Uncut (Unexpected Book 4) (45 page)

M
att’s legs bounce in wild motion, his hands drumming against his thighs. The speed and strength of his limbs make me stay away from him. I want to squeeze his knee to calm him. Perhaps give him a hug, but I opt to sit by his side while we wait for the doctor to update us on his grandma’s condition.

“Matthew James, stop,” AJ commands, making me jolt. The entire family is edgy. I wish I could do something for them, but like them, I wait. “You're driving everyone crazy.”

“Really, dude, air drumming is so last century.” Jacob walks toward us and takes a seat right next to his brother. “You're scaring your girl with all that nonsense. You’re scaring me, so can you keep it down? What happened to silence is golden?”

“That caged animal imitation is perfect, Mattie.” AJ rises from her seat and stands in front of us. “But keep it up and I'll throw you out of the window.”

I place an arm around Matt, kissing his arm. “Anything I can do to take away your stress?” He’s usually the laid-back one of the triplets—never stresses—or at least he covers it pretty well. Not today. “Ask and you shall receive,” I whisper.

Matt’s neck angles my way and a mischievous glint flashes in those playful blue eyes.

He opens his mouth when Chris says, “I hate hospitals. You three make them intolerable.”

I move my attention to where he and his husband sit. His bright eyes crinkle, amused as he watches his three children, then he diverts his attention to his husband. Gabe’s elbows rest on his legs, his head hangs on his hands. The man mirrors his son’s anguish. Chris traces circles on his back, easing the tension on his stiff spine. Without giving it a thought, I copy it and do the same with Matt.

“We complained when they were babies,” Chris comments using a light voice, I guess trying to distract his husband. “But they’re worse now. Mattie, walk out the nerves. You too, Jacob. That's why Matt’s all wired up; you’re too chatty. AJ, don't yell at your brothers, and head out with them to make sure they don't kill each other.”

The three frown as they watch their father. Chris gives them a stern glare and waits for them. Neither one moves, so he points at the door and raises his voice. “Now.”

“Dude, we’re not five,” Jacob complains as Matt pushes him lightly with his fist and they both laugh.

“I’m your father, and that’s how you’re behaving,” Chris retorts. “Gabe and Grandpa James need peace while they wait for the doctor to give us the good news that your grandma is out of surgery, and on her way to recovery.”

“Let's go,” I say, grabbing Matt by the arm. “We can find you something better to do.”

“Like the janitor’s closet,” he suggests close in my ear, making me shiver. “There are a few things that may relax me.”

“Twink, let’s go and find our own closet,” Jacob announces too loudly.

“You two are disgusting,” AJ complains, but she rushes through the doorway with Mason in hand. “Come on, Ten, you’re the expert. Let’s find something roomier than a closet.” The couple disappear too quickly through the stream of people walking down the street.

I have second thoughts about being outside the private waiting room. The noise, the crowd, and the lack of sleep hits me like an industrial hammer. Forget the closet, I have to search for a coffee shop, or go back to the cafeteria for some dark caffeinated liquid to bring me back to life.

“So, why is it that broody man didn’t join us?” Jacob doesn’t catch up with his sister, nor does he try to escape with his wife either.

“Work. He’s dealing with stuff.” Matt grips my hand too tightly. He’s pissed that Tristan chose his family over him. At ten, Tristan sent a text saying he couldn’t make it. There were other pressing matters. Matt didn’t say a word, but it did add to the tension in his back. His grandma’s health is more important than a board meeting. “Not everyone is like us that can take a day off and make it up on a Sunday morning.”

Jacob stares at his brother, then switches his scrutinizing gaze toward me. “I smell BS,” he sneers. “You know the ass forbids me to talk about his relationship with you in public. Not sure what the three of you are doing, but . . .” he pats Matt’s back, “I’m here if you need me, bro.”

I flash a plea to Pria. Matt can’t have this conversation right now. She nods.

“Car,” Pria proposes, taking his hand. “We brought your truck; how about the back of the cabin?”

Jacob grins, his face brightens, and he gives her that Decker smirk that only means trouble. “Oh, Twinkle, I knew you’d convert sooner or later, kinky girl.” He salutes us. “Please, don’t call if you need me.”

The truck, in plain daylight? “Are they for real?” I ask Matt as I see them fighting the crowd to get to the parking lot.

“No. Pria is too prudish for that.” Matt snakes his arm around my waist and kisses my neck. “That’s a way to ditch each other without saying much. I think that being in the same room waiting for some news was a bad idea. We all worry about her—Grandma. She’s the closest thing we have to a maternal figure. The reason why she favors us is because she really tried to be a mother. Never messed with my fathers’ parenting, but she added a lot.”

Matt’s lips stretch, his dimple shows, and he sighs. “She and Grandpa James took us to Disney World. All those trips you usually take with your parents were with my grandparents.”

This family is a fairy tale I want to belong to. I never met my grandparents. My father was in foster care, and my mother . . . she never speaks about her family. “Your grandparents are amazing. Grandma Janine is very special.”

I’ve come to care for them, but his grandma, I adore her. When I visit AJ and Gracie, sometimes Janine is there and she talks to me about Albany. Insists that we have to go there for Christmas so we can ice skate on the pond. Lucky for me, since this year she can’t travel because of the surgery, Mason, Matt, and Jacob are trying to find a way to recreate the pond in one of the empty lots that Matt owns.

“They are, and they like you a lot. Now tell me, Butterfly, what should we do for the next couple of hours?”

“Find a closet?” I release a big laugh as we encounter a coffee shop. The beauty of living in Seattle is that we have caffeine-induced drinks in almost every corner. “Or walk around. I’m all yours, after I have them inject some coffee directly to my veins.”

Since last Friday, I haven’t gotten much sleep, maybe a couple hours here and there. Matt wakes pretty easily and each time he has to teach me a new
loving
technique
. That’s how he calls sex these days. I’m not complaining, because the man knows his techniques and each time he makes me want more and more. But my body is starting to feel the effects of those lost hours of sleep.

Matt opens the door for me, whispering in my ear as I walk by him, “Are you tired, Butterfly?” I roll my eyes and walk to the cashier who by some miracle is alone. “You had the night all to yourself.”

A barely legal boy with midnight hair and green eyes smiles as he greets us, saving me from having to give him an explanation of why I’m tired and how I had no sleep at all. “Welcome to Paradise Coffee. What can I get you?”

“Double shot grande Americano for my lady,” Matt orders for me, giving me that I-know-everything-about-you grin. “An extra grande hot chocolate with extra whip for me.”

Matt pays, gives yet another bizarre name for the order, and leaves a generous tip inside the jar. Placing an arm around me, we walk toward the pick-up counter.

“Now are you going to tell me why you didn’t sleep?”

This should be easy to answer. Then why is it that my ears are buzzing with pressure and my face has heated so quickly? There’s a verbal agreement. We all know what our relationship entails. Do we really know? Maybe we should sit down and write a manual. At least a presentation with bullet points, so when we have moments like this, I don’t have to explain myself.

Matt’s mouth kisses my temple and it traces a line all the way down to my ear. “So you finally solved your intimacy issues with your boyfriend?” I squeeze my eyes, scrunch my nose, and nod. “Hallelujah. That poor boy needed some sex. Maybe he’ll be less moody when I give him a piece of my mind for leaving us hanging today.”

“I’m sorry, Mattie.” I turn my body and hear the click of a camera. The simple noise makes me bury my face inside his leather jacket.

“Fuck,” he growls. “Don’t move, Butterfly. I doubt they caught you on camera, but we have a code red.” His hand moves on top of my head before I hear him speak. “Hey, I’m at the coffee shop right across from the hospital. I’ve been recognized. Can you get me out of this one? I managed to keep my girl’s face out of the media.”

Matt doesn’t say a word, but begins to walk while covering my body. “I owe you coffee, baby, but we have to go.” I nod, counting in sets of three as I make sure that my breathing remains even. “This is going to be a long day. Ready?” I shake my head. The clip of my hair snaps, my curls become loose, and I finally have something to cover my face. Damn, why didn’t I think of that?

“We’re walking fast; I doubt anyone can see your face.” Matt places a protective arm around me. As we walk I spot it—Jacob’s black truck. The tinted windows conceal the identity of the passenger and the driver. “Hop in, and we’re safe.”

“What happened?” Jacob asks as he pulls out of the parking spot and into the traffic.

“They confused me with you. I heard one say, ‘That’s JC Decker and his girl,’” Matt growls, running a hand through his hair. “I’m shaving my head tomorrow.”

“You can always go back to the dreadlocks,” Pria says, laughing.

What dreadlocks, I want to ask, but I don’t have time. Matt’s phone rings at the same time as Jacob’s does. They both answer the phone.

“Grandma is out of surgery,” they announce in unison, and we head back to the hospital.

As we arrive at home, Tristan is waiting for us. The dining table is set up, and dinner is already waiting. If he had been with us today, he’d know we don’t need dinner. I understand he had a business matter to take care of, but that didn’t take all day long. He should’ve been with us. With Matt.

“How’s your grandma?”

Matt growls. Tristan’s eyes switch their attention to me.

“We had a scare.” I hold onto Matt who isn’t willing to speak or let me go. “Her heart stopped for a few seconds, so they used a defibrillator and her heart started again.” It was our turn to visit her, as they limited her to only two visitors. The monitors went flat, and my heart spiked as the nurses stormed inside screaming code blue and pushing us out of the room. Matt begged them to help her, to save her. The three siblings held on to each other while the nurses worked on their grandma. Their grandfather closed his eyes and mumbled throughout the entire time. When the nurses and doctors came out saying we could go back in, everyone began to cry letting the emotional roller coaster wash away. “It hasn’t stopped since then. She’s going to be fine.”

There were technical terms said, I’m sure, but the doctor spoke in a hushed voice only to Matt’s parents. I didn’t want to step right beside them and listen to the conversation. When he left, Chris gave us the condensed version:
“They have it under control. If we follow his instructions, she’s going to live a long life.”

“I’m going to the third floor.” Matt finally lets me go and disappears through the stairs. “When I’m ready, I’ll come back—wait for me in my room, Thea,” he orders, making my eyes open wide and my legs quiver. “You promised.”

I watch this strange overlord persona vanish through the steps, and leaving me confused as hell after that little display. It bothered me, but my panties are ready to be ripped apart along with my dress.

“Why didn’t you come to the hospital when you were done?”

He closes his eyes and shakes his head. “They already had enough on their plate—the Deckers. Matt had his grandma to worry about. I wouldn’t have been good company. The meeting I had . . . it was a fucking mess and . . . I’m sorry.”

Giving him a piece of my mind is my first thought, but I swallow the argument. Being upset on Matt’s behalf isn’t right. Their relationship, their business. Both need me, and my support, so I let the bitterness slip away.

I open my arms for him, and he doesn't hesitate to walk into my embrace. “What happened?”