The Damaged (The Insiders Trilogy #2) - Tijan by Tijan

I pulled her back into my arms for another hug.

At that time, Marie came through the door, along with my mother. Both were carrying bags and wheeling luggage in.

I didn’t question any of it.

I didn’t question why Marie was back, what brought her back. I would, just not now.

I didn’t question why they were bringing in the bags. I never thought to. And then Marie was coming toward me with a fierce expression set on her face. Her mouth was firm, determined, and I was bracing myself.

She grabbed my shoulders and jerked me to her.

My face reared back, or it would’ve been right in her bosom.

She held tight and I felt her nod against my head. “I’ve missed you. You been gone too long. It’s ridiculous.”

I looked over her shoulder, saw my mother fighting a grin, and hugged Marie back. As soon as my arms closed around her, her whole body shuddered, and she held on for another beat before shuffling back. She sniffed and almost threw her arm up, wiping the back of her arm over her eye. “You have stuff to work out. You work it out with your family. Got it?”

I was grinning.

Same Marie.

“Got it.”

She clipped her head in another nod before turning and yanking Matt to her, too.

It was a whole repeat, almost verbatim, but they faded as my mom came to stand in front of me. She’d lost some weight since I saw her last. That wasn’t good. And there were bags under her eyes. And the spark, her feisty spark, wasn’t there. It was, but it was less. It had faded.

So, very not good.

I noted all that, said not a word, and she tugged me to her for a hug, just one that wasn’t as tight as Marie’s.

She whispered in my ear, “Payton didn’t come. Martha thought, if anyone got a picture, she looks too much like Quinn. It’d set off a whole new round of tabloid gossip and theory.”

Ooh. That was brilliant.

I stepped back. “Good thing Peter has that publicist on retainer, huh?”

Chrissy grinned back, but like everything else I noted, the usual spunk wasn’t there.

My heart took a dive.

This wasn’t good, so very not good.

I hesitated, but then started. “Mom—”

Another arrival swept inside, and when I say “swept,” I mean he really did sweep.

Peter came in, loaded to the teeth with bags. He had bags on his shoulders, on his arms, a strap was hanging from his actual teeth. And he was shoving two large bags forward with his legs.

Matt snorted before going to help his dad.

Chrissy sighed. It was faint, but I heard it, and she moved to my side, keeping an arm around my back.

I’d missed my mom’s public displays of affection. I’d forgotten how a hug from her made the morning dread go away, or a cuddle on the couch settled me in my belly.

Though now her body was aligned next to mine, her head to my shoulder, and I was pretty sure I was giving her all those effects right now. She seemed to be settling, and her arm got heavier around my waist as the guys finished bringing in the bags, then stopped and hugged each other. It wasn’t a man hug. It was a full hug.

Well.

The flare that was normally in my mom seemed to have moved.

Peter’s face was lit up.

Like Seraphina, I’d never seen my father more alive and healthy and happy. A bright, wide smile. His teeth seemed more blinding, matching the whites in his eyes as they were dancing, too, and scanning the room. He found me. His face melted, warming, and in two steps he was across the room to me. He caught me up, pulling me from my mom, and his hug was almost as strong as Marie’s. Almost. It was a close second.

He lifted me off my feet, shook me just a little, affectionately, and set me back down.

I heard Marie whisper in the back, “Dios mío.”

“You and Matt being here, calling for a family trip. Best idea ever.”

Wow.

He was beaming at me, literally beaming.

He made a face, pulled me back, and his hand smoothed down my hair. He bent his head and whispered to me, “You’re looking a lot better than the last time I saw you.”

I convulsed at this, my arms jerking, and I was hugging him back just as hard as he was holding me.

“I was so worried about you that day, and Kash came in.” He tipped his head back so he could see me better. “I thought I looked at Kashton as a son, but that day … that day he truly became a son to me. He put me in my place, because I was so worried, but he didn’t do it to be mean. He did it because I was getting in his way to getting to you. And Kash, as you’ve probably noticed by now, has no patience when it comes to anything getting between him and what he needs to do to take care of his loved ones. That boy—” He cursed softly, laughing lightly. “‘Boy.’ He’s not a boy anymore. That man loves you. I know I’ve messed up in the past and I’ve got a lot to make up for, going forward, but I couldn’t be as proud as I was in that hallway. I was terrified because my daughter was hurting, but I was also proud, and just filled with so much love. All the crap I’ve done in the past, one thing I gave you was him. I shouldn’t take the credit, but I’m going to.” He framed my face with his hands. “I love you, Bailey. I need to say it more often, something I’m doing with the others, too.”

Okay.

Kash.

That was another something I was going to tackle later, when he was here. Then I would know what I was supposed to be feeling. Right now, I wasn’t so sure. But that wasn’t for the here and now between Peter and me.