Everyone but Candace and Lainey are sitting in the movie room eating pizza and watching Captain America, since it was Wyatt's turn to pick.

I checked on the girls about 30 minutes ago, but they still haven't come out yet. I know they are having a 'girl talk' or whatever the heck that means but I was really looking forward to cuddling up with my Angel and watching Chris Evans kick some ass. Apparently Keith had the same idea since he turns to me and speaks quietly, so as to not disrupt the movie.

"Hey, what do you say we just go deal with CeeCees' wrath and interrupt the girls. I'm sick of waiting for them to come out. I mean it's 'girl talk' it definitely should not take this long." He says. I nod my head and he must relay the message to Tank and Mouse for backup because they nod their heads too.

What? Candace is damn scary when she wants to be and I do not feel like getting kicked in the balls right now.

All four of us stand and start moving towards the living room, leaving a completely oblivious Wyatt watching the movie with Katie and Dylan. Stuck in my thoughts about how I'm going to evade Candace's monstrous kick, I nearly run into the girls.

"Woah there. We were just about to come get y'all." I say, looking down at them. I expect to see two happy girls who just got done gossiping but instead I see both with red puffy eyes.

"Angel? What happened are you ok?" I ask at the same time Keith cups Candace's face and asks a similar question. They both just snuggle in closer to their respective boyfriends, which only makes us all the more worried.

"What the hell man? I thought you said they were just having girl talk." Keith suddenly turns, angry at me. Candance steps back slightly and forces him to look down at her.

"Relax you big oaf. We were having 'girl talk.' It just got a little emotional." She replies, calming Keith down.

"Well I don't really know what 'girl talk' entails but I sure don't like that it made my girl cry." Keith says to Candace.

"Well it's not usually like this." Lainey mumbles into my chest. All four guys look at her before turning our questioning glances to Candace.

"We just shared some secrets." She says and then hesitantly continues.

"I told her about James."

My muscles tense at the mention of the fucker that beat up on Candace. I look around to see Tank with a deep scowl, Mouse a murderous gaze, and Jingles tightening his hold on Candace. It's safe to say we hate that bastard with a passion.

That day we found out what he had been doing to CeeCee, we all piled into the car and drove to his house. Luckily his parents weren't home and we caught him taking the trash cans out. I'd never seen any of us get that mad before, especially Keith. Which, by the way is how I figured out he had feelings for Candace.

Anyways, we all took turns bashing that fuckers' face in and Jingles, not so suddely told him that if he ever showed his face around here again he would 'make sure to reserve a plot for him at the town cemetery'.

I don't think Candace ever found out about what we did, thought I'm guessing she suspects since the kid had to move to a different town. Even though we got some good licks in, we are all still royally pissed that we didn't see it happening or stop it before it got that bad.

"Relax tough guys. He's gone now and we're fine. Actually better than fine. Our talk helped a ton and Lainey here finally realized that she made a new best friend." Candace replies with a wink to Lainey who has moved back slightly from my chest.

"Ya, and I found out how scared you 'tough guys' are of my little firecracker bestie." She says laughing while Candace dons a evil looking grin.

"We are not afraid of her. She's lying to you Lainey." Mouse says in annoyance.

"Oh ya? Then why did it take you guys so long to come and get us? It wouldn't have had anything to do with a certain kick to the balls threat would it?" Candace asks with a pointed look at me.

All the guys turn their heads to the ground or the opposite direction while the girls just let out a hoot of laughter.

"Sissies" I hear Candace snort. The guys turn to glare at me, Mouse sporting a look that says 'now look, you fed her ego.'

"What?" I ask with my hands raised in surrender.

"I was not putting my balls on the line. Why didn't you go, Keith? She's your girl." I say, making everyone turn their heads to him.

"Hell no. She's my girl, so I know exactly what she's capable of. No way I was going into the Lion's den. What about you Tank? You're like double her height." He replies.

"Ya, which just gives her the perfect spot to torture my poor 'mini me'." The big guy growls out with a pained expression. Everyone turns to Mouse with a pointed look.

"Don't look at me. She's already kicked me way too many times. I don't think I would have survived another one." He replies with a look of mock terror on his face.

The girls just laugh again and Candace loops her arm through Lainey's while they walk to the kitchen for some food. The rest of us follow them, but I'm stopped when Jingles pats me on the shoulder.

"She's a good one man. I've got a feeling she'll be around for a long while." He says with a grin.

"Ya, if I have anything to say about it, she will. No way in hell I deserve her." I reply back, looking at my Angel's retreating form.

"Heck man. I sure as hell don't deserve Candace, but here we are. Just don't do some dumb shit like I did and lose out on a bunch of time with her." He solemnly says with a sad look toward the girls.

"Don't worry, man. I plan on making that girl fall in love with me before she even has time to think about how completely out of my league she is. Besides, if I mess it up with her, I think Candace might actually cut off my dick with a rusty spoon." I reply and watch as he winces and shifts a bit at the uncomfortable image.

"Don't doubt that for a second, brother. Those two are going to give us hell. That's for sure." He replies.

"Wouldn't want it any other way." I say with a smile, giving him a slap on the back as we both continue following the others.

After the girls get their pizza we all sit back in the movie room. Candace is snuggled in with Jingles and Lainey is curled up on my lap with her head on my chest. Damn if I don't wish my life would stay like this forever. There's just one thing I need to figure out before we can actually start our forever.

How do I tell this gorgeous Angel that I'm in love with her?

_______________________

"You ok?" I hear Keith's low voice whisper into my ear.

"Ya. Just thinking about everything." I reply and snuggle in deeper to his chest.

We are all piled in the movie room with me on Keith's lap and Lainey on Nate's. She looks half asleep, as I'm sure she's exhausted from today's events, and Nate is soothingly rubbing her back.

I haven't stopped thinking about what she said to me, since we left the room. I figured something was going on, but I couldn't have guessed it would be at the hands of someone who hurt her.

Although, isn't that how it always happens?

I let out a small shiver at the remembrance of Lainey's bruised body. Keith must read it wrong because he wraps his arms tighter and gives me a kiss on the top of my head.

"He can't hurt you anymore." He whispers, assuming I'm remembering James.

Seeing as how I can't tell him why I'm actually in my head, I just sigh and melt into his hold. We go back to watching the movie until his whispered words once again hit my ears.

"I love you, my hummingbird."

"I love you too." I whisper back.

The rest of the night goes off without anyone suspecting anything, but I can't get everything out of my head. I know I promised Lainey I wouldn't tell, but what if she gets hurt again?

At the same time, if someone had broken my trust after I told them about James, I would never have forgiven them. This is something she has to do on her own. If I tell them, she won't be able to take that next step.

Ughhh! Why does this have to be so damn difficult?