Page 64 of Under Water

“Hmm. Good.”

He’s probably wrong, but I’m not about to argue. I want him too much for that. I kiss him back a few more seconds, then break it off because I’m starting to get hard again, and I don’t think I can take being edged twice.

Easton stands and rolls his shoulders, then walks to the door and peers out through the blinds. “Oh shit, he’s coming back.”

“Unlock the door. We can pretend you just got here.”

Easton does as I ask, but Teddy doesn’t stop back by. I see his shadow through a crack in the blinds as he walks past, and after a short forever, Easton sags against the window and shakes his head.

“Okay, that time wasn’t sexy.”

I cover a laugh. “Get the fuck out of here, please. Before I lose my will to resist you.”

He glances over his shoulder and looks fucking delighted. “See you tonight?”

“Can’t wait.”

And god, do I mean that. Because I really, really can’t.

THIRTEEN

EASTON

“Why are you so jumpy? And also, you’re smiling, which is really creepy.”

I glance over at North and roll my eyes.

“Plus, you’re at work on your day off. Like, dude. A life? Get one?”

“You’re one to talk. You’re fucking useless when my brother’s out of town.”

North gives me a giant pout and flings himself into my arms. “Hold me, I’m lonely.”

“This is creepy now that you’re having sex with the person who came from the same womb as I did,” I tell him, but I hold him anyway. He’s always been like this—seeking affection wherever someone will offer it. And the team here at the station isn’t stingy with it.

But it made sense the more I got to know North and the more I learned about him. And then after meeting his mom and sisters, everything just sort of clicked into place.

I also know he’s still hurting over his mom. She’s finally started letting him come to visit, but she doesn’t talk when he’s there. She’s in a care home now, which is good for her, and on medication, which is keeping her delusions and mood swings in check. But I can tell the weight of needing to be the parent figure for both her and his sisters has been almost too much for North to handle.

With Leo, he can let go. He can relax and be himself and not have to spend his day worrying if he’s not taking care of my brother.

And he’s the same with us too. He doesn’t mind the responsibility of being an EMT, but I know he’s counting down the days until his retirement.

I will miss him like a limb, but I’m happy for him to go off and find what makes him happy. He’ll probably turn into a proper farmer or something with all that land they have, and I can see him out there in overalls and a big straw hat, hanging out with Leo’s bees.

“So, are we going to talk about how weird you’ve been?” he asks. “I think you’re keeping something from me.”

My stomach churns. It’s only fair that he ask, and the truth is, I deserve for him to be pissed as fuck when he finds out about me and Rune because I gave him so much hell for keeping his thing with Leo a secret.

But I also promised Rune, and I don’t want to break his trust.

I lick my lips. “So. I’m bisexual.”

North sits up so fast he almost smacks into my chin. “Wait. Like…officially?”

I shrug and rub the back of my neck. “I guess, yeah. I haven’t given it, like, a ton of thought. But there’s a guy⁠—”

“Oh, I fucking knew it.” Then his face falls. “What about your crush on Rune?”