Chapter 161: Carla

Strong arms scooped Carla up and then she was sitting nestled up against a warm wall of man she'd come to care for. She buried her face against his neck and stopped pretending as though it was going to be fine.

"What the fuck did you do?" Vaughn snarled.

Jared sputtered, "Nothing!"

"Carla?" Ashton's stern voice made her flinch and hold tighter to Vaughn.

"Give us the room?" Vaughn twisted, becoming the wall between her and the guys.

Carla cried uncontrollable tears. Years of loneliness and want poured out of her in those moments, wringing her emotions dry until there was nothing left. It was a purging of everything she'd stored up, all the times she'd told herself just a little longer, it all came out and straight onto Vaughn's shirt.

She didn't know how long she cried only that she gradually became aware of an awkward silence surrounding her spectacular display of waterworks. Vaughn rubbed her back while his other hand kept her cradled tightly to him.

No one spoke.