Chapter 7
CHAPTER SEVEN
Josh
I awoke to the sound of Shay’s panicked voice shouting from the kitchen.
“Hey! There’s a fucking bird trying to break into your penthouse, moneybags!”
Time to meet the family.
I sat up and stretched before reaching for my robe, amazed to discover how well-rested I felt.
Did I sleep through the night?
The last thing I remembered was spooning Shay before I drifted off. This had been by his request, and it had been heavenly. He’d fit so perfectly in my arms, and smelled divine, I’d wondered how I could be expected to ever let him go.
It had also been hellish in a way. He’d tried to convince me to sleep naked like him, but I’d insisted on wearing boxer briefs, needing that thin layer of fabric between us.
Unsurprisingly, he’d tried to tempt me anyway—wiggling his perfect ass against my aching cock—but I’d somehow behaved throughout the night.
Somehow.
Despite wanting to claim him as mine, I couldn’t allow myself to get attached.
Shay had been clear from the start that this arrangement was strictly transactional, and while the lines had admittedly blurred once he came home with me after the funeral, it didn’t mean he wanted a relationship with the random plus one he’d found on H2H.
No matter how many orgasms I’ve wrung out of him.
“Coming!” I called out, pulling on my robe and hurrying across the apartment to facilitate hellos.
It will be goodbye soon enough.
When I reached the kitchen, I found Shay backed against the counter with a bag of espresso beans clutched to his chest, engaged in a wary staring contest with my feathered life-mate.
“I see you’ve met Lenore.” I grinned, leaning over the table to crack open the window.
“Don’t let it in!” Shay whispered frantically before squinting at me. “Wait. Is this your pet?”
Lenore squawked in clear annoyance, although whether it was because of the delay, the lack of peanuts—again—or Shay’s insult was unclear.
“No,” I chuckled as she hopped onto the table. “A murder of crows adopted me as one of their own during my morning walks through the park, and then this beauty decided I was her mate.”
I caught a smile twisting Shay’s kissable lips as I turned to retrieve the peanuts from the pantry.
“Lucky man…” he murmured. “She’s gorgeous.”
Now I was trying to hide a smile, embarrassingly ecstatic that my fake boyfriend approved of my corvid wife.
But is the feeling mutual?
As I carried the peanuts to where Shay was fussing with the grinder, I had an idea. “Let me handle the coffee.” I gently pried the beans from his hands and placed the peanuts on the counter next to a pinch bowl. “Why don’t you feed Lenore?”
“Me?!” he hissed, pretty eyes darting to the table. “What if she pecks out my eyeballs for being, you know… the other man.”
I couldn’t help laughing at the genuine concern in his voice and responded by yanking him closer for a kiss. He tensed in my arms and, for a moment, I feared I’d made a grave mistake.
This is just business, Josh.
“She’s judging us…” Shay murmured, his breath tickling my lips before he stretched on his toes to kiss me deeper. “Judging me.”
Lenore looked more interested in the peanuts in my opinion, but I wanted to set his mind at ease. “Corvids generally mate for life, but they’re still family-oriented and understand safety in numbers. They also spend their days foraging for food, so a free meal can earn major points.”
“Food motivated…” he chuckled, turning from me to grab the peanuts and get to work. “I can appreciate that.”
I watched him tentatively approach the table and place the bowl in front of Lenore. She cocked her head, seemingly confused why this newcomer was fulfilling my duties, but what Shay had to offer was too tempting to resist.
Understood completely.
The smile that lit up Shay’s face when she started to eat made my chest ache, and I quickly busied myself with grinding the beans, worried he might see something in my expression that would make him run.
Please don’t.
Not yet.
While I knew it was foolish to want to maintain the fantasy of this fake relationship for as long as possible, Shay needed my support, and I was more than happy to give it to him. So what if I would most likely be lonelier than ever after he left?
I was so preoccupied with preparing our espresso—and preparing myself for heartbreak—it took me a moment to realize the soft cooing sounds I was hearing weren’t only coming from Lenore.
“Are you part crow, shortstack?” I huffed a laugh, joining them at the table and handing him his double-shot. “That’s uncanny.”
To my delight, he blushed. “Impressions are a random talent of mine. I think that’s actually why I got into dancing. The moves and routines have always been easy for me to learn.”
I nodded thoughtfully as I took a sip, recalling how accurate Shay’s impressions of his family had been—especially his overdramatic mother.
As if on cue, his phone buzzed, and I silently watched as he stood and dragged his feet to where he’d left it on the counter.
It’s none of your business, Josh.
The pain that flashed over his face as he read the message had me gripping my espresso cup so tightly, I was surprised it didn’t crumble into dust.
“Come here,” I growled before I could stop myself. When Shay gaped at me in shock, I softened my tone. “You don’t have to show me the text, but let me comfort you. Please.”
He continued to stare until his shoulders slumped, and he obediently shuffled over to crawl into my lap.
Good boy.
It was my turn to be shocked when he immediately handed me his unlocked phone. I set down my cup, pulled him closer with one arm, and read his latest message.
Mom: You should know I barely slept thanks to you selfishly skipping your own sister’s graveside service yesterday.
I clenched my jaw as I scrolled up to find dozens of recent texts from his mother, starting about an hour after we’d left the funeral home and continuing late into the night. At one point—after I’d fallen asleep, apparently—Shay had replied with a simple “I’m sorry,” but it had gone unacknowledged.
Because this isn’t about communication.
It’s about control.
I made the mistake of scrolling far enough back to witness a text that had me seeing red.
Mom: Apparently YOU were the last person Marguerite attempted to call before she died. What was so important that you couldn’t pick up the phone?
All at once, I decided this was my business, that anyone who would dare to speak to Shay like that—family or not—didn’t deserve to speak to him at all.
“Sweet thing,” I murmured, gently brushing his white-blond hair off his forehead. “May I type up a reply for you? You don’t have to send it. I just want to show you how I would respond in this situation.”
He sniffled against my chest but turned his head to better see his phone. “Y-yeah. Show me what you would say.”
What I truly wanted to say wouldn’t be considered polite, so I blew out an extremely slow breath and called upon my vast experience dealing with emotionally volatile people to be as non-confrontational as possible.
I’ve already apologized and paid my respects. I am now focusing on handling my grief in my own way.
Shay nodded resolutely. “Send it.”
I waited for him to confirm that was what he wanted before hitting send. The reply was almost instantaneous.
Mom: What about MY grief, Shane? You’re not the only one who lost someone.
DEEP breaths, Josh.
“Fuck,” he muttered, scrubbing a hand down his face. “Now I want to apologize again.”
I had to refrain from telling him not to waste his breath, knowing it wasn’t my place.
A moment of silence passed before he gazed up at me through his lashes. “What would you say?”
Well, since you asked…
I chuckled humorlessly. “Are you sure you want to know?”
He pressed his lips together and nodded once. “Show me.”
I sighed and typed up what was most likely this wonderful man’s first ever lesson in boundaries.
If you are unable to respect my decision, I will be unable to continue communicating with you at this time.
Shay gasped and slapped a hand over his mouth, and I immediately knew I’d gone too far.
Speaking of boundaries…
“You don’t have to send it!” I hurriedly handed him back his phone. “I just…”
I just care about you more than I should.
Shay stared wide-eyed at the screen for only a second before a sly grin appeared. Then, he hit send and immediately turned off his phone.
Someone’s a quick learner.
“Good boy.” The praise slipped out before I could stop it, but with the way he contentedly sighed and cuddled closer again, I assumed he didn’t mind.
Now that he no longer had that added stress weighing him down, we were able to peacefully sip our espresso and watch Lenore finish her peanuts.
Just like a family…
“Oh!” Shay abruptly sat up when Lenore hopped to the open window and took off. “She’s leaving already?”
Gently sliding him off my lap, I closed the window and walked our empty cups to the sink. “She’s getting a head start. Now it’s time to grab bagels from the deli on the corner and walk through the park.”
I paused, suddenly incredibly self-conscious about all the assumptions I’d been making.
He. Is. Not. Yours.
“I’m assuming you’re inviting me along.” Shay appeared by my side, pressing his hot little body against mine, causing me to let down my guard all over again. “And you should assume the answer is yes.”
Twenty minutes later, we had our everything bagels with vegetable cream cheese in hand, walking the same circuit I took every day. Lenore was playing on the wind overhead and a few of her fellow crows joined in the fun until they all headed off in another direction.
Shay watched the birds disappear into the distance before shocking me with more vulnerability. “I… don’t know if I’m gonna feel up to visiting Marguerite’s grave.” He nibbled his bottom lip. “Before I leave, I mean.”
It took every ounce of self-control not to openly react to him talking about leaving. “It’s okay if you’re not ready, sweet thing,” I soothed. “I meant what I said on your behalf earlier—you are allowed to process your grief in your own way, in your own time.”
I wish I could be there to support you through it.
He nodded absently before dropping his gaze to his half-eaten bagel. “She took her own life, Josh… b-but I still feel like her dying was my fault.”
I blew out a very slow breath, knowing exactly where he got that idea from, while also knowing it was a text I wasn’t supposed to have seen.
I’ll just support him as best I can.
For as long as I can.
“The night before my parents died, I went to a sleepover at a friend’s house,” I carefully began, not wanting to trigger him, but hoping my story might help. “They were on their way to pick me up the next day when the crash happened.”
When Shay gasped, I placed a hand on his shoulder and offered a small smile, showing him it was okay. “You can imagine how I blamed myself for years afterwards, but I’ve since realized how many factors went into that tragic day—how little any of us can actually control.”
How I can’t keep you, no matter how badly I want to.
He absorbed my words for a few minutes before replying, “I appreciate that. Even if it might take some time for me to believe I’m not to blame, I still appreciate hearing you believe it’s true. Thank you.”
We finished our breakfast in comfortable silence before Shay turned to face me, seeming almost shy.
“Sooo… My plane doesn’t leave until way later tonight. Would it be okay if I just hung out at your place until I needed to get an Uber to the airport? I’ll stay out of your hair so you can work…”
My heart felt like it was going to fall out of my chest and shatter on the paved walkway beneath our feet. “Of course, Shay. Anything you need.”
Anything.
He stared at me for a long moment. “What about what you need, Josh?” he asked, his unexpected question deafening in the early morning quiet of the park.
I smiled wide, knowing my vampire fangs would distract him from whatever else he might see if he looked too closely. “A day with you is all I need, shortstack.”
Just one more day.