Page 47 of Born to Scar

“No,” he snaps. I narrow my eyes, meeting his, trying to jerk free, but he pinches my face harder. “Stop it,” he growls. “You don’t get to do that anymore.”

“Excuse me?”

Cam jerks me out of Jared’s hold.

“Ease the fuck up,” Jared warns.

My breathing is heavy, coming in short bursts on Cam’s chest. My hand flies to his throat, squeezing.

He nods. “Keep trying. It didn’t work the first time. It’s not going to work now.”

I push him until his back meets the tree. “Back the fuck off,” I grit out.

“Fucking never, baby girl,” he bites back, gripping my hair at the back of my head, pulling me closer to him.

His lips are on mine, but he doesn’t kiss me. Neither of us is backing down as we breathe each other’s air. I can usually get him to back off, but I think he has reached his limit tonight. His chest is rising and falling against mine rapidly now.

“Fucking stop. Stop running from us. Stop pushing us away. Stop acting like we don’t see you,” he whispers on my lips. He pulls my arm up with his free hand. “Stop acting like this is your fault,” he snarls.

I jerk my arm out of his grasp. He jerks my head with my hair, making me hiss. Jared’s eyes flick between us. I wonder what he thinks about his two psychos now.

“Do we make you feel like that? Dirty? Unwanted? Not good? Not enough?” he asks with another jerk on my hair. He’s not being overly rough, but it stings enough that my hold on his throat tightens. “Answer me,” he hisses.

“Cam, that’s enough. She’s not the one you’re pissed at.” Jared finally steps in. Cam’s eyes dart to him, then back into my soul.

“Answer me,” he repeats.

“No,” I spit, with a curl of my lips.

His hold on my head softens. “We love you, Indy,” he murmurs on my lips before pressing a gentle kiss to them. It’s so different from the roughness of how he’s been with me tonight.

“Why? Why do you look at me like I’m something beautiful, like I’m someone worthy of love? Why?” I cry, looking between them. They look like I’ve ripped their hearts out and dropped them at their feet. But I need to know why they keep coming back. Why do they make me drop my shield when I know it’s only going to hurt them?

Cam’s hazel eyes glaze over with unshed tears.

“Because you are. There isn’t a person more worthy of love than you. There isn’t a person who walks this earth now or ever who is more beautiful than you. You deserve so much better than what you’ve been handed.”

I jerk my hand away, falling into him. He holds me, propping his chin on the top of my head with a sigh. My tears soak through his shirt.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper. “He just…crawls under my skin, and it takes me a while to get him out. I’m so used to doing this alone, which is my own doing, but alone, nonetheless.”

Jared moves behind me, pressing against my back. “You’re not alone anymore.” He moves my hair off my shoulder, kissing my cheek. “You don’t get to pick and choose. You’re stuck with us.”

Cam nods on top of my head.

“How does Ray know?” Cam asks.

“Why wouldn’t he?” I respond, and Jared backs off a little, his face as confused as Cam’s. “Uh, because Ray lives with Bik?” I answer as a question. My brows pinch together, and my eyes dart between them. They still don’t say anything. “Guys, they are together. They’ve been together for…fuck…ever since I’ve known them.”

Jared bursts into laughter, startling me. “Sorry, Indy. I…how the fuck have I never put that together? I’ve been a part of this crowd for almost twelve years and never even…” He laughs again when we hear footsteps coming toward us. We turn to see Bik descending on us. “Speaking of…” Jared sings, pulling him into a hug.

“Jared, in all the years I’ve known you, you have never hugged me.”

Jared backs off and shrugs but smiles. “That’s because I didn’t know how great a man you truly are, you bastard.”

Bik snorts a laugh, pulling me from Cam’s grasp into one of his bear hugs.

“I knew you’d be here. I try to let you deal with your stuff the way you asked me to, but when Ray told me he showed up. I knew I had to come this time.” He sighs, squeezing me harder. “I had to make sure you’re okay, kiddo.”