Page 67 of Regal Feather
“I know.” I closed my eyes. On instinct, I curled my arms tighter around him. The water in the bath was still warm, but I’d much rather add Ever’s body heat to the equation. “I’ll get there, okay? But I like hanging out with you. It’s…easy.”
Ever made a harrumphing sound against my nose. “Even if it includes a bunch of other people?”
“Even then.”
Sure, it was more overwhelming, and I didn’t fully trust all of them, or know what I could or couldn’t say around them, but so long as I could have Ever sitting next to me, and I could touch him, I’d be fine.
I’d figure out everything else later.
“Santos?”
“Hm?”
“Do I have to go running with you now?”
“Why would you?”
“So you don’t fall?”
The seriousness in his voice was what undid me. Everything still hurt, and I knew tomorrow was going to suck balls, but fuck. The physical pain was shoved to the side.
Ever was here.
I was safe.
It was another truth that had remained the same. Something else I could count on.
“I’ll manage, but thanks.”
“I’d do it, you know.”
“I know.”
Ever had been a decent runner in school, too. I knew he hadn’t stuck to it once he moved here permanently and, quote-unquote, took over the family business. I also knew he was likelier to work out in a gym indoors than he was to face the morning cold, and he didn’t even have a single piece of equipment in this monster of a house.
TWENTY-TWO
ev
“Tony says he could stop by this week. If you’re okay with it.”
I didn’t drop the dish I was setting on the dishwasher, but it was a close thing. “I didn’t know you had Tony’s number.”
It was cool, obviously. Tony was cool. Was I intimidated by him and probably always would be?
Yeah.
That wasn’t the point.
The point was that, yeah, I’d noticed Santos talk a bit with him during the munch while Sergio and Jaime failed at being subtle while getting information out of me. I’d just assumed it was because Jaime was Tony’s sub, and the two of them had been the odd men out. I didn’t think they’d be bonding or planning out hangouts.
“But yeah, sure,” I remembered to say.
Shock aside, being supportive had to be important. It would be hypocritical of me not to, anyway, after all the times I’d run my mouth with my insecurities about him making plans on his own.
Did I keep track of those times and berate myself for them all night? Obviously.
Whatever.
