitcase from his grip. "Thank you."

When he recognized that I wasn't giving the suitcase back, he kept his scowl intact. With an arm around my waist, he led us toward the entrance, where a beautiful brown, round-top door stood as the entryway.

Kade and Kimberly's bags were already by the entrance, and Kimberly's amount made me less conscious about my own. 

Luckily, one of them had already lit the fireplace inside. The warmth blasted against my skin in the best way possible, and with the low temperature in the mountains, I was more than accepting of it.

"Which floor do you want?"

I stepped forward to get a full view of the inside. "Second. Is that okay with you, too?"

Luke rolled his eyes. "You know I'll go with anything you want, Norris."

"Second floor, then." I laughed, softly. "We'll wait until the others get here to decide."

I carefully observed the interior, struggling not to be overwhelmed by its beauty.

The glistening brown floors held several inviting furniture pieces. At the heart of the spacious room, four sleek walnut-brown sofas were arranged closely, creating a cozy seating area. Taupe armchairs and two matching accent chairs were strategically placed between the sofas, all of them facing a large flat-screen TV mounted on the wall.

In the center of this ensemble sat a substantial dark brown coffee table, adorned only with a remote and wooden coasters. Below it, a soft beige wool carpet promised a delightful sensation underfoot.

Along the wall that separated the living area from the kitchen, a magnificent brick fireplace stretched all the way up to the high ceilings, casting a warm and inviting glow. Crowning this picturesque scene was a crystal chandelier, its brilliant lights enhancing the dazzle of everything below.

Luke chuckled at my enthusiasm at I headed toward the kitchen. I heard him call out a warning to be careful so that I wouldn't slip on the floors, but I paid him no mind.

Turns out, he was right. As soon as I slid into the kitchen, I had to grasp the wall to stop from busting my ass open on the floors.

"What did I tell you, Norris?" I heard Luke's amused call from the other room.

With an eye roll, I ran my sight along this room just as I did all the others.

The kitchen had the same stunning marble flooring as the main room. In the center stood a large gray marble island, adorned with a bowl of fresh fruit and a card in elegant cursive handwriting. Around the island were matching stools with short backs and long, brown legs.

To the right, a stainless steel sink faced the dining table, just a few inches away from the dishwasher. On the left side of the island was a microwave and toaster on spotless counters, with a dark gray double-oven in between. Above them, dark brown cabinets hung, accompanied by a sleek silver refrigerator. They would all be empty until Kade and Kimberly get here, though.

"They're all pulling up, now," Luke called out. "I'm gonna go help them with the bags."

Just as I went to turn, a sharp, stabbing pain in my lower abdomen nearly crippled me in my spot.

A gasp tore from my lips at its second round, which was more painful than the last. It took my breath away. The pain was excruciating, but just as quick as it came, it left, too.

I swept a hand through my hair, using the other to stroke at the bottom of my stomach. "Shit." As blinding as the feeling was, I knew exactly what it was. There was no ignoring it, either.

I let out a sound between a groan and a sigh. I should have known better; the universe never let me have a good moment for too long. I had a couple of more days left to prepare, at most.

With another sigh, I remained in place for a minute longer. I needed a minute to breathe. Even though the pinnacle of the pain had ended, my limbs had nearly locked up at it.

Luckily, Luke had made it outside, already. I didn't want him to see this of me. I knew he'd be worried, and maybe even a little disgusted or revolted, but it was inevitable.

I pulled in a lasting breath through my nostrils, let it loose from my mouth. Repeat. Okay.

Straightening my back up, I let my hand fall from my stomach just as I heard the heights of conversation nearing the entrance of the house.

"This place is huge," I heard Raven express. Seconds later, Kimberly's voice was joining in until I heard their feet crossing the floors. Then, three more sets to follow.

Despite the past couple of minutes, I grinned in excitement. We were going to be here for nearly two weeks, together. I couldn't let anything ruin that.

Hurriedly, I rounded the corner of the kitchen, but once I did, I slammed right into someone else. Two someones, really.

Raven, Kimberly, and I swept back in shock, our groans mirroring the others. As soon as it set in, we all chuckled before embracing one another, safely this time.

"Ow," Kimberly hissed around a chuckle, leaning back from our hug. "Too tight."

Raven chuckled, despite her own grimace. Even though she was wearing a winter jacket, I knew her arm was still covered in bandages underneath. Luckily, she hadn't broken any bones in the accident, but from all of the glass, the cuts still hurt the both of them.

I tried to edge the guilt out, but I couldn't. It was impossible to even try.

They didn't catch the shortness in my attitude, thankfully. I had enough time to wipe it off with a smile.

Kimberly smiled back at me, flicking a hand over her shoulder. "Kade and I made sure to get everything you guys sent me. Jax texted some recipes over, too."

Raven nodded, excitement gleaming in her dark eyes. "We can start tomorrow, then." She turned her eyes toward the boys, who were bringing in the bags. "Levi and I stopped and got dinner. I didn't think anyone would feel like cooking after the long drive."

She was more than right.

All three of us walked back to the living room. The delectable aroma of pizza and wings cut through the air.

All three men's hands and arms were occupied with bags. As Kimberly claimed, they bought a lot of groceries. It would definitely be needed, though.

Levi swept past us to shut the door, despite Kade still being outside. As soon as he came back, he passed by Kimberly and I with swift side hugs. "What's up, ladies?"

He sent a sweet smile in our direction. "How are you two feeling?"

Once Kimberly answered, I followed up.

Returning his smile, I accepted his hug before stepping back. "I'm fine. Just a couple of headaches here and there."

A frown drooped his lips. "Shit, well if you need—"

"What?" Luke nearly knocked Levi down as he swept in front of me. Levi glared at Luke's backside, grumbling out a curse. I wasn't even sure how he moved this quick, considering he was just in the kitchen. "You're having headaches? Why didn't you tell me?"

I chuckled, biting back the cuteness of his concern. "I didn't mean right now."

A frown sunk his lips. "Are you sure?" A hand grazed the back of my head, and he placed the other other to my forehead. His jittery eyes swept over to the side. "Kimberly, come here and feel her forehead for me, please. The shit feels warm, doesn't it?" Kimberly bit back her humor, glancing up at me with an understanding expression; I guess she was having the same trials with Kade.

Luke continued on, his face locked in tight with concern.  "Does it feel like you have a fever—"

"Luke." Laughing, I took his hand in mine and lowered it. "I promise I'm fine." To save the poor man a heart attack, I motioned toward the overflowing bags. "Let's just get the groceries put up and—"

"Fuck that," Levi snorted from the spot he was knocked into by Luke. "All three of you just got out of the hospital a couple days ago; we've got it."

Raven rolled her eyes, lifting herself up on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. "I'm only accepting because I hate putting groceries up." Sinking down onto the sofa, she waved a hand over him. "Have at it."

Luke watched me over for both any signs of pain, as well as an argument. As much as I wanted to give the second just to see his scowl, my episode in the kitchen had done a little number on me.

After pecking Luke's lips, I settled on one of the chairs across from Raven. Kimberly joined a second later, the exhaustion dawning on her face.

Doubling over to untie the string on her boots, she upturned her chin to Raven with a scowl. "I've never hated you as much as I do right now, Raven."

Raven started to undo her shoes, too. "What did I do?"

"Bought me these," she responded, motioning toward her boots that Raven had gotten us at the mall. They had retrieved them from the car, luckily.

Laughing, she neatly placed her shoes at the end of the couch. "I didn't force you to wear them, but if it makes it any better, they do look amazing."

"Agreed," came from me after a chuckle.

"You both are just amazing at cheering me up, you know that?"

With a scowl, she kicked them off, and nearly landed Kade in the head, who just walked in with the last of the groceries. Luckily, his reflexes were adequate, so he knew to dodge them. His glare whipped in the direction the shoe came from, but the moment he pieced it with Kimberly, it fell.

Kimberly winced at the near injury, crimson rising from her neck and on up. "Sorry." A corner of Kade's lips lifted as he walked over to us, accepting her apology with a kiss to the cheek.

Abruptly, his brown eyes flickered over to mine. His vapid expression remained the same, but by the thin line of his mouth and how easily his icy gaze sliced right into me, I assumed the same anger from the day of the car accident remained.

Instead of voicing it, he glanced down to Kimberly, who passed a look to him in return. At it, his lips rolled under the other before he raised himself up with an eye roll.

Instead of returning to my stare, he turned and walked to the kitchen, where Luke and Levi were arguing over the placement of the groceries.

Even though the words weren't said, they were still loud and clear. I rolled back the nausea building in my stomach, instead forcing my attention forward.

Kimberly caught my eye first. A sweet smile of reassurance followed up from her.

"I promise, these next couple of days are gonna be the best. We have so many activities to try." She placed an arm on top of the couch, propping her head with a hand. "Hopefully, the boys can let off some steam with some of them."

Raven nodded in agreement. Her hair was back in a ponytail, but some of the strands still grazed her face, anyway. "How about we make like a friend intervention between them or something?"

Kimberly glanced over her lap in thought. "Maybe, but I don't know. Kade's stubborn."

I sighed, lifting my body just enough to force my legs under me. "Luke, too."

"Levi can be the peacemaker."

Kimberly thought it over before shrugging. "It wouldn't hurt to twist some of the activities up."

My brows drew in on the other as I pondered the idea. "Like, leave them alone together a couple of times?"

"Only when the situation calls for it, but..." Tugging on her lip, she shook her head at herself. "I don't know, though. They know how their friendship works. As long as it doesn't turn physical again, then I say we let them figure it out. But, then again, that fight was crazy as heck."

Raven shrugged her jacket off, folding it in her lap while she nodded along, "Levi did say that he's never seen them fight like that, before. Like ever. Even though they fight all of the time, he said that it doesn't ever get too real because they don't want to actually hurt each other, but shit. They could have fooled me from what we saw."

My brows shot up in surprise. "Really?"

"Mhm," she hummed back, leaning into the sofa. A tentative thought passed over her face. "But he did mention that they all just usually go back to normal after a couple of days, so there's that. Could be a sign, I guess."

Kimberly shrugged in agreement. "So, we mind our business and let it run its course, then. I don't want to purposefully place Kade in a situation where things could get violent or in that headspace, either." I nodded in understanding; we all knew about his disorder. "They've fought each other a million times over. They've come back every single time too, so nothing about this time should be any different. They know their friendship better than anyone else, so it'll be fine." Raven nodded in agreement, and I did the same.

Though, Raven's confession only added to the stir of guilt brewing with every single thing that led up to this moment. As I had mentioned, I had never seen the men fight in that way before, until now. They never did, until now.

I knew it was because of me. I hated that it was.

Sighing to edge some of the shame out, I glanced over Kimberly and Raven. They were talking about the skiing lodge, completely oblivious to my stare. It wasn't until I called their names that they looked up.

My eyes fell to the wood in shame. "Guys...about what Kade said—"

"Hey, no," Kimberly cut me off with a shake of the head. "You don't have to tell us anything, Maggie. Kade was just scared and upset about me being hurt, but it doesn't excuse what—"

"He had a right to be upset."

"Maggie," Raven called out, softly. The understanding in her eyes contradicted my doubtful ones. "Don't go there. It wasn't your fault. Any of it." Kimberly picked up with a nod and, "Those men were just random psychos, okay? You couldn't have known that they would be there, or what could have happened. Don't blame yourself for whatever was wrong with them."

Raven sent an encouraging smile my way. "Exactly. Plus, we have these cool ass scars, now, too. I'm gonna tell people a shark tried to take a chunk out of me or something. And that those lost at sea, killer shark movies are based off of me, too."

Kimberly shot her an odd look, her face marked with humor. "Raven, hun, those scars aren't teeth marks."

"The ones on my tits look like it. When we were being pulled out of the car, some of the glass got me." Grinning, her eyes lit up with excitement despite the fact that she was nearly carved like a ham. "Wanna see? Here." Before we could answer, she was already reaching for the hem of her sweater before Kimberly and I stopped her.

We both laughed at her until I said, "Raven, you know I love you, but I'm gonna have to decline for the night." We all had practically seen the other naked before at girls night, but it would be weird as shit if one of the boys other than Levi walked in, and even with it just being him, too.

Kimberly chuckled, patting Raven's thigh when she begrudgingly lowered her shirt. "We'll take your word for it."

Just as Raven joined our laughter, I heard the shuffling in the kitchen finally grow quiet. We took that as the boys being finished with the groceries.

"Okay, so Maggie—I got you and Luke your own pizza with no sauce, and extra cheese," Raven rambled off, then motioned toward Kimberly. "I got yours with extra sauce, and meat. And, I made sure to get no sauce on your wings, but I brought a couple of cups, just in case because I know sometimes you like to—"

Kimberly and I swapped jocular looks, then placed either arms over her shoulder. Raven was real volatile at times, but she did it all with a good heart. In all honesty, she was the sweetest girl with a tender heart, who just goes after what she wants, even if it's the worst thing for her, sometimes.

Chuckling, I looked to her. "You gonna give me the marital papers now, too?" Kimberly joined me with a grin. "Go ahead and write my name down, too."

"What are we gonna tell the boys?" I raised my brow at them. "They might not take it too well."

As soon as we got into the kitchen, Raven was wrapping either arm over our waists, and dragging us to her sides.

With a silly grin, she called out, "The girls and I are leaving all of you for each other. Sorry."

All three men swept around with expressions full of shock.

Cocking a brow, Luke tilted his head at me, and it had my body moving toward his, already. "Is that right, Norris?"

"Mhm," I responded, walking to his side of the island, where he was already working on my plate of pizza. "Raven kisses better."

"Out of all of the shit I plan on asking you right now, this one's the first: how in the hell would you know that?" Once he placed another slice on my plate, his gaze turned into a humored glare, directed at Raven. "How does my girl know that, Raven?"

"How do you think?" I teased, pulling out one of the stools. I did the same to Kimberly to make it easy on her side. "Sadly, though, it was just a small peck."

"And, I've been smitten ever since," Raven finished, giggling as Levi tugged her to his side.

Levi shot a look to her, accompanied with humor. "Really?"

He was working on her plate of food too, but with his free hand, he grasped her waist, and with a tug, had her to his side. As soon as she was close enough, he craned his neck, and said something in her ear to leave her body flushed from the bottom up. When I saw her blink back at him, I knew she was completely disconnected from the original plan, and nothing but mush in his palm. Traitor.

Kade handed Kimberly, who had taken her seat beside me, a full plate and drink. As soon as she grabbed it from him with a smile of thanks, he maintained his hold on her hand, kissing the back.

"Were you in this cute little story of theirs, too, sweetheart?" he quipped, and she responded with a humored, "I wish."

Tipping his head at her, he nodded back with a smirk lifting the corners of his lips. A chuckle came from him before he nodded, again. "Make sure you remember this funny shit of yours later on, yeah?" At his intention, Kimberly's winter-pinched, pale cheeks went red before she lifted her drink to her lips for a distraction. Goner.

"Hold the fuck on," Levi remarked, balancing a look of confusion between Raven and I, and finally landing on me. "Are we gonna skip the fact that you kissed my girl?"

Luke flicked his head at him and Raven, chewing on his own slice of pizza from our box. "And, that yours kissed mine?"

"Don't worry. We were drunk, and you two weren't together, yet. Plus, it was just on the cheek, sadly." Forging a sigh of disappointment, I glanced to Raven, who matched it. "We could have been great, though, couldn't we?"

Her arm stretched over the surface of the kitchen island for mine. "I'll always think of you in all of the wrong ways, Maggie Norris." Levi scowled, tugging her arm back in then turning her to face only him, instead.

Luke rolled his eyes too, throwing the last of his pizza back. All three men ate like ravenous monsters, so it was good there was so much food.

Levi, who was eating straight from the pizza box, turned and leaned against the counter with a slice in hand. "Which floors do you all want? There's three of them, so we can all get our own. Take your pick."

Kade answered, immediately, "I don't want to be around some of you anymore than I have to so, third for us." Kimberly smacked his side, sending a look of scold to him, to which he rolled his eyes, and sat next to her with his own plate.

"Thank fuck for that," Luke snorted from my side. As soon as it echoed through the kitchen, I turned to him with startled eyes.

Kade paused on his food, raising his glare to Luke as he placed his slice back down. "What was that?"

Luke chuckled, stretching his neck to meet Kade's warning filled eyes. "You heard what the fuck I said; I never mumble shit." Shrugging, he added in a voice that was strung with foreseeable threats, "Either take it like the bitch I know you are, or do something about it." Shit.

My shocked eyes swept over Luke. "Stop—"

Kade chuckled, already scooting his stool out from the island. "Mhm." A humored grin remained in place at Luke's insults. "You already know that I don't do this talking shit for too long, Luke. Say it with your chest this time, and we can handle it."

"Not again," Levi groaned around his pizza, an annoyed tone following through his interruption, "You ignorant sons of bitches. We literally haven't even been here for an hour, yet. Just hold the fuck on and we can—"

Luke chuckled, again, too enticed in his conversation with Kade. "And, you already know that I'm not like those pussies in town who are too scared to smack that disrespectful ass mouth of yours back into place." To the speed of lightning, his hand wrapped around my stool, pulling me out of the way to avoid the fight that was surely about to break out. "I don't give a fuck about a last name, or shit else you have attached to you, Ryder. You know I never have. Even with it, you can still get your ass beat all the same. On any day, and at anytime."

Kade's head dipped his head with a chuckle. He did the same action to Kimberly, scooting her chair back until she was safe and out of harms way. "You gonna be the one to do that, Luke?"

"Already have," Luke shrugged. "I know I got you good in the head, but don't let that shit and a couple of days apart have you thinking another round will change that." Chuckling, he leaned back in his stool, and added, "There's not enough hallucinations in the world to have you thinking that you could beat my ass, man."

Kade placed his napkin down with a single nod. His hand fell from Kimberly's, and I saw that familiar edge from the day of the fight follow up on his face.

"Come show me, then," he suggested, calmly, despite the words being everything but that.

"How about we show each other a nice Disney movie or two, instead?" Levi cut in, an annoyed undertone to his words as he glanced between the two, who ignored him. "Lilo & Stich, The Little Mermaid, The Incredibles. There's a whole damn list Walter left for us to kill the violence with." Waving his hands between the two glaring boys, he attempted, "The Lion King might be what's best for you two right now, though."

Luke chuckled again, flicking his head at the exit, then at Kade. "Let's do it, then."

I shook my head, immediately, already yanking him back by the arm. His glower remained attached to Kade's, despite me trying to pull him back into his seat. "No, Luke—"

Luckily, Kimberly came in when I needed her. Sweeping an arm over Kade's waist, she tugged him back into her until he was stuck. A smile streamed between all four of us that contradicted his cool glare. "We'll be taking the third floor, thanks. The view's gonna be beautiful from up there." A hand went to Kade's clenched fist until she slowly managed to pry them apart, and lower them into her lap.

I nodded at her appreciatively, then turned my head to Luke, who had gone back to eating like normal. My hiss was low, "What the hell was that, Luke?"

"A conversation."

"What happened to being cordial?"

His jaw hardened around a bite before he shrugged. "Guess it all went to shit when the fucker tried to be a smart ass, and thought I wouldn't respond to it."

That was bullshit; 'smartass' was both of the boy's middle names. "Luke." His angry eyes lifted to mine. "You said that you'd be peaceful, and cordial, remember? You swore."

His eyes roamed mine, and he caught onto the desperation I was giving out. I could feel the very urge leaking from him to follow up on his threat to Kade, but he rolled it back at me. Sighing, he gave a brusquely version of a nod, then went back to eating.

Luckily, I caught back up to the current conversations just as Raven looked to me. She was standing in between Levi's legs, light eyes on me. "Which floor do you and Luke want?"

I glanced to Luke, who shrugged. "Second for us."

"We'll take the ground, then," Levi decided with a nod, earning a grin from Raven and a, "Thank god. I didn't want to say anything, but I wanted to be closer to the food, honestly."

Kimberly and I chortled; we should have known. The girl loved her snacks more than anyone.

Everyone went back to their own conversations, but my mind was so fuzzed, I could barely join. When Luke wrapped his free arm over my shoulder, I nearly missed it until I heard the deep rumble of his voice in my ear.

"I know I shouldn't have lost my temper, or initiated an argument. I'm sorry." When I leaned back to get a view of him, his gaze was lined with his honesty. His eyes dipped with a roar of a storm to follow before he met me, again. "Honestly, it's taking everything in me to stop from swinging on the fucker right now, but for you, I promise I won't. And if it makes you happy, I'll try my fucking hardest to be cordial, too. I may suck at it, but I'll pretend I don't for you."

I nodded to confirm it, and offered a middle finger. "Swear?"

Instead of questioning it, he shrugged and grasped it with his own finger, nodding. "I swear."

A kiss came to my cheek until the skin was warm. When I tried to go for his lips, he tipped his chin to me.

"Unless my memory's a little fucked, I think I remember you saying that I don't kiss too good, Norris," he teased, bumping into my shoulder.

"It was just circumstance," I offered, lifting the lid from my cup of ranch. "Think about it this way: whose arms will I be in tonight?"

Luke chuckled at my claim, but took it, anyway. His fingers went to my chin, tilting my head up until he had me.

As soon as we clashed eyes, our lips did the same.

It was small, but enough. More than enough to send a ripple of electricity from the ground up right through me.

Once we pulled back, I was in a daze of bliss. Through it, I caught a smirk lining his lips. "Change your mind, Norris?"

With a sigh, I broke out of my state long enough to grumble out, "You're better."

***

When I was torn out of my sleep, I realized what for. A pain that seemed to paralyze my body into place shot right through me.

In the bedroom, the lights were off, but Luke had plugged in my nightlight, so I could see just as fine. Luke was asleep, and I was tucked into his chest, an arm on my burning waist, and his chin settled on top of my head.

After everyone finished their food, we all said our good nights, then went to our floors for sleep. Luke and I took a shower together, then watched a bit of television before he pulled me into his arms and we fell asleep.

Now, though. I was awake and it was for a reason. A distressing one.That same ache escalated until I thought my abdomen would burst from the pain. Fuck.

After removing Luke's arm, I raised myself from the bed to the rate of a beginner snail. When my feet grazed the soft carpet positioned beneath our bed, I forced myself to glance down to the sheets I was on.

Double fuck. A small, red stain was on my side of the bed. It was small, but still noticeable.

I palmed my forehead, cursing myself and Mother Nature, who was just as cruel as all else.

My mind raced for a solution. I obviously wasn't getting back in, but I didn't want to have to wake Luke out of his sleep, either—

Another spike of pain shot through me like a blade. It grasped every inch of my body until my eyes stung from it.

"Maggie?" was croaked from my side in a confused manner.

My glistening eyes snapped up at the rumble of Luke's voice. A hand ran over his tired eyes, leaving behind a look of confusion. It fell when he caught sight of my distraught figure.

Immediately, he flipped the blanket off of him, and jumped out of bed. In a matter of seconds, he was standing in front of me.

"What's wrong?" His eyes ran me over for sight of a physical injury, but when he didn't receive it, the concern had only grown.

I sighed in defeat, but this time, the next cramp happened so abruptly that my legs did crumble. Before I hit the ground, though, Luke was catching me.

I blew out a trembly breath for support as I held onto him for dear life. Luke was in my line of sight, worry sketched over his features.

Either hand stroked up my shaky arms. "Maggie, baby, tell me what's wrong. Please." His eyes darkened as he observed my silence and I over. A big hand cradled the back of my head, stroking the gentlest pattern through my hair. "Is it your head?"

I tried to shake it, but it seemed too impossible. All I could muster was a faint smile. "No, no, it's—" Before I could finish, Luke was crouching, lifting me, then leading us back to the bed, before I stopped him with,"Wait."

A mixture of confusion and frustration claimed his face. "What is it?"

"I can't," I forced out.

Luke frowned, grazing my cheek with bruised knuckles. The contact was the richest feeling, and it remained there while his gaze softened with it. "Angel, you're hurt."

"I know, but..." I pushed out a sigh, glaring my frustrations into the ceiling. "There's blood on the bed."

"What?" His gaze went stark with panic, something that would have amused me any other time."You're bleeding?" His arms gentled around my figure as he searched me over. "Where? What happened?"

The ache in my tummy made it impossible to wash in my amusement. "Not in that way."

His brows closed in on the other in confusion, then it morphed into deep concentration. His eyes darted over my figure, back to the bed, then repeated.

When it hit, his brows shot up to his hairline in realization. "Oh."

My face darkened. Not at the period, of course, but because of its extent and what would follow from mine. I didn't want him to have to worry about me or miss out on the activities the group had planned because of me.

My eyes touched the bed, again. "I bled through, too. I'm sorry, I thought I had a couple of more—"

"Hey," he stopped me with a kiss to the head. "Fuck no." He shook his head, the understanding gleaming in his eyes. "Don't ever think you have to apologize to me about this, Norris."

Walking us over to the bed, he placed me down beside it. When he turned around, I asked, "What are you doing?"

Quickly, he made his way over to our dresser, which we had thankfully filled, already, and pulled out a new pair of pajamas, as well as a pair of comfortable underwear for me.

He placed them to my side, then returned to me. The concern remained in his expression, but the softness topped all else.

Stretching his hand out, the pad of his thumb grazed my cheek as he cupped it. "Are you okay?"

I smiled and nodded in appreciation, then went to the bathroom in search for products. I already knew it was a losing game since, even if the room did have them, they probably weren't the brand that worked for my flow, if there were any at all.

"I'm sorry," I repeated again, making my words loud enough for Luke to hear. A moment later, his footsteps closed in on the bathroom. "I didn't mean to wake you up or for you to see this."

"Norris, baby, no," he called out softly. Through the crack of the door, I saw him shake his head. "You don't have shit to apologize for, or to feel ashamed about, especially this. It's natural. I just want you to tell me if I can do anything to make it easier on you, yeah?"

My heart skipped a beat at him, my smile heavy as I motioned him closer. "Okay." When I returned to my searching, I heard Luke step inside the bathroom. "What are you doing?"

I sighed when I came up short; of fucking course. "I need a specific pad."

"Why?"

When he heard himself, he grimaced, offering me an apologetic look. "I'm sorry. That was rude, and I sounded like an ass. I don't know much other than the obvious, though."

I laughed. "You're fine, I promise." I turned to face him with a defeated sigh. "After everything that happened, my body doesn't give me regular periods. My cycles are irregular too, so sometimes they'll be months or just a couple of weeks apart. The last time I had it was around a year or so ago, but when it does hit, the pain is..." I paused, before asking, "Have you ever heard of endometriosis?"

Luke shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest, his expression deepened with concentration and concern for me. I had never seen him so focused and serious before, and it was an adorably funny sight to me.

"It's a secondary dysmenorrhea," I explained to him. "Regular period cramps are like an ache, but with endometriosis, they can be unbearable. It gets bad, so bad that sometimes I can't even get out of bed, or do anything, really." Luke's head slowly bobbed as he processed the information, his concentrated gaze drilling into the floors. "Whenever I do have my period, though, the extra pain lasts for about a day, usually, then goes back to mild cramps. During the first twenty-four hours though, I get these terrible, excruciating pains through my body that feel like I'm being stabbed a million times over through my—"

Through another cramp, my words came back to knock me off my ass. I grasped the sink for support, nearly breaking the skin off of my lip as I pressed them together, humming through the pain.

"Shit, baby." Luke moved to my side, stroking a warm hand up my back. "Come here." Gently, he kissed the side of my head, and if I weren't so wrapped in the ache, I would have had a chance to melt even deeper into the contact.

This one lasted an extra minute, but the breathing techniques my doctor taught me, as well as being in Luke's arms with his kisses were a help. Once I had a good enough grasp of it, my lips trembled around a tough sigh.

"I have an extra strong blood flow," I explained to a patiently waiting Luke. By the fixed stare of attention he wore, it looked as if he were adding all of this to a list in his mind, which I appreciated. "That's why I need a certain type of pad, but I didn't expect it, so I didn't bring any with me." I palmed my heated forehead, glancing out of the bathroom door. "Kimberly and Raven always carry their own with them, though. They won't have the ones I need, but it's better than nothing, so I'll go ask."

Luke passed me a look of disbelief. "Nah, fuck that." He shook his head, dropping his hand from my back. "Hold on."

At my nod, he left the bathroom before appearing in front of me, again. Except this time, his phone was in his hand.

He handed it to me. "Write down what you need, and I'll go into town to get it."

"What?" I exclaimed, glancing down to the phone, where his notes app was open. "Luke, the nearest store is an hour away—"

"I don't give two shits if it's half a country away, Maggie. If you need it, then you know you'll always get it." Flicking his head at the phone, he demanded with a tone that wouldn't allow an argument to disarm it, "Type."

I glanced over the time, which told me it was four in the morning, now. "Are you sure?" My gaze softened at him. "You really don't have to. I promise I can use what the girls have, then just go into town for mine tomorrow."

"I want to, I promise." He grasped my hand, his lips grazing the back until the spot was electric. "I don't want you to have to sit here for too long, so I promise I'II make the drive quick. Go ahead."

My chest warmed at him with all things at once. I had been scared to show him this part of me, but just like all of the others, he had taken it with nothing, but care and acceptance of every part of me.

Once I finished, Luke read over the list with a quick eye, then nodded to himself, slipping his phone back into his pocket. With a gentle hand, he scooted me out of the way with a grip to my waist, and stepped toward the bathtub.

I tilted my head. "What are you doing?"

Turning the handles of the bathtub, his forehead creased with attentiveness as he ran a hand through the waters. "Running you a hot bath to help relax your muscles a bit."

I nearly wept at the thought. A hot bath sounded like heaven, despite the time. Heat helped me with the pain everytime, even if it wasn't a lot.

While my bath ran, I undressed and neatly folded my clothes, then sat it down in the corner until I could discard of them.

Luke flicked his head at me, then my clothes. "I'll do it, baby. I'm gonna go take care of the sheets too, okay?"

My emotions turned as I nodded, kissing his cheek. "Thank you."

While he was gone, I continued to test the bath out, which I couldn't wait to get into. Soon after, I heard Luke shuffling around the bedroom to get dressed before returning to me.

A soft look padded over his expression as he approached me. "Are you okay, beautiful?"

I nodded. "The bath is definitely going to help." I smiled as he leaned in to kiss my forehead, one hand holding me to him by the back of my head. Against it, he mumbled, "I'll make it quick, yeah?"

The sweetest, most thickest feeling trimmed through my blood the longer he was near. "Thank you so much, Luke."

"Don't thank me, angel." He nodded at the bubble bath, then turned back to me with a smile that I could watch flourish for days on end. "Stay in there for as long as you want, okay? Just relax, and I'II take care of the rest."

My gaze softened, and his melted at the heat from mine. I tugged him closer by his shirt, and kissed him as if it would be our last. I tried to pass the message of gratefulness through it, but nothing could truly measure up.

With one last long kiss, he was off. I stared after his spot with a lingering smile before the pain knocked me back into reality.

To my best ability, I sunk into the bath until my body was fully emerged. The water wasn't scolding, but it definitely wasn't chilly or too warm, either. It was perfect.

With a relived sigh, I stretched my limbs over the spacious bathtub. The hot water stroked and tended to my strained muscles, helping provide a momentarily sense of relief. It was enough to slowly, but surely help ease the cramps that would carry on for the rest of the night, into a dull ache.

My heart skipped a beat at the reminder of Luke, just in general. Without a request, he was willing to do everything to ensure my comfort and contentment. His care and concern was adorable, and one of the most selfless things I'd ever encountered. I knew he wouldn't accept it, but I would pay him back, someway.

Kimberly and Raven were aware of my condition, and they knew I'd need the day to myself with the pain, so I'd send Luke out tomorrow to alarm them of my absence for the day. Knowing him, though, he would probably try to stay with me all day, which was more than fine with me.

Usually, I hated people and anything involving them and anything else on my first day of my period. That didn't involve Luke, though. I would gladly remain in his arms until I couldn't, and even longer than that.

A door clicked shut, and a rustle of bags and footsteps followed behind it. My head raised from the edge of the bathtub. That was quick.

The knock on the other side was intended to be gentle, but with Luke's hand size, it was impossible to actually achieve it.

As soon as I called to him, he walked in, then shut the door behind him. "I'm sorry it took so long, baby."

I nearly snorted at that; I had gotten lost in my thoughts, so I didn't know the time, but I knew he had definitely shortened it.

Slowly, I lifted myself from the tub, my smile warm. "You know you didn't have to knock."

With a shrug and a smile, he stepped closer to me. "Did the bath help any?"

Either of his hands held bags that were overflowing with items. Once he placed them against the wall, he turned to grab a towel for me, to which I thanked him.

"Mhm." I raised myself out of the tub, taking the hand he offered. "It was perfect."

As soon as I was out, he handed me the towel, then grabbed one of the bags. I nearly wept with joy at the pack of pads in his hands, a thought I'd never thought I'd be having until now.

Luke flicked his head at the pack. "I didn't think to ask this shit before I left, but I genuinely had no idea of how many to get, but I wanted to be safe, so..." he finished it off with a shrug, chuckling at himself. "You definitely won't run out anytime soon, that's for sure."

Amusement touched my smile. "How many did you get?"

"Nine or ten packs, I think." He passed me a skeptical look that was in search of a mistake he could have made. It made me giggle. "That was all the store carried."

"You did perfect, I swear." I laughed at the pink in his cheeks, passing by him with a kiss to the warming flesh. "I appreciate all of it."

When he stepped back outside to give me my privacy, I left a crack in the door to continue our conversation, "What else did you get?"

I heard him shuffling through the lot of bags. "I looked up some remedies that are supposed to help, and added it to your list," he said, earning a trembly heart from me. "I got you a heating pad, and some other things, though."

My smile softened over as I finished up. I wanted my hair down so that I could feel him stroking through it, but since it was wet, I tied it up, and stepped out of the bathroom.

Concern webbed his eyes up, making them darker. "How are you feeling? Are your cramps starting up, again?"

I shook my head with a promising smile to calm him. I could tell he wanted to ask more, but instead, he reached to the side of him for the glass of water, as well as ibuprofen and handed them over to me.

I downed them, and glanced over the rest of the bags. Oil, more packs of pads, and as he said, a heating pad.

"Kimberly was already awake, so I asked her to make you some tea while I was gone," he told me, flicking his head at the cup sitting to my side. "It's ginger. I read that it's supposed to help the cramps."

The blood in my ears thumped extra hard at the overwhelming emotions he was triggering. It was making me lightheaded, and even through the pain, I felt something in knowing he'd be here with me through it. That didn't just mean right now, either.

It was my life as a whole. Him just existing made the dark days the brightest of them all, now. Him being mine meant that I didn't even have bad days any longer. Not when I knew who I was coming home to.

I took the tea, a smile on. "Thank you, it's perfect." I reached over to squeeze his arm. "Just like you."

A sheepish smile formed in between his reddening cheeks, his eyes flickering over to mine. "You're one to talk, Norris."

I tried to fight my blush, but it was inevitable around him, as well as my smile. I took considerable sips of the delicious brew, watching over him as he plugged in the heating pad.

Once my tea was gone, I placed it back down, then picked up the bottle of oil. It was a rose-scented, massaging oil. "What's this for?"

Luke was in the bathroom now, placing my products away. "The websites said that massages help with your cramps a bit." As soon as he finished, he returned to me. "Here. Lay on your back."

I nearly threw myself back into the bed to accept his offer, but I knew he hadn't gotten more than three hours of sleep before he went into town. It wasn't all about me; I wanted him to be comfortable, too.

My eyes upturned to him. "Luke, love, you can go back to sleep, if you want. I promise I'll be fine."

"Fuck that." Luke shook his head, a stubborn crease in between his brows. "My first concern will always be you, angel. There's no way in hell that I'm letting you deal with this alone." His hand grazed mine before he entangled our fingers together. When his gaze caught mine, we formed a deep, tight connection that couldn't be broken. "We're a team, Maggie, you know that. In everything and against everything. I wanna help make this easier on you as much as I can, and I plan to."

"I know but..." Sighing, I raised my hand to stroke the lining of his jaw, my gaze softening as he leaned into it. "I don't want you to lose sleep over me."

The corner of his lips lifted into a smirk. "Angel, I've been losing sleep over you for nearly a whole fucking year, now. I'm sure I can handle another night." At my laugh, his smirk widened into a grin before it lessened back into a reassuring smile. "I'm not going to sleep until I know that you're as comfortable as possible first, okay?"

I rolled my eyes, but still seeped the same appreciation of him inside of me. I moved until my backside was pressed against the mattress, but when I settled in, the pain began to approach all over again.

Luke caught notice, and pursed his lips to stop from voicing his worry. He sunk down onto the bed until he was to my side, sweet eyes running me over until they ended on my shirt.

I didn't even realize he was asking for permission until he returned to my eyes, again. "Are you okay with—"

I nodded, immediately, my chest overtaken with heaviness at him. "Of course I am." We shared a quick kiss, and he lifted the hem of my shirt until my stomach was bare to him.

His fingers trailed the pattern of my scars, both emotionally and physically. Every touch left a trail of hot, impressionable sparks of deep affection in their wake, turning me into a weak, shaky excuse of mush.

Chuckling, he glanced up, stroking his free hand down my cheek. "I definitely won't be perfect at this shit, but I'll act like I am."

I grabbed his hand, and kisses the bruises along his knuckles. "I'll see perfection, either way."

I didn't just mean this, though, and I made sure to add that layer to my words. When he caught it, his eyes locked up a multitude of emotion, and went right alongside the others.

Opening the top of the oil, he poured a couple of drops into the palm of his hand. The heavenly, sweet scent hinted a honey-like, floral aroma that nearly put me to sleep, right here.

His big hands were gentle, yet firm and beneficial on my abdomen, running in circles until I was a puddle under them. Every time I would giggle from the ticklish feeling, Luke would laugh with me, then lean down to kiss me.

Slowly, he turned the touch into a knead that edged the pain right out. Rather it be from how good he was at it, or who the massage was from, I still loved all of it more than anything else in this world, other than Luke himself, of course.

I froze, and my mind did the same, before it broke out in the hottest of hives.

The realization of what I had just said in my head made my heart trip and tingle, but at the mix of sensations the moment was bringing, I couldn't concentrate too long on a single thing.

My eyes fluttered shut soon after, and my mind relaxed. Never in my life had I been able to get to sleep so quickly with my period on, let alone with this level of serenity to accompany it.

"Norris," Luke whispered out to me, the familiar tingle of his lips pressing against mine. "You doing okay, baby?"

I hummed out a woozy response that earned his laugh.

His lips marked my stomach in a kiss, and ever so often, I would feel them along my face, but with my dazed state, I wasn't too reliable for information.

By the time his hands paused, my body and mind alike had fallen into a dozy state. The oil's honeyed essence had given my mind a clear pathway for sleep, so instead of straying from it, I let it lead me down.

His lips ended against my forehead. "Sleep good, beautiful." A second later, he placed the toasty heating pad on my stomach, then trapped it in place with a warm, fuzzy blanket. "I'll be waiting right here when you wake up, angel."

I was a goner from then on out. All I recalled was the feeling of his gentle fingers stroking over my face, and the other ones through treading my hair, before sleep pulled me into its waiting arms.