Tasting

234–All Broken 

Nora: 

“What are you doing?” I hissed at the brothers. They had really ruined everything for me. The fact that they didn’t want to keep me in their lives but also didn’t want me to stay happy in this apartment made me wonder if they were having a problem with me or what. 

“What do you think we are doing?” Silas hissed. 

“We found her hugging him, and—it wasn’t just a quick hug. It seemed passionate, and he had his eyes closed,” Nash muttered, explaining it in a way that left me speechless. 

“It was just a hug between friends,” I tried to jump in to tell my side, but Cain pointed his finger at me and then tapped the same finger onto his lips, silencing me. 

“You found them hugging?” he asked Nash again, who nodded, looking so red that he confused me with his aggression. 

Why were they losing their minds over me hugging someone when they were dating others? 

“I told you—you guys were giving her the benefit of the doubt. She lies a lot,” Cain, who somehow had the agenda to prove me a liar, hissed at his brother, patting Ryker’s back. 

“It could be just a simple hug,” everyone was shocked when Ryker uttered and stole his eyes from his brothers. 

“Are you kidding me? She is definitely intimate with him. The way he 

234–All Broken 

Nora: 

“What are you doing?” I hissed at the brothers. They had really ruined everything for me. The fact that they didn’t want to keep me in their lives but also didn’t want me to stay happy in this apartment made me wonder if they were having a problem with me or what. 

“What do you think we are doing?” Silas hissed. 

“We found her hugging him, and—it wasn’t just a quick hug. It seemed passionate, and he had his eyes closed,” Nash muttered, explaining it in a way that left me speechless. 

“It was just a hug between friends,” I tried to jump in to tell my side, but Cain pointed his finger at me and then tapped the same finger onto his lips, silencing me. 

“You found them hugging?” he asked Nash again, who nodded, looking so red that he confused me with his aggression. 

Why were they losing their minds over me hugging someone when they were dating others? 

Vs were of 

“I told you—you her the benefit of the doubt. She lies a lot,” Cain, who somehow had the agenda to prove me a liar, hissed at his brother, patting Ryker’s back. 

“It could be just a simple hug,” everyone was shocked when Ryker uttered and stole his eyes from his brothers. 

“Are you kidding me? She is definitely intimate with him. The way he 

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met her and all—and wait–,” Nash snapped his fingers before he turned to me, “have you two shared a bed before?” 

It was like he caught me right where I couldn’t escape. 

“Don’t lie, tell us,” he grunted angrily, and it was at this moment that I felt like they had no right to be judging me like that. I had been very loyal until they betrayed me. Now I was dating Brody to clear our names, but that didn’t change the fact that I did it because the brothers were too cowardly to step forward and accept me. 

“I did, but we only cuddled. He was nice enough to cheer me up when Ryker destroyed my room–,” it was like they didn’t even want to hear any explanations from me. All they cared about was somehow proving me wrong, and now that they got the answer they were looking for, they hissed at me. 

“Now?” Cain smirked at Ryker, who turned his face away from me and started pinching the bridge of his nose. 

“Okay! I cuddled. But what about you three? It’s not like you’re not dating someone already,” I got up, but Cain pushed me with one hand, not even looking at me, making me land back on the couch. I groaned in frustration at him. 

“That will be enough–” I finally got up, but it seemed as if it was all done here as well. The brothers began to grab their cell phones before Ryker turned to face me and muttered, “You are right. That will be enough!” 

My heart flipped inside my chest as I tried to understand what he meant. I thought we were already done some time ago. But they had this habit of giving me hopes, just to prove me a culprit and then end things like I was the reason it all got ruined. To be honest, it was pretty brutal of them. 

234–All Broken: 

I couldn’t say a word as they grabbed their wallets and started walking towards the exit. None of them stayed behind to see how I would deal with the mess they left behind. I started grabbing the leftovers and then washed the dishes while Brody was still in his room. I sat on the couch after cleaning the living room and pouted sadly. I didn’t want to be a bad person and hurt the only person who wasn’t hurting me. But the brothers had caused all this mess and left. 

Suddenly, the door to Brody’s room opened and he came out with his face stern. 

“Did you sleep in my room last night?” he inquired, making me wonder if he was upset that I did. 

“I did,” I mumbled. 

“And they–” he quickly shut his mouth. 

“No! They didn’t, Brody. They were in my room,” I clarified and noticed a sigh leaving his mouth. He strolled tiredly and sat down on the couch with me. 

“I am so sorry for reacting like that earlier. You need to understand it is not easy for me to see them–” The fact that he was already apologizing after only a few hours had passed just melted my heart. 

“I understand,” I gave him a smile. But he hadn’t even said a single word to upset me. 

“But Brody, since we are just friends, you need to understand that if I really start dating someone, he would come to this apartment to–” I didn’t finish because I knew I had passed my message across and he started nodding his head in understanding. 

“I get it. But it was a shocker when I saw them. Last time they were in 

234 All Brokem 

I couldn’t say a word as they grabbed their wallets and started walking towards the exit. None of them stayed behind to see how I would deal with the mess they left behind. I started grabbing the leftovers and then washed the dishes while Brody was still in his room. I sat on the couch after cleaning the living room and pouted sadly. I didn’t want to be a bad person and hurt the only person who wasn’t hurting me. But the brothers had caused all this mess and left. 

Suddenly, the door to Brody’s room opened and he came out with his face stern. 

“Did you sleep in my room last night?” he inquired, making me wonder if he was upset that I did. 

“I did,” I mumbled. 

“And they–” he quickly shut his mouth. 

“No! They didn’t, Brody. They were in my room,” I clarified and noticed a sigh leaving his mouth. He strolled tiredly and sat down on the couch with me. 

“I am so sorry for reacting like that earlier. You need to understand it is not easy for me to see them–” The fact that he was already apologizing after only a few hours had passed just melted my heart. 

“I understand,” I gave him a smile. But he hadn’t even said a single word to upset me. 

“But Brody, since we are just friends, you need to understand that if I really start dating someone, he would come to this apartment to–” I didn’t finish because I knew I had passed my message across and he started nodding his head in understanding. 

“I get it. But it was a shocker when I saw them. Last time they were in 

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2009 VAIL Broken 

my pack, they killed innocent people. I am just afraid of letting them into my space, if you know what I mean,” he rubbed his face in his. hands and sighed. 

“I am sorry. I couldn’t ask them to leave,” I was guilty for even entertaining them to stay in his place. I sighed after he gestured at me that it was fine. 

“Actually, I still had some work left in my pack, but I came here to check on you. I will be leaving in two hours. Just let me know if you need anything. I will do your work and then head back to my pack,” he said while his eyes remained closed. It kind of made me feel guilty. He was so tired and had traveled so many hours just to check on me. His time was wasted when he came home and found them here. Now he 

would take a one–hour nap and then leave again. 

“I don’t need anything. I have everything here,” I whispered, but he seemed to have dozed off.