46. Xed
Chapter forty-six
M y phone vibrates against the hardwood over and over, but we don’t move.
Matty’s arm is draped over my waist, holding me close, his fingers absently tracing circles on my hip. My head rests on his chest, the steady rhythm of his heartbeat lulling me into a sense of peace I haven’t felt in ages. We’d moved onto the floor some time ago, content just to hold each other.
“You think whoever it is will give up?” I mumble, not bothering to open my eyes.
“They better,” he snorts, abs flexing beneath my touch. “I’m a little busy right now.”
With a smirk, I tilt my head to look at him. “Busy doing what?”
“Important stuff. Laying here with my boyfriend. Priorities, you know.”
The way he says boyfriend —so casually, so naturally—makes my chest ache.
I shift up, propping my chin on his chest. “You like the way it sounds?”
“Damn right, I do.” He grins, brushing a thumb across my cheek. “I should’ve been saying it this whole time.”
My throat closes, and I kiss his collarbone, hiding the moisture in my eyes. Matty gently cups the back of my neck, sensing my mood shift.
“You know I’ve loved you forever, right?”
Nodding slowly, I gently bite his arm. “I know. But hearing you say it… God, baby, it’s everything.”
The phone buzzes again, louder this time like it’s mocking us, and I groan as I bury my face in his chest.
“It’s probably Salem calling to ask if I’m dead.”
“Let it buzz,” he laughs, his fingers running through my hair.
I peek at him, and his gaze warms when it meets mine. “I love you, Matty.”
“I love you too, Xed.” He leans in to kiss me softly, his cock thickening slightly where it rests against his thigh. “Always.”
It’s not long before our kisses turn heated once again, and I straddle him, desperate to make up for lost time. Just as he grabs my waist, his hard length slipping between my crease, a loud quack echoes off the walls.
Matty bursts into laughter, and I grumble when we hear webbed feet waddling somewhere in the house. “Fucking cock-blocking duck.”
“Where did you even get him anyway?” he asks with a chuckle, scraping a nail over my nipple. “The park?”
I scowl down at him, rubbing myself along his dick. “Seriously? You think I’d kidnap a duck from his duck wife and kids? I stopped at a pet store.”
“No way.”
“Yeah. We should probably get some duck food.”
The phone vibrates again, insistent now, and we groan in unison .
“Alright, alright,” my boyfriend mumbles, untangling himself to reach for it. “Salem better have a damn good reason for interrupting us.”
When he gets the phone in his hand, though, the soft smile on his mouth drops when we realize it’s his phone ringing, not mine. Swiping the screen, he raises it to his ear. “This is Matthew.”
I lean back on the stairs, my head resting against the railing as I watch him. His expression shifts when he hears the voice on the other end, his brows knitting together.
“Who’s this?” His posture stiffens, and the blood drains from his face. “What do you mean, arrested ?”
When his voice cracks, I go rigid, a cold sense of dread pooling in my stomach.
Matty’s hand trembles as he grips the phone tighter. “What about Hannah? Is she…”
The mention of her name has me jumping to my feet. “What’s going on?”
His lips part slightly, like the air’s been knocked out of him. “I’ll get there as soon as I can.”
“Matty, tell me what’s wrong.”
“Hannah’s in the hospital,” he whispers hoarsely, lowering the phone. “Valerie… she’s in custody.”
My heart drops, fear lancing through me as I grip his shoulder. “ What happened? ”
“I-I don’t know,” he stammers, his eyes wide in shock. “The cop said something about child endangerment.”
His hand drops the phone to the floor, and I grab his face, forcing him to look at me. “Listen to me, baby. We’re going to the hospital. Right now. Get dressed. ”
He nods, but it’s like he’s moving through water, sluggish and dazed. I help him to his feet, pulling clothes onto both of us as the weight of what’s happening crashes over me. He’s barely holding it together, his breaths ragged as I shove his shoes into his hands.
“She’s stable,” he mutters like he’s trying to convince himself. “He said she’s stable.”
“She’s going to be okay,” I tell him fiercely, even though I don’t know if I’m telling him the truth. “We’ll get to her. Let’s go.”
As we rush out the door, I catch the hollow fear in his eyes, and only one thought burns in my mind like a brand:
Please, don’t do this to me.
Don’t let me lose what I just barely got back.