Chasm sits up with a groan and then crawls onto the end of the bed to collapse. I have to resist reaching out and brushing his hair back from his eyes. He mutters something in Korean and Parrish chuckles, replying just as easily.
“I know one of those words—I think,” I start, and Chasm snorts.
“You don’t know anything but—” he starts, and then cuts off abruptly. Parrish notices, obviously.
“But what?” he inquires, his voice strained.
“Little Sister here thought she was saying ‘good night’ to me,” Chasm mumbles, sitting up and flicking his tongue against one of his lip rings. Another nervous habit of his.
“What was she saying?” Parrish asks, sounding genuinely curious.
“I was saying ‘I love you’,” I admit, glancing over at Parrish to gauge his reaction. He doesn’t have one. Not at all. He shrugs and throws the blankets back as Chas and I exchange a look, and then both move to follow after him.
“It feels so weird being back here,” he says, looking around the room. “Like familiar, but also not at the same time.” He sighs and gives the bunny a look as it thumps its foot at him, then he turns and stares at himself in the mirror, sweeping his fingers through his messy hair.
“It’ll take some time to readjust,” Chasm offers, hovering just behind Parrish, ever his knight, his protector. I love the relationship they have; I love it. I’ll do everything I can not to come between them in any way.
“Don’t get me wrong: I’m happy. I’m … I can’t believe you guys did all of that for me.”
“I would’ve done more,” I tell him, sweeping past and pausing at the door. Our eyes meet, and I hope he can see how serious I am. “Anything.”
I yank my door open and head into my room, searching for my phone. It’s gone, so I figure Maxx must have it.
“I need to find out what’s going on with Maxine,” I say as both boys pause in my doorway, and Parrish sweeps his gaze over my room, his attention fixated on the bed for a minute before he drags it away. “But I think Maxx has my phone.”
That must mean there aren’t new messages. I finally gave in and told X my pin the other day so he could just log in wherever he wanted—without snatching my hand and forcing it to the screen. Actually, I think biometrics are just trash at this point; the pin is better.
“Then let’s go get it,” Parrish offers up, taking my hand. He drags me close for another kiss, one that burns, that makes my belly ache. Chasm turns away, staring down the hallway toward the staircase. My heart breaks for him, but I have to put Parrish first right now, and we both know it.
Parrish keeps hold of my hand until we hit the bottom of the stairs, effortlessly releasing me like he was never touching me at all.
He doesn’t even make it into the living room before the twins appear, screaming and hopping around him. I have never seen Henry behave like that. His enthusiasm and love for his brother makes me smile.
Parrish snatches them both up, grunting at their weight in either arm.
“You guys are getting way too big for this,” he complains, but with a smile on his face. A real smile. I’ve only seen that a handful of times before, and it stops me right in my tracks. I put my hands to my chest and take a deep breath.
“I can’t believe we did it,” Chasm murmurs from beside me, tucking his hands into the pockets of his slacks. He slept in them which can’t have been comfortable, but I notice he at least unhooked the clasp at the front, letting them sag down his hips. As per usual, he has no shirt on.
“We did it,” I agree, my mind drifting back to Maxine. But at what cost?
Chasm and I turn to look at each other, exchanging so many things in silence that we can’t say with words right now.
“Don’t worry about me, naekkeo,” he says, but I’m already frowning at him.
“But I do. I am.”
“No. Put Parrish first,” he growls at me, and I narrow my eyes at him.
“I am putting him first—but I still worry about you. We didn’t just ‘bang it out’,” I mutter, making little quotes with my fingers. That’s how Chasm described what happened between us last night during the talk with Parrish.
“Oh. That bother you, Little Sister?” Chasm whispers, giving me a long, assessing once-over. “Should I have told him we made love and then confessed our feelings to one another? That I’ve been calling you ‘mine’ on the regular? We’ll get there, just not yet.”
“I know that. Just don’t trivialize important things,” I add before heading into the kitchen. Maxx notices me right away, offering up a plate of food. It’s got an omelet on it, some toast, some sausage.
