Page 15 of Miles's Pact
The call ended as we reached our place, and I got out before opening Duckie's door so he could hop out. He held my gaze, then sent a softThank youthrough the bond before flying out, and I closed the door behind him, a smile on my face.
Once inside, Mateo started talking about some show he'd been watching, and Duckie listened with interest, so I left them to it, making my way upstairs and to my room.
Sitting down on my bed, I took a deep breath before slowly letting it out, then repeated the process over and over again until my shoulders loosened. I'd always struggled with letting go of stress, with overthinking and getting anxious about everything and nothing. I was ecstatic we'd found Duckie, but at the same time, I couldn't help finding the whole situation stressful.
Mateo was handling everything so much better, like he always did. Even when we were kids, he'd dealt with everything so much better.
Relaxing my shoulders, I tried to clear my mind the way Dr. Griffin—the therapist both Mateo and I had seen when our dads first adopted us—had taught me, focusing on my breathing as I cataloged the things in my room, using my various senses to observe andbe.
The scent of eucalyptus and peppermint from the candle I liked to burn sometimes, the soft woven blanket under my palms that Noel had gifted me for Christmas one year, the warm orange-and-brown walls that reminded me of the comfort of my childhood home, the framed picture of our dads, my brothers, and April dressed in matching Christmas sweaters—yes, April too—on my desk.
I breathed in deep, then fell back into the mattress and closed my eyes. A few more minutes, and then I'd go back downstairs.
Duckie
Is Miles okay?I asked in concern, then wondered if he could hear me too. I wasn't quite sure how our bond worked.
He is. He gets overwhelmed sometimes. He'll come down when he's ready. Do you wanna watch the show in the meantime?
Yes, please.
Grinning, Mateo turned on the flatscreen, then fell onto the couch, patting the space beside him.
I flew up onto the couch, then settled down beside him, pressing against his side as he flicked through some shows until he found the one he'd been talking about.
He started the first episode, and for a while, we watched in companionable silence.
Having a friend was a new thing for me, but if this was what it was like, I had missed out on something wonderful all these years.
What would my life be like if that night had never happened? Would I be as carefree as Mateo?
But his life hadn't been all rainbows and sunshine either, had it? In some ways, Miles and Mateo had had it much worse than me. And yet here they were, living their lives without fear, without hesitation. Why couldn't I do that too?
"Hey, you okay?" Mateo murmured, and his voice pulled me out of my thoughts.
Yeah, I said through the link, and he accepted it with a smile, then glanced back at the screen.
Was it unfair that they'd told me about their past but I hadn't shared mine? It wasn't like I didn't want to. Mateo had changed the subject before I could say anything—though I wasn't sure I would've found the words to say it then—and I didn't think I could bring it up.
Shaking my head, I focused on the show, deciding I could worry about it later.
Miles came downstairs around twenty minutes later, and settled in on my other side without a word. I fluffed up my wings so they brushed his arm, and jerked my gaze away when his eyes flicked to me.
If I was in my human form, I was sure I'd be blushing like mad. Could they hear my heartbeat? Could they hear how it was racing like a horse?
It took me a few minutes to calm down, but once I did, it was easy to lose myself in the show. Something in my chest felt loose and relaxed by Miles and Mateo's presence, and I wondered if that was our mate bond I was sensing.
"We should get ready and head over," Miles said as Mateo was about to start the next episode, and Mateo glanced over at the clock, then sighed.
"You're right."
Can we watch more later?I asked, curious how the story would go.
"Of course!" Mateo agreed with a grin. "I knew you'd like it."
Mateo and Miles went upstairs to get dressed, and while neither of them had explicitly asked me not to follow, I stayed downstairs. It wasn't likeIneeded to change.
Ten minutes later, my mates came back downstairs. Mateo was dressed in a light blue t-shirt and navy jeans, while Miles wore a form-fitting dark blue button-down and faded jeans. My eyes lingered on his rolled-up sleeves, but I forced my gaze away. Mateo grinned at me, and waggled his brows when our eyes met, and I wished I could stick my tongue out at him.
