Something warm tickles my neck and I immediately jerk in my sleep, my body coming to. I blink through my haze while I wonder what woke me up and take a moment to squint at my surroundings. I'm in my room and...I'm not alone. One soft inhale and the scent of lavender tells me that Del is with me. I glance down and find her face all but shoved in my neck while she takes deep, even breaths. Her arm is thrown over my torso and her leg is tangled with mine. She probably would have ended up on top of me if it wasn't for her mostly large belly that's keeping the distance. My lips quirk up as I sift a hand through her soft hair, the blonde locks sliding over my fingers. I didn't mean to fall asleep—I was just supposed to keep her company until she did. But I guess I got a little too comfortable and passed out with her. No wonder I had the best fucking sleep of my life last night. Every goddamn thing is better with her.

The sound of somebody clearing their throat snaps my attention to where it came from. Dad stands at the door of my bedroom, sipping on a cup of something and watching us curiously. Even with his lips at the rim, I can make out his smirk. I roll my eyes but don't move, not wanting to wake up Del.

"Yeah?" I whisper.

"Somebody took my advice a little too seriously." He teases in an equally quiet voice.

"At least she's not engaged and I'm not kissing her every chance I get."

He chokes on his drink and the sound causes Delilah to stir. I shush her softly and continue massaging her scalp until she mumbles something incoherent and goes lax again. I throw a glare at my dad who's snickering and not at all offended by what I said.

"You're an ass, Nate." He turns around and throws over his shoulder, "And breakfast is ready."

He shuts the door quietly behind him. I stretch my arms above my head, groaning quietly when I feel the pull and tug of my stiff muscles. Maybe I can convince Delilah to give me a massage too. Not that I'm complaining. I think I enjoyed last night's massage more than she did. Being able to roam my hands over her body while she leaned into me and occasionally made quiet sounds of pleasure...

Fuck. Now I'm hard.

I lift myself up on my elbows and slowly slide out from underneath her, careful not to wake her up. That doesn't go as planned though because her eyes blink open just as I sit up and reach for the blanket that's bunched at my waist. I watch her over my shoulder as she blinks some more at her surroundings, her eyes darting from my furniture to the ceiling and then finally me. I smile at her when her brows come together and she slowly inspects the state of the bed. She lifts up the blanket and peeks underneath it at herself and I laugh softly at the obvious relief on her face when she realizes she's still dressed.

"Hey." She rasps in her morning voice and it's even sexier than her regular voice. "We...um...slept together?"

"Yeah." I use my hand to smooth back the hair from her face. She blushes slightly and rubs the sleep out of her eyes, looking a little self-conscious. I'm not sure why. Even first thing in the morning she's fucking beautiful. "I fell asleep by accident. I hope that's okay."

"Of course, it's your bed." She gestures an arm at it and blushes some more. My lips twitch—that it is.

"I'm going to take a shower before I head downstairs. Breakfast is ready so feel free to pop by once you're dressed."

"Okay." She sits up and stretches her arms, tilting her head from side to side.

"How're your shoulders feeling?"

"Pain-free." She smiles in that way that always hypnotizes me. "Thank you once again."

"I got you." I tell her truthfully. "Meet you downstairs?"

She nods and I give her one last smile before stepping off the bed and leaving the room. Already I can hear Lexie and Mia screaming at each other—another argument over someone stealing someone else's clothes or some shit—and I roll my eyes, walking down the hall to Aria's room. I go directly to the bathroom which is actually bigger than the one in my room and strip down, leaving the door open. No one comes in here anyways. I slide open the glass doors that block off the shower space from the rest of the bathroom and shut it behind me, turning on the shower. The scalding hot water beats down on my back and I groan in pleasure. Even though I slept like a fucking baby last night, the angle I slept in had my back twisting the wrong way.

It doesn't take me long to get through the shower. Thankfully I have spare body wash and shampoo in here so I don't have to use Aria's fruity shit. In probably less than ten minutes, I'm showered and turn the water off. I'm shaking out the water in my hair when I hear footsteps close by and wonder if someone is in here. I look over my shoulder, my back to the glass doors that are fogged up, and squint so I can see who it is.

And burst out laughing when I meet Delilah's gaping expression. Her eyes are wide and pinned to my bare ass—unmoving. She blinks like she's trying to understand what she's looking at.

"See something you like?" I tease in a low voice. Her eyes snap back up to mine and red quickly spreads from one cheek to the other as she blushes profusely at having been caught.

"I'm so sorry!" She blurts. Her eyes dart back down and up again so quick I might have missed it if I wasn't already looking at her. "Your mom said she has old maternity clothes in Aria's walk-in closet. I thought this was..."

Those eyes drop down again and I chuckle. Part of me wants to turn around and let her have a look at the real star of the show, the one that's now immensely hard and standing high against my stomach, but I don't want to scare my innocent Angel away. "It's the door next to this one."

"Okay. Thank you." She visibly swallows. "Just, uh, let me know when you're done here or I'll ass. Ask!" She squeezes her eyes shut. "Jesus. Bye."

I'm still laughing when she runs out of the bathroom and closes the door behind her. Fuck, this girl is something else. So freaking innocent and sexy.

I'm smiling to myself the whole time I get ready. When I've dried myself off and gotten into a change of clothes, I'm still grinning as I leave Aria's room and head downstairs. That was one hell of a way to start my morning and I sure as fuck could get used to it.

"Morning." I call out to everyone in the kitchen. My entire family and Del already have plates of breakfast with them and are conversing with one another. They greet me back and I can't stop the little smirk when I meet Del's eyes. She winces a little, eyes dropping to below my waist before darting away like she was imagining what she saw in the shower. That makes me way too pleased and is probably why I walk right up to her, reaching around her to turn on the coffee maker and purposely letting my chest brush against her back. She flicks her gaze over her shoulder to mine and narrows her eyes. My grin is innocent as ever.

"Sit beside me, Delilah!" Harmony hollers and waves an arm as if she isn't just three steps away.

Del smiles in amusement and follows orders, sitting on the stool next to her. I pour a cup of coffee for myself and lean my hip against the counter, watching as Eleanor hesitantly takes the empty seat next to Del who rubs her back in reassurance to let her know it's okay. Eleanor visibly relaxes and starts talking about some other book series that Del is familiar with.

"She's good with them." Mom points out quietly from beside me. I nod, unable to take my eyes off her. Mia interrupts the conversation between them to ask Delilah if they can go shopping together one day only to be cut off by Lexie who says Del would rather hang out with someone closer to her age—like her. Mom laughs softly and places her hand on my arm. "Clearly you brought home a favourite."

"No kidding." My smile is hidden behind the rim of my cup as I take a sip.

"Told you we like her better than you." Dad adds and joins Mom and I. He slings an arm around me, which is easy for him to do since we're both the same height. "You did good, son."

"Damn right." I say proudly and watch Delilah interact with my sisters like she's done it a hundred times before. She fits so perfectly, like she belongs, and that creates something primal in me.

Breakfast goes by way too fast and I find myself constantly checking the clock in dread that she has to leave soon. I fucking wish she would spend another night or something. Even though we're neighbours and I see her all the time it's not the same as being in her presence and space. I feel like a pussy at how upset I feel when she lets me know she has to head out in a few minutes as we help Mom clear the kitchen. When the hell did I become this guy?

"Ready to go?" I ask her reluctantly when we're done.

"Yeah." She smiles at me as she closes the dishwasher. "Let me call my Mom."

"I'm taking you home." I tell her and my voice leaves no room for argument.

"Nate." She frowns.

"I gotta go to Fighter's Den to train anyways. I'll take you on my way there."

"You sure?"

"You know I am."

"Alright. Thank you." She points to the living room where my family is seated and talking amongst themselves. "Let me just say bye to them and then we can go?"

I nod, watching her make her way to them and giving them hugs one by one. It's obvious they're all sad about her leaving as they tell her to come again soon and to stay for a longer time. The entire thing makes me smile and wish more than anything that Aria could be here too and meet her. Despite that, it's still a pretty fucking great moment. I remind myself of that the entire time I drive her home, stealing glances whenever I can that I commit to memory, and hope like hell that the day I get her all to myself will be sooner than later.

***

"What's that smile for?"

"Hmm?" I look up from the wraps I'm winding around my hand to find Asher's suspicious gaze on me. "Nothing."

"What a fucking liar. You think I don't know you?" He punches my arm lightly. "Spit it out, Hunter."

"Nothing." I insist. "Just...Del spent the night."

His brows go up. "Yeah? You guys fuck?"

"No, asshole. She's pregnant."

"You kiss her?"

"Nope."

"Okay. You lost me." He shakes his head. "What exactly are you so happy about then?"

I shrug. "I don't know. Just getting to spend the night with her, having her sleep next to me...it was nice."

He blinks at me. "Still lost."

I laugh under my breath and clap his shoulder. "You'll understand when you meet your one."

His nose scrunches. "That shit your dad told us when we were teenagers?"

"Yeah. Except it's not shit and now I know what he was talking about."

"Count me out, man. You know I've never been in love." He averts his gaze, his voice stiff. My brows close in on each other. Why the hell is he acting so weird?

"Your folks miss you, by the way. I talked to them for a bit this morning before I left." I tell him and he tosses me a small smile.

"Been meaning to visit. I'll go back home with you next weekend."

I hesitate from saying what I really want to but I know I can't keep this from him, even if it'll probably fucking kill him. "They said another letter came."

The smile slips off his face and his shoulders go rigid. A muscle ticks in his jaw and he looks away from me so that I can't see his face. "Whatever."

"Ash." I sigh and join him on the floor. "You got to do something about it."

"Like what? Respond?" He scoffs. "I don't got a damn thing to say, Hunter."

"I know that. I've known you nearly your whole goddamn life." I snap. "But this can't keep up. How do you know it'll only be letters, huh? You telling me that you haven't thought about the fact that they might just show up one day?"

"They won't." He insists through gritted teeth.

"You willing to take that risk? What happens when your folks are home by themselves and they show up then? You wanna play that gamble?"

"Alright, I get it!" He finally looks at me and his eyes are as angry as they are desperate. He swallows, tugging at his hair. "Fuck. I can't ignore them but I can't answer, either. What if I walk right into their shit and this is what they want?"

"I know." I rub a hand on the back of my neck, feeling tense with worry. "Maybe...maybe your folks should move. So that they're safe."

"I've been thinking about that, too." He curses under his breath. "They love that fucking house, Nate. They grew up in it since they were college students. I don't want to fuck their life up. They already sacrificed everything for me when I'm not even—"

"Don't say it." I warn. "Don't fucking say that shit. I hate it as much as they do. You know who you are. Stop letting those assholes get in your head."

"You're right." He mumbles. "Maybe I can try getting information like last time. Kept them away for a few years."

"Maybe. But if they find out it was you..."

"Yeah." I don't have to finish the sentence. He gets it. He curses again. "I thought I was done with this shit for good."

"I'm sorry, brother." I squeeze his shoulder, not knowing what else to say. "Want to attempt to kick my ass and get your mind off it?"

"Attempt?" He mimics and his grin relieves me. "I think you're forgetting who the better fighter here is."

"Then put your dukes up, Pryce."

I'm more than relieved when Asher immediately gets to his feet and in fighting stance. I know he needs this more than I do, especially right now. If I was in his shoes I wouldn't want to think about anything else either.

I don't know how long we spar for but I'm fucking spent by the time we call it quits. Asher and I are nothing more than a heap of sweaty bodies on the floor of the gym when Coach and the rest of the gang make an appearance. I give a half-hearted wave, still breathing too hard to form words. Asher doesn't even bother opening his eyes.

"Whose ass got kicked?" Jax asks with a snicker.

I point to Ash and Ash points to me. That just makes Jaxon laugh even harder.

"You're a dumbass, Hunter." Coach stops by my feet and kicks my leg. "We train in ten minutes and look at you. You know better than to push yourself beyond a warm up."

"My fault, Coach." Asher sits up. "I wanted to get my mind off some things so we ended up sparring longer than we were supposed to."

"You good?" Cameron asks, reaching an arm out to him and pulling him up. Wolfe does the same for me and I thank him with a clap to his back once I'm on my feet.

"'Course." Asher shrugs but I know better. Whatever I told him is going to lead to a lot of sleepless nights until he figures out what to do. Poor fucking guy.

"Actually, training can wait. I have to discuss something with you guys first." Coach tips his head. "Let's go to my office."

When he leads the way without another word, all five of us exchange wary looks. The last time we were all called into Coach's office at the same time was when we came back to Fighter's Den shit-faced after a night out and damaged a good portion of the equipment doing God knows what. The only sober one had been Wolfe and he couldn't handle the remaining four alone so he tagged along to make sure we wouldn't get ourselves killed. In hindsight, Coach's verbal and physical ass-kicking the next day was just as bad as if we had gotten ourselves killed so it's no wonder we're all hesitant about what this is about.

"Let's go." He barks when none of us move.

Slowly and almost guiltily, we shuffle our feet and follow him.

"Who knows what this is about?" Cameron whispers.

"You probably did something." Jax mumbles back. Cameron's jaw drops.

"Why me?" He hisses.

"Because its always you, Cam."

"That's not true, Mr. Almost-got-caught-fucking-Emily-in-the-locker-room. Again."

"Shut the fuck up!" Jaxon hisses back. He darts his eyes nervously towards Coach who still has his back to us. "Coach may be my father-in-law now but he'll kill me if he finds out. And he'll enjoy it."

"Would you two relax?" Asher interrupts with a harsh whisper. "Stop acting guilty for no reason. You're psyching us all out."

"You're right." Cameron concedes. "It's probably about Nate."

"The fuck?" I scowl. "I didn't do shit!"

"Well, you're the one he's training and spending most of his time with. Who knows what you did?"

"I will strangle you, West."

"Whatever." He grins. "Maybe it's Wolfe. I bet the big guy said something he wasn't supposed to."

I choke on thin air at the obvious jab and the rest of the guys follow suit, sniggering into their fists. Wolfe is unamused and calm as ever as he wraps both of his bulky arms around Cameron in a headlock that could easily break someone's neck.

"I'm sorry! Don't hurt me!" Cameron smacks his hands at Wolfe's forearms in an attempt to break free but it's useless. Wolfe is easily the strongest out of all of us despite being the youngest. When he tightens his arms even more, Cameron is just short of wheezing. "You know I love you, man. At least let me marry my girl before you kill me."

Wolfe loosens his hold so suddenly that Cameron is unprepared and his weight propels forward, causing him to run into Jaxon who barely manages to catch him in time. He scowls when Cameron bats his lashes at him. "Thanks for saving me, handsome."

"You should have killed him." Jaxon's dry remark is directed at Wolfe, whose lip quirks up about a millimeter in amusement.

"What the hell is going on back there?" Coach turns around and we all straighten up, a poster image of innocence. He rolls his eyes, knowing we're anything but, and opens the door to his office before ushering us inside.

Coach takes the seat behind his desk while the rest of us stand, somewhat tense, and wait for him to elaborate. He eyes each of us curiously like he's making a mental note of something before clasping his hands on the desk.

Then he looks straight at Jaxon. "I don't know if I ever told you this but Samuel was my favourite student."

Jaxon jerks, obviously not expecting the name of his late brother to come up. He visibly swallows and his eyes become dim with grief. My heart goes out to the guy. I can't imagine losing any of my sisters and not going out of my fucking mind.

"What's he got to do with this?" His voice is hoarse—accusing.

"I tried not to play favourites but it was obvious to all my younger students." Coach continues instead of answering the question. "When he died, I was miserable. Tried not to let it affect me but he was an impressionable little kid. I couldn't forget him if I tried."

Jaxon curses under his breath and lowers his body into one of the chairs. His hands are trembling and he's biting the inside of his cheek. The rest of us don't say a word as our friend obviously tries to keep himself from crying.

"I was upset enough that I cancelled youth training entirely. I didn't want to get close to another kid only to lose him. I stuck to the adult division—you five—and have stopped accepting students since. Even you fuckers have become important enough to me that if something happened to one of you, it might just be my breaking point."

The silence is deafening. It's obvious by the look on our faces that this is the last thing we expected. We don't say a word as Coach stares down at his hands, lost in thought. I still don't know where he's going with this.