Niro (Henchmen MC Next Generation #1) - Jessica Gadziala Page 0,2

I found the door unlocked when I got there.

The apartment had been stark and sterile when I'd helped her parents move her in, my heart in my throat the entire time. It had been just white walls and gray carpets bought at wholesale. The kitchen was a shoebox, the living space not much better.

I'd sat with her that night to help her figure out where she could put the furniture when she got it, the plants, where she might be able to hide a cage if she was fostering some small animal for a while. I hadn't been around to see the finished product, though.

I should have known Andi would make it warm. She made everything warm. She was a bright light in a dark world.

She'd hung bright, colorful tapestries, scattered dozens of throw pillows around, and filled every available space with plants.

Andi herself wasn't in the common area as I closed and locked the door, leaned down to free Nugget from his leash. Knowing where he was, who lived here, he barreled down the short hall, shooting into the bedroom door.

"Nuggs!" Andi's small voice called, likely wrapping him up. A low sob escaped her, kicking me right in the chest as I made my way into the doorway, finding her settled in her bed, her blonde hair spread across her pillow, her pretty face snuggled into Nugget's fur.

Moving in, I kicked out of my shoes, climbing over her on the bed to cram in near the wall, reaching out, dragging her on my chest, my hand going to her hair, sifting through the silky strands.

In high school, Andi had been more concerned with saving animals and getting into veterinary school than dating. A selfish part of me was glad. I wasn't sure I could stand by and watch her fall for some other guy.

I wasn't surprised when it got back to me that she'd found someone after only a couple weeks at college. Anyone who didn't meet her and immediately want to be in her life was a fucking psychopath.

I won't lie.

It sent me into a five-day-bender that only my hard-as-nails, ex-cage-fighting father could pull me out of, slamming me up against a wall, scarred hand grabbing my chin.

I know you're hurting, he'd said, nodding. And I know I taught you to cover hurt with hard. But you can't throw your fucking life away over this. Get your shit together.

I'd done the best I could.

I'd moved on as well as you could expect while knowing Andi was spending her time with some other guy, time that used to be mine, time that I missed more than I would ever admit.

By all accounts, this relationship had seemed serious.

He was her first real boyfriend.

Likely, her first... everything.

I felt sick whenever I thought about it, gut churning, heart cracking.

I should have been happy for her.

That would be the selfless thing.

Apparently, though, I was a selfish fucking bastard.

We stayed that way in her bed for what felt like forever, the only sounds being Andi's cries, her sniffling when she tried to pull it together, followed by more cries.

My shirt soaked through before she finally seemed to run out of tears.

"Why didn't he love me?" she asked, cracking what was left of my heart right down the middle.

I couldn't fucking fathom not loving her, not looking at her and seeing how perfect she was, not knowing your life would be immeasurably better just by being near her.

I would know.

I'd been in love with her since I was two years old.

And it showed no signs of stopping.

"I don't know," I admitted, my other arm wrapping her up, holding her tight.

She pulled herself together a few hours later, insisting that she had to get to class, thanking me for coming to 'rescue her once again,' then headed out.

She didn't know it.

I didn't want to admit it.

But I would never stop wanting to rescue her.

I would never turn away any small chance at getting to be near her, to feast on those scraps of her attention to sustain me through the famine.

With her gone, I leashed Nugget, set him in the car with the engine running, went across campus, found the mother fucker who broke my girl's heart, beat the ever-loving shit out of him for it, then headed back home, back to my life, waiting for the next opportunity to see her again.

It was fucked.

I was fucked.

But when someone had your heart in her hand, what the fuck else were you supposed to do? Move on?